Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - La Grange KY

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy Degree Program near La Grange 40031

La Grange KY physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near La Grange KY is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled as a result of illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the proper education and training. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate the ones you are thinking about to make certain they will deliver a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is choose a school just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered along with cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

La Grange KY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of locations, including La Grange KY hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce 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.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other La Grange KY health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

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

Associate Degrees train students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or GED 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 normally a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to ready students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to finish and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order to become a practicing licensed 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 investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential element in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not just 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 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 prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in La Grange KY While not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s La Grange KY residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be somewhat less than similar on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you most likely have come to decision regarding a few of your initial questions, including the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT schools within the La Grange KY area and throughout Kentucky, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Furthermore, you need to make certain that you choose the college 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 colleges you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are considering have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As previously 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 school, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Call some La Grange KY physical therapist centers or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your school 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 College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students left because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the La Grange KY area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even exceptional. It also confirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you choose provides both superior training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Kentucky or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapist colleges you are evaluating have associations with La Grange KY clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific way to get practical experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist students and graduates develop professional connections in the La Grange healthcare community and assist with job placement once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching what the typical student to teacher 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 a chance to talk with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist college they pick will need to be within travelling distance of their La Grange KY home. Students who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally 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 Provided? The majority of DPT schools supply some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Inquire if the colleges you are examining have a financial assistance department and see what kind of assistance is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist program you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the La Grange KY area, check that they are available. 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, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near La Grange Kentucky?

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

La Grange, Kentucky

La Grange was founded in 1827 when the Oldham county seat was relocated from Westport at the suggestion of Maj. William Berry Taylor.[why?] The new town was named for Château de la Grange-Bléneau, the French country estate of Gilbert du Motier, the American Revolutionary hero better known as the Marquis de Lafayette, who had visited the area in 1824.[4] For unknown reasons, the county seat returned to Westport from 1828 to 1838 before settling at La Grange. The city was formally incorporated by the state legislature on January 23, 1840.[5]

An unusual feature of La Grange is the CSX Transportation mainline on Main Street. The only other American locales to have a street running mainline track are Jack London Square in Oakland, California and CSS in Michigan City, Indiana.

The Kentucky Department of Corrections maintains four correctional facilities in La Grange. Construction began on the Kentucky State Reformatory, the largest prison in the state, in 1937, with the prison opening in 1939. Roederer Correctional Complex, which houses the Assessment and Classification Center where male inmates not sentenced to death enter the state prison system, was built in 1976. The Luther Luckett Correctional Complex and Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center, both built in the same facility but technically two separate prisons, opened in 1983. Approximately 4,000 inmates of various security levels are housed at these institutions.

Select the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near La Grange KY

Picking the ideal physical therapist college is a necessary initial decision you must make to launch a gratifying career in the healthcare field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you select should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that many variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might decide to visit different schools to view their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in La Grange KY.