Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Raceland LA

How to Select a Physical Therapy School near Raceland 70394

Raceland LA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Raceland LA is an essential first step to starting a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the proper education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are considering to make certain they will provide a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is select a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be evaluated in addition to cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Raceland LA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, such as Raceland LA hospitals, health clinics, 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 previously stated, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Raceland LA health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Raceland LA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options available for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either training 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 available in the Raceland LA area:

Associate Degrees train students to practice as 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 programs are typically provided by community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to finish and usually incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order 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 3 years to complete, making the overall investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an important element along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in some 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 eliminated and is no longer available in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Colleges Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Raceland LA Although not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs offered, more so 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 part of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Raceland LA residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition can be somewhat lower than similar on campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you probably have come to decision concerning some of your initial queries, like the type of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT schools within the Raceland LA area and throughout Louisiana, you’ll have to research other qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school options. Furthermore, you want to make sure that you choose the college that is best for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of important 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 selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are considering have earned 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 choose an online college, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are several ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with a few Raceland LA physical therapist centers or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your school options. It may also be a good idea to check with the Louisiana Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist programs you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Raceland LA area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps excellent. It also confirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to assist students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the college you enroll in provides both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Louisiana or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapist colleges you are assessing have associations with Raceland LA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent means to receive practical experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can assist students and graduates form professional relationships in the Raceland health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will likely prefer a smaller class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools 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 final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Raceland LA home. Those who have decided to attend classes online naturally will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually 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 Support Offered? Most DPT schools offer some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office and find out what type of aid is offered. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. Some physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapy college you ultimately choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Raceland LA area, make certain that they are offered. 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, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Raceland Louisiana?

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

Raceland, Louisiana

Raceland is a census-designated place (CDP) on Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 10,224 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 21.7 square miles (56.2 km²), of which 21.6 square miles (56.1 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km²) (0.18%) is water.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 10,224 people, 3,656 households, and 2,837 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 472.3 people per square mile (182.3/km²). There were 3,908 housing units at an average density of 180.5 per square mile (69.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 71.19% White, 26.23% African American, 0.96% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.54% of the population.

Select the Best Physical Therapist Degree Program near Raceland LA

Choosing the ideal physical therapist school is a necessary first decision you need to make to begin a rewarding career in the medical field. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you pick should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. However there are other important questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that a number of factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may want to go to each of the campuses to see their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me reach 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 options so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Raceland LA.