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

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy College near Groton 01450

Groton MA physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Groton MA is an important first step to launching a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the necessary training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate the ones you are considering to make certain they will supply a superior education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be evaluated besides location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Groton MA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, including Groton MA private practices, hospitals, 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 mentioned, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Groton MA medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Groton MA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees offered for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degree levels that are offered in the Groton MA area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by junior or community colleges, and require two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to prep students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to complete and usually incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the total investment of time 7 years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an important component along with the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in some 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 offered in the USA. A number of licensed physical therapists having 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 Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Groton MA Although not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapist degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Groton MA residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition might be significantly less than comparable on-campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you probably have come to decision regarding a few of your preliminary questions, including the kind of physical therapy degree you want to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the Groton MA area and across Massachusetts, you’ll have to explore other qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of college choices. Furthermore, you want to be sure that you enroll in the school that is ideal for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing schools these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the programs you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier mentioned, 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 school, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not just the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Get in touch with a few Groton MA physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your program options. It might also be a good idea to check with the Massachusetts Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two important statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students left due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Groton MA area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you choose furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements 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 school. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Offered? Find out if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have relationships with Groton MA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great means to obtain hands on training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist students and graduates establish professional relationships in the Groton medical community and assist with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they pick will need to be within travelling distance of their Groton MA home. Individuals who have decided to attend online classes 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 keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? Most DPT schools provide some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department and find out what kind of help is available. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapy program you ultimately pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Groton MA area, confirm that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Groton Massachusetts?

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

Groton, Massachusetts

Groton is a town in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, within the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The population was 10,873 at the 2012 town census.[3] It is home to two prep schools: Groton School, founded in 1884,[4][5] and Lawrence Academy at Groton, founded in 1792 and the third-oldest private school in Massachusetts. Lawrence Academy was founded with a charter from John Hancock.[6]

Near the former border with Maine, the historic town was a battlefield in King Philip's War[7] and Queen Anne's War, with children taken captive in a raid by Abenaki and French;[7] it had had incidents of insurrection during Shays' Rebellion,[8] and was the birthplace of William Prescott, who commanded the colonial forces at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American revolution.[9]

The area surrounding modern-day Groton has, for thousands of years, been the territory of various cultures of indigenous peoples. They settled along the rivers, which they used for domestic tasks, fishing and transportation. Historic tribes were the Algonquian-speaking Nipmuc and Nashaway Indians.[10]

Select the Best Physical Therapist School near Groton MA

Deciding on the right physical therapy program is a necessary initial decision you have to make to start a fulfilling career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you select should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. But there are additional relevant questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, bear in mind that many variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit each of the campuses to view their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental 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 achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Groton MA.