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

How to Select a Physical Therapist School near Rossville 66533

Rossville KS physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Rossville KS is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated 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 get the necessary training and education. A PT must also be licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research those you are thinking about to ensure they will provide a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated besides location and cost. 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Rossville KS physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, such as Rossville KS private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design 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. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Rossville KS health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy field, 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 Therapy Degrees Available

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

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are typically provided by community colleges, and take about two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prep students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not required 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 normally take 4 years to finish and often 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 must also be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the overall commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential component along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in several 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 United States. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Rossville KS While not as common as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more 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 necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Rossville KS home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be somewhat 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 benefits may make the online option the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you most likely have made a decision concerning a few of your preliminary queries, like the type of physical therapy degree you want to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Rossville KS area and across Kansas, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to be sure that you choose the school that is best for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are considering. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are looking at have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As earlier 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 enroll in an online program, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact a few Rossville KS physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your program options. It may also be prudent to check with the Kansas Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapist schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Rossville KS area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also affirms that the program has a broad network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in provides both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Kansas or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are interested in have partnerships with Rossville KS hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent manner to obtain practical training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Rossville healthcare community and assist with job placement once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with several 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 school they pick will have to be within travelling distance of their Rossville KS residence. Students who have decided to attend classes online naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. 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 might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? The majority of DPT schools offer some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance department and see what type of help is available. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist college you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Rossville KS area, verify that they are available. 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, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Rossville Kansas?

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

Rossville, Kansas

Rossville is located at 39°8′12″N 95°57′5″W / 39.13667°N 95.95139°W / 39.13667; -95.95139 (39.136559, -95.951255).[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.61 square miles (1.58 km2), all of it land.[1]

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Rossville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[9]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,151 people, 413 households, and 293 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,886.9 inhabitants per square mile (728.5/km2). There were 448 housing units at an average density of 734.4 per square mile (283.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.3% White, 0.7% African American, 4.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.9% of the population.

Select the Right Physical Therapy Training Program near Rossville KS

Deciding on the ideal physical therapy program is a necessary first decision you need 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 school you enroll in should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. But there are additional critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may want to go to different campuses to see their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical 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 appropriate choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Rossville KS.