Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - North Monmouth ME

How to Pick a Physical Therapist School near North Monmouth 04265

North Monmouth ME physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near North Monmouth ME is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the proper training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate the ones you are considering to ensure they will provide a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is enroll in a school just 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 evaluated along with location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

North Monmouth ME physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, including North Monmouth ME 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 previously touched on, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other North Monmouth ME health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

North Monmouth ME physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options offered for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is attainable to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degrees that are offered in the North Monmouth ME area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are typically offered by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to finish and often include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program also must 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 overall investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an important component in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in several 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 phased out and is no longer attainable in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in North Monmouth ME Although not as prevalent as the more traditional alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s North Monmouth ME home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition can be somewhat lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you probably have made a decision concerning some of your preliminary queries, including the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT colleges within the North Monmouth ME area and throughout Maine, you’ll need to research additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you want to be sure that you enroll in the college that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy colleges you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the programs you are reviewing have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. 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 select an online college, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can research a PT school’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 organizations for their reviews as well. Contact several North Monmouth ME physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your school options. It may also be prudent to contact the Maine Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two significant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might suggest that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the North Monmouth ME area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care community is good or even exceptional. It also verifies that the college has a wide network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the college you select furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Maine or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements differ 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 tests.

Are Internships Offered? Ask if the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing have relationships with North Monmouth ME clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great way to get practical experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist students and graduates establish professional relationships in the North Monmouth healthcare community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are looking at what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with a few of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they pick will have to be within driving distance of their North Monmouth ME home. Individuals who have chosen to attend online classes naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically 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 type of financial aid to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial assistance department and find out what kind of aid is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapist school you ultimately select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the North Monmouth ME area, check that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near North Monmouth Maine?

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

Monmouth, Maine

Monmouth is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,104 at the 2010 census. A popular summer resort area, with many lakeside cottages, Monmouth is part of the Winthrop Lakes Region.

Part of the Plymouth Patent, it was first settled as Freetown in 1776-1777 by families from Brunswick. It would also be called Bloomingborough and Wales before being incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court on January 20, 1792 as Monmouth,[5] after Monmouth, New Jersey.[6] The name was suggested by landowner General Henry Dearborn, who had fought in the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778.[7]

Monmouth was considered one of the best agricultural towns in the state, producing hay, apples and potatoes, in addition to beef cattle and dairy products.[8] It also had excellent sites for watermills. By 1859, when the population was 1,925, it had two factories for making boot-webbing and binding, a shovel and hoe factory, a tannery, a machine shops, some mechanic shops, some wood turning shops, a sleigh and carriage factory, some boot and shoe shops, a carpet factory, and a sash, blind and door factory. In 1849, the Androscoggin & Kennebec Railroad (later part of the Maine Central Railroad) opened to the town.[7]

Select the Ideal Physical Therapy Training Program near North Monmouth ME

Deciding on the best physical therapy school is a necessary initial decision you need to make to start a gratifying career in the healthcare profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you pick should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. But there are additional relevant questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that a number of variables will lead you to your final decision. You might want to visit each of the colleges to view their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in North Monmouth ME.