Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Alexandria KY

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Program near Alexandria 41001

Alexandria KY physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Alexandria KY is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the necessary training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate the ones you are considering to make sure they will deliver a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is select a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered besides cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Alexandria KY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying locations, such as Alexandria KY hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help people that are experiencing 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 address the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Alexandria KY medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, 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 take note of for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Alexandria KY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options available for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degree levels that are available in the Alexandria KY area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by community or junior colleges, and take about 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 created as pre-physical therapy training to prep students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an important component in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in some states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has taken the place of the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer attainable in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists holding 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 Therapy Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Alexandria KY While not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Alexandria KY home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition might be significantly less than similar on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you probably have made a decision regarding several of your preliminary queries, like the type of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are so many PT schools within the Alexandria KY area and across Kentucky, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Also, you need to make certain that you enroll in the program that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously 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 enroll in 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 enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Get in touch with some Alexandria KY physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your program selections. It may also be prudent to contact the Kentucky Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two useful statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapist schools you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Alexandria KY area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps excellent. It also confirms that the school has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you select provides both excellent training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for Kentucky or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are interested in have associations with Alexandria KY hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent way to receive practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help students and graduates establish professional connections in the Alexandria health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing 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 final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they choose will need to be within travelling distance of their Alexandria KY home. Students who have chosen to attend classes online naturally 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 keep in mind 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 frequently charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? Most DPT schools supply some type of financial support to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are examining have a financial assistance office and find out what type of aid is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapy school you ultimately select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Alexandria KY area, make certain 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 enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Alexandria Kentucky?

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

Alexandria, Kentucky

Alexandria is a home rule-class city[2] in Campbell County, Kentucky, in the United States. Along with Newport, it is one of the dual seats of the county.[3] The population was 8,477 at the 2010 census.[4]

It is believed that the area that is now Alexandria was first settled by Frank Spilman and his family c. 1793.[5] The Spilman family was from King George County, Virginia, and they may have named their settlement after Alexandria, Virginia.[5] The family had begun developing and selling lots in the settlement by 1819,[5] the year the first post office was established. On February 22, 1834, Alexandria was formally established by an act of the state assembly.[6]

When the Kentucky General Assembly formed Kenton County from part of Campbell County in 1840, they moved Campbell's county seat from Newport to Alexandria, which was closer to the center of the redrawn county.[5] The citizens of Alexandria quickly constructed a county courthouse but, because the majority of the county's population lived in Newport, the move was not a popular one and it took a court order and a visit from the sheriff to get the county clerk to move.[7]

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapist College near Alexandria KY

Choosing the right physical therapy college is an important first decision you need to make to launch a fulfilling career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you enroll in should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. But there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask regarding your college of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapist program, bear in mind that many variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may want to go to each of the schools to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program 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 field so you can make the best selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can accomplish your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Alexandria KY.