Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Alfred ME

How to Pick a Physical Therapy School near Alfred 04002

Alfred ME physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Alfred ME is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the necessary education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate the ones you are looking at to ensure they will provide a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is choose a school simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to 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 what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Alfred ME physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of locations, such as Alfred ME 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 touched on, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they design 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 necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Alfred ME medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Alfred ME physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degrees that are available in the Alfred ME area:

Associate Degrees train 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 equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often made available by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to prep students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to finish and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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 3 years to complete, making the total commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential component in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in several states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer attainable in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Alfred ME While not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online portion of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Alfred ME home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition may 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, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you probably have made a decision regarding several of your initial queries, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you want to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT schools within the Alfred ME area and throughout Maine, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of school options. Also, you need to be sure that you choose the program that is right for you. That’s why we have put together a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you choose an online college, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT program’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact some Alfred ME 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 college selections. It might also be a good idea to check with the Maine Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of important statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students left because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Alfred ME area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or even outstanding. It also affirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you choose furnishes both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Maine or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapist schools you are interested in have associations with Alfred ME hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent manner to obtain hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Alfred healthcare community and help with job placement once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? 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 want a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on 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 pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they select will need to be within travelling distance of their Alfred ME residence. Students who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble 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 choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT colleges offer some form of financial support to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid department and find out what kind of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. A number of physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapist school you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Alfred ME area, confirm that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Alfred Maine?

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

Alfred E. Neuman

Alfred E. Neuman is the fictitious mascot and cover boy of the American humor magazine Mad. The character's face had drifted through U.S. iconography for decades (It appeared in the early 1930s on a presidential campaign postcard with the caption, "Sure, I'm for Roosevelt!") before being claimed by Mad editor Harvey Kurtzman in 1954 and later named by the magazine's second editor Al Feldstein in 1956. Since his debut in Mad, Neuman's likeness has appeared on the cover of all but a handful of the magazine's 550+ issues, distinguished by jug ears, a missing front tooth, and one eye lower than the other. His face is rarely seen in profile; he has virtually always been shown in front view, directly from behind, or in silhouette.

Harvey Kurtzman first spotted the image on a postcard pinned to the office bulletin board of Ballantine Books editor Bernard Shir-Cliff. "It was a face that didn't have a care in the world, except mischief", recalled Kurtzman. Shir-Cliff was later a contributor to various magazines created by Kurtzman.[1]

In November 1954, Neuman made his Mad debut on the front cover of Ballantine's The Mad Reader, a paperback collection of reprints from the first two years of Mad. The character's first appearance in the comic book was on the cover of Mad #21 (March 1955), in a tiny image as part of a mock advertisement. A rubber mask bearing his likeness with "idiot" written underneath was offered for $1.29.

Enroll in the Best Physical Therapy Degree Program near Alfred ME

Picking the right physical therapy college is an important initial decision you must make to begin a gratifying career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you pick should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that numerous factors will guide you to your ultimate decision. You may want to go to each of the schools to view their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal selection. And with the proper training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Alfred ME.