Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Clearview City KS

How to Pick a Physical Therapist School near Clearview City 66019

Clearview City KS physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Clearview City KS is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the necessary training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate those you are considering to make sure they will provide a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered besides cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Clearview City KS physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, such as Clearview City KS hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Clearview City KS medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Clearview City KS physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are brief summaries of degrees that are offered in the Clearview City KS area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by community or junior colleges, and require two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to finish and commonly incorporate 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 three years to complete, making the overall investment of time 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an important element in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in a number of 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 attainable in the United States. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Clearview City KS Although not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online part of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Clearview City KS home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning several of your initial queries, like the kind of physical therapy degree you want to attain, where you prefer 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 Clearview City KS area and throughout Kansas, you’ll have to look into other qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Also, you need to make sure that you choose the program that is right for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapy colleges you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously mentioned, 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 can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT program’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact some Clearview City KS physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your program options. It may also be a good idea to check with the Kansas Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Clearview City KS 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 exceptional. It also affirms that the program has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you select furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for Kansas or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are reviewing have partnerships with Clearview City KS hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great means to receive hands on training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist graduates and students develop professional connections in the Clearview City healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are looking at what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to talk with some of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they pick will need to be within travelling distance of their Clearview City KS 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 keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT colleges provide some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance office and see what kind of aid is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. A number of physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapy college you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Clearview City KS area, verify that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, learn 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 Clearview City Kansas?

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

Mission, Kansas

The site where Mission now sits was once a rest stop for wagons moving westward on the Santa Fe Trail during the 19th Century.[citation needed] The clear spring water rising to the surface in present-day Mission made it an ideal place to collect drinking water for horses and travelers. For years the area was owned as a homestead by the Breyfogel family, who subdivided their land into 245 lots and sold them off in the early 20th Century.[citation needed] The town grew up slowly in the 1920s and 1930s, benefiting from its close proximity to Kansas City, Missouri.[citation needed] After World War II however, the town grew rapidly amid the post-war housing boom, as young families from Kansas City purchased their first homes.[citation needed]

Mission is located at 39°1′32″N 94°39′22″W / 39.02556°N 94.65611°W / 39.02556; -94.65611 (39.025572, -94.656056).[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.68 square miles (6.94 km2), of which, 2.67 square miles (6.92 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.[1]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 9,323 people, 5,000 households, and 2,130 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,491.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,348.2/km2). There were 5,477 housing units at an average density of 2,051.3 per square mile (792.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 84.6% White, 5.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 3.9% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.2% of the population.

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapist School near Clearview City KS

Choosing the best physical therapist school is a necessary first decision you have to make to begin a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you select should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are additional important questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your final decision. You may decide to go to each of the schools to view their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me accomplish 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 options so you can make the ideal choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Clearview City KS.