Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Erie KS

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist School near Erie 66733

Erie KS physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Erie KS is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the necessary education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate the ones you are looking at to make certain they will supply a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is choose a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated in addition to cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Erie KS physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, such as Erie KS private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they develop a program of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Erie KS medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Erie KS physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options offered for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Erie KS area:

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by community colleges, and require two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy training to ready candidates to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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). 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 or practical training is an intregal component in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in a number of states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer available in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Erie KS Although not as prevalent as the more traditional alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online part of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Erie KS residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition may be somewhat lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning some of your preliminary questions, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Erie KS area and across Kansas, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of college choices. Moreover, you need to make certain that you pick the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Ask if the schools you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As earlier stated, 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 can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Contact several Erie KS physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your college selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Kansas Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapist colleges you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Erie KS area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or even outstanding. It also verifies that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you select furnishes both superior training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Kansas or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapist programs you are assessing have relationships with Erie KS clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great way to obtain hands on training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Erie health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they select will have to be within travelling distance of their Erie KS home. Those who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even 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 normally charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT schools supply some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and find out what type of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. Some physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapy school you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Erie KS area, verify that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Erie Kansas?

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

Erie, Kansas

Erie is a city in and the county seat of Neosho County, Kansas, United States,[7] and situated in the valley of the Neosho River, about a mile Northeast of the river. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,150.[8]

A settlement named "Erie", later referred to as "Old Erie" and "Beantown USA", was platted 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of the present townsite, while another community, known as Crawfordsville, was started two miles northeast of the current site. In 1866, the proprietors of these two towns made a compromise to abandon the towns and combine with the settlement at the present Erie site. Four men gave 40 acres each, that butted together, out of their 160-acre shares, to create the city plat of Erie. These men were: David W. Bray, Luther Puckett, John F. Himmelwright and Peter Walter.[9] In November of that year the Erie Town Company was formed. Each member of this company donated forty acres of land in the center of Section 32, Township 28, Range 20 east.[10] Each member was to buy city plots and improve them.[11]

Erie's first fire company was established in November 1866; its charter members were those men who had donated the land on which the community was built. The first log home in Erie was built in 1866, while the first businesses were built in the following year. By 1883, the city had two general stores, two blacksmith shops, one drug store, two hotels, one newspaper office, two churches, and a population of about 300.[10]

Select the Right Physical Therapist School near Erie KS

Selecting the best physical therapist program is a necessary first decision you must make to start a rewarding career in the health care field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you enroll in should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are other relevant questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that many variables will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You may want to visit each of the schools to view their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Erie KS.