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

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Training Program near Lovilia 50150

Lovilia IA physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Lovilia IA is an essential first step to launching a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the appropriate training and education. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate those you are thinking about to make sure they will supply a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered in addition to location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Lovilia IA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse settings, including Lovilia IA private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Lovilia IA health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Lovilia IA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options available for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short explanations of degrees that are available in the Lovilia IA area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are typically made available by community colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to prepare students to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require 4 years to finish and usually include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the total commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an essential element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in several states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced 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 Therapy Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Lovilia IA While not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Lovilia IA home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning a few of your preliminary queries, including the type of physical therapy degree you would like to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Lovilia IA area and throughout Iowa, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Moreover, you want to make sure that you pick the program that is right for you. That’s why we have put together a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are considering. Ask each of the potential schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have received accreditation from a national or a regional 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 school, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Along with ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Get in touch with several Lovilia IA physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your program selections. It may 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 schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two significant statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may suggest that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once 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 Lovilia IA area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even outstanding. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you select furnishes both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Iowa or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Find out if the physical therapy schools you are evaluating have partnerships with Lovilia IA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great way to receive hands on training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist graduates and students form professional connections in the Lovilia health care community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to speak with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they decide on will have to be within commuting distance of their Lovilia IA residence. Students who have chosen to attend classes online naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? Most DPT schools supply some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Ask if the schools you are examining have a financial aid office and see what kind of aid is offered. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial aid might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapist college you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Lovilia IA area, confirm that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Lovilia Iowa?

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

Lovilia, Iowa

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 538 people, 207 households, and 149 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,076.0 inhabitants per square mile (415.4/km2). There were 228 housing units at an average density of 456.0 per square mile (176.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 99.4% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, and 0.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.

There were 207 households of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.0% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.11.

The median age in the city was 34 years. 29.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 23.4% were from 45 to 64; and 14.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

Pick the Best Physical Therapy College near Lovilia IA

Selecting the right physical therapy college is an important first decision you have to make to launch a gratifying career in the healthcare field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you pick should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are other relevant questions that you need to ask regarding your college of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may want to go to each of the schools to see their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the best choice. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Lovilia IA.