Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Council Bluffs IA

How to Pick a Physical Therapy College near Council Bluffs 51501

Council Bluffs IA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Council Bluffs IA is a critical first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the appropriate education and training. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate those you are looking at to make certain they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is enroll in a school just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered besides cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Council Bluffs IA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, such as Council Bluffs IA private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Council Bluffs IA health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Council Bluffs IA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degrees that are available in the Council Bluffs IA area:

Associate Degrees educate students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often made available by community colleges, and require two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist training to ready candidates to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require 4 years to finish and usually incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the overall investment of time seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an important element along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has taken the place of the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer attainable in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Council Bluffs IA While not as common as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the curriculum may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Council Bluffs IA residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat less than similar on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision concerning a few of your initial questions, like the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Council Bluffs IA area and throughout Iowa, you’ll have to research additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of college options. Moreover, you want to make sure that you pick the college that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online school, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call some Council Bluffs IA physical therapist centers or other healthcare facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your college options. It might also be a good idea to check with the Iowa Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two significant statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Council Bluffs IA area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even excellent. It also confirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you select provides both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Iowa or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Ask if the physical therapist programs you are reviewing have relationships with Council Bluffs IA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent manner to receive practical training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may assist graduates and students establish professional connections in the Council Bluffs medical community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with a few of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Council Bluffs IA residence. Those who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT colleges offer some form of financial support to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department and see what kind of aid is offered. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapy college you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Council Bluffs IA area, confirm that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Council Bluffs Iowa?

If you are planning on attending a Physical Therapy School in the Council Bluffs IA area, the following information may prove to be both interesting and educational regarding the location of your future Alma Mater.

Council Bluffs, Iowa

Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States.[6] The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and a principal city in the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area. It is located on the east bank of the Missouri River, across from Omaha, Nebraska. Council Bluffs was known, until at least 1853, as Kanesville.[7] It was the historic starting point of the Mormon Trail. Kanesville is also the northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trails, since there was a steam powered boat to ferry their wagons, and cattle, across the Missouri River.[7]

Council Bluffs' population was 62,230 at the 2010 census. Along with neighboring Omaha to the west, Council Bluffs was part of the 60th-largest metropolitan area in the United States in 2010, which had an estimated population of 865,350 residing in the eight counties of the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area.

Council Bluffs is more than a decade older than Omaha. The latter, founded in 1854 by Council Bluffs businessmen and speculators following the Kansas–Nebraska Act, has grown to be a significantly larger city.

Pick the Right Physical Therapist Training Program near Council Bluffs IA

Deciding on the ideal physical therapy college is an important initial decision you must make to begin a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you decide on should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. But there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist program, keep in mind that numerous factors will lead you toward your final decision. You may decide to visit different campuses to see their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the proper training and education, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Council Bluffs IA.