Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Eddyville IA

How to Pick a Physical Therapy College near Eddyville 52553

Eddyville IA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Eddyville IA is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the appropriate education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate the ones you are considering to ensure they will provide a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is select a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered along with location and cost. But before we discuss 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?

Eddyville IA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse settings, including Eddyville IA private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Eddyville IA medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Eddyville IA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short descriptions of degree levels that are offered in the Eddyville IA area:

Associate Degrees train students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to prepare students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to finish and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program must also 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 finish, making the overall commitment 7 years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in several 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 phased out and is no longer available in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Eddyville IA Although not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Eddyville IA home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you most likely have come to decision concerning some of your initial questions, like the type of physical therapy degree you would like to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Eddyville IA area and throughout Iowa, you’ll have to research other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Moreover, you want to make sure that you choose the college that is best for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the programs you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As earlier stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you choose an online college, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Call a few Eddyville IA physical therapist centers or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your school selections. It might also be prudent to contact 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 Rate? There are a couple of significant statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Eddyville IA area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps excellent. It also confirms that the college has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you enroll in furnishes 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 required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Offered? Inquire if the physical therapy schools you are evaluating have relationships with Eddyville IA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific means to receive practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may assist students and graduates establish professional connections in the Eddyville health care community and assist with job placement once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they choose will need to be within travelling distance of their Eddyville IA home. Those who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? Most DPT colleges offer some form of financial aid to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial assistance department and find out what kind of assistance is offered. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. Some physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapist college you ultimately choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Eddyville IA area, confirm that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Eddyville Iowa?

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

Eddyville, Iowa

Eddyville was founded by Jabish P. Eddy, in 1841, before Iowa became a state. It was a place for trade with the Indians and for pioneers to provision and ford the Des Moines river. The first commercial coal mines in Wapello County were opened near Eddyville. Local oral history has it that a two-story house that once stood at the northwest corner of Seventh Street and Vance Street served as a stop on the Underground Railroad until the Civil War made that unnecessary. Several 'coal banks' were in operation in 1857, including the Roberts Mine, directly across the Des Moines River from town. These mines worked coal seams exposed on the hillsides of the river valley.[4]

Eddyville was served by the Keokuk and Des Moines Railroad which later became part of the Rock Island Railroad between Ottumwa and Oskaloosa generally on what is known as Sixth Street, and by a spur of the Milwaukee Railroad from Albia with a trestle bridge across the river to connect to the Rock Island on the north side of Eddyville. The Rock Island depot with a warehouse was between Walnut and Mill Streets, on the west side of the line. The line was closed and abandoned in the 1970s, but the old Milwaukee line has been rebuilt and expanded to serve Cargill and related operations from Albia where it joins the Burlington Northern Santa Fe.

A three-story brick school with a bell tower was located for many years on the block bounded by Seventh and Eighth Streets and Vance and Berdan Streets. This building housed all education for the community, through 12th grade. The property was enlarged with a ball field on the south across Berdan, and a playground on the west. The third story and bell tower were removed early in the twentieth century and the materials used to build a companion high school building, with the remaining portion of the original building used as an elementary school, including the heating plant. An auditorium and gymnasium with a stage was built about the time of World War II. In the late 1950s, the state encouraged school consolidation of the one-room schools in the surrounding countryside including Chillicothe and Kirkville, and the school district borrowed to build a new junior-senior high school building about a mile east, on the south side of the county line road, which opened for classes in the late summer of 1961, the old buildings were then devoted to elementary classes.

Choose the Best Physical Therapist School near Eddyville IA

Deciding on the right physical therapist college is a necessary initial decision you need to make to start a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you decide on should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. However there are other important questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy program, bear in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might decide to go to different schools to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me achieve my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right choice. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Eddyville IA.