Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Cummington MA

How to Pick a Physical Therapy Program near Cummington 01026

Cummington MA physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Cummington MA is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the proper training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate those you are considering to make certain they will deliver a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be evaluated along with location and cost. 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?

Cummington MA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying locations, such as Cummington MA hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Cummington MA health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

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

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are usually provided by junior or community colleges, and take about two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist training to prep students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take four years to finish and usually include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want to become a practicing licensed 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 finish, making the overall commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal element along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in several 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 phased out and is no longer available in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Cummington MA While not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature 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 a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Cummington MA residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition can be significantly lower than comparable 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 benefits may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you most likely have made a decision regarding some of your initial questions, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Cummington MA area and throughout Massachusetts, you’ll have to explore other qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of college options. Moreover, you want to make sure that you enroll in the school 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 therapist colleges you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing schools these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are reviewing 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 choose an online college, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist program and school you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Call some Cummington MA physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your program options. It may also be a good idea to check with the Massachusetts Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of important statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapist schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Cummington MA area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care community is good or even outstanding. It also verifies that the college has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you select furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Massachusetts 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 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 performed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Ask if the physical therapist programs you are assessing have partnerships with Cummington MA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent way to obtain 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 may assist graduates and students form professional relationships in the Cummington healthcare community and assist with job placement after licensing.

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

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they pick will have to be within travelling distance of their Cummington MA home. Individuals who have opted to attend classes online obviously 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 decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? Most DPT schools offer some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and see what type of help is offered. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapy school you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Cummington MA area, verify that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Cummington Massachusetts?

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

Cummington, Massachusetts

Cummington is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 872 at the 2010 census,[1] down from 978 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The first Congregational Church minister was Rev. James Briggs (1743–1825) of Norton, Massachusetts, and a graduate of Yale College around 1775.[3] Briggs was the son of Deacon James and Damaris (White) Briggs, and the husband of Anna Wiswall.

Noted poet and newspaper editor William Cullen Bryant was born in Cummington, and returned for many years to summer in the town. His house is now preserved and open to the public as the William Cullen Bryant Homestead. The town hosts the Cummington Fair every August on the town's fairgrounds. The fair features many events, including adult and 4-H exhibition halls, a craft barn, vaudeville stage, antique car parade, oxen pull, and an assortment of fair rides, games, and food stands.

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapy School near Cummington MA

Selecting the right physical therapy school is a necessary first decision you need to make to start a gratifying career in the health care field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you decide on should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. However there are additional critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may want to visit different campuses to view their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Cummington MA.