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

How to Choose a Physical Therapist College near Huntington 01050

Huntington MA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Huntington MA is an essential first step to starting a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled as a result of illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the proper education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate those you are thinking about 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 closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be evaluated besides cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Huntington MA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, such as Huntington MA hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also try to stop any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Huntington MA medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Huntington MA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees offered for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degree levels that are available in the Huntington MA area:

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by community or junior colleges, and take about two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist training to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require 4 years to complete and usually 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 also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to finish, making the total commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential element in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in several 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 holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Huntington MA While not as common as the on-campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Huntington MA residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition might 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 option the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you most likely have made a decision regarding several of your initial questions, including the type of physical therapy degree you want to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are numerous PT colleges within the Huntington MA area and across Massachusetts, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of school options. Furthermore, you want to make sure that you pick the program that is right for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy schools you are considering. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are reviewing 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 select an online school, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy school and program you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, starting 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 as well. Contact some Huntington MA physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your school selections. It may also be prudent 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 need to find out about each of the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might suggest that students left because of displeasure 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 school’s job placement program, particularly in the Huntington MA area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the college has a large network of contacts to assist students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the college you choose provides both superior training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for Massachusetts 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 program. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Ask if the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing have associations with Huntington MA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific means to obtain practical experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help students and graduates develop professional connections in the Huntington medical community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit far in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they select will need to be within travelling distance of their Huntington MA residence. Students who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to consider 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 normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? Most DPT schools supply some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have a financial assistance department and see what kind of help is obtainable. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist college you finally pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Huntington MA area, verify that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Huntington Massachusetts?

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

Huntington, Massachusetts

Originally Plantation Number 9 by the Court of Massachusetts Bay, Huntington has a colorful history, hinted at by the town's incorporation date of March 5, 1855, decades later than the towns around it. The town was assembled from pieces of surrounding towns, which were grafted onto the towns of Norwich, Murrayfield, and Knightville. The present village center sits on what was the meeting point of three towns and two counties. The location of the village created a tangle of jurisdictional confusion. With the coming of the railroad in the 1840s and the expansion of industry and population that came with it, the political difficulties that the boundaries presented became untenable.

The solution that resulted in the present town was crafted by a Northampton attorney named Charles Huntington. Once the new town was incorporated, Mr. Huntington presented it with a gift that was the foundation of the town's library. After some discussion, the newly formed town voted to adopt the name of "Huntington", in honor of its recent architect and benefactor.

Huntington is in southwestern Hampshire County, bordered to the south and west by towns in Hampden County. The Westfield River runs through the town, joined by its West Branch at the village of Huntington in the southern part of the town. U.S. Route 20 follows the lower Westfield River and its West Branch through the town, leading southeast 12 miles (19 km) to the city of Westfield and northwest 23 miles (37 km) to Lee.

Pick the Best Physical Therapist School near Huntington MA

Choosing the ideal physical therapist program is an important initial decision you must make to begin a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you decide on should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. However there are additional relevant questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, bear in mind that many factors will guide you to your final decision. You might want to visit different campuses to view their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Huntington MA.