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

How to Select a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Lunenburg 01462

Lunenburg MA physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Lunenburg MA is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the appropriate education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate those you are considering to make certain they will supply a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is choose a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered along with cost and location. But before we cover 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Lunenburg MA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, including Lunenburg MA hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of 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 patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Lunenburg MA medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

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

Associate Degrees train students to practice as 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 equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are usually provided by junior or community colleges, and take about two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and often include an internship program of at least 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). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to finish, making the overall commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an essential element along with the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in a number of 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 eliminated and is no longer offered in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Lunenburg MA While not as prevalent as the on-campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy 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 requires that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Lunenburg MA home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition might be significantly lower than similar on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision regarding some of your initial questions, such as the type of physical therapy degree you would like to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the Lunenburg MA area and throughout Massachusetts, you’ll have to research additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of college options. Moreover, you want to make sure that you select the school that is best for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the schools you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier stated, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you enroll in an online school, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call a few Lunenburg MA physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your college selections. It may also be a good idea to check with the Massachusetts Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist programs you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Lunenburg MA area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the college has a wide network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you choose provides both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Massachusetts 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 therapy college. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Provided? Ask if the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing have associations with Lunenburg MA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to obtain practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help students and graduates establish professional connections in the Lunenburg medical community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of student that likes to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are looking at what the average 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 several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy school they select will have to be within travelling distance of their Lunenburg MA residence. Those who have decided to attend online classes naturally 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 consider is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally 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 Assistance Offered? Most DPT schools supply some type of financial support to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office and see what kind of aid is offered. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. A number of physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy college you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Lunenburg MA area, check 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 need to enroll in. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Lunenburg Massachusetts?

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

Lunenburg, Massachusetts

Lunenburg was first settled in 1718 and was officially incorporated in 1728. The name stems from one of the titles of King George II of Great Britain, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.[1] During King George's War, natives raided the village and took settlers captive to Quebec.[2] Areas of neighboring Fitchburg were once part of Lunenburg, but broke away around this time because the walking distance to church and town meetings was too great for many. Closed in 2000, Whalom Park on Whalom Lake was a famous amusement park in Lunenburg. It closed with the rising popularity of Six Flags New England in Agawam. It was home of the famous Flyer Comet, now demolished.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.7 square miles (72 km2), of which 26.4 square miles (68 km2) is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2), or 4.59%, is water.

Lunenburg is bordered by Townsend to the north, Shirley to the east, Groton to the east, Lancaster to the southeast, Leominster to the south, Fitchburg to the west, and Ashby to the northwest. Three state highways pass through Lunenburg. Route 2A follows Mass Ave from the Shirley line to the Fitchburg line. Rt 13 follows Electric Ave from the Leominster line to Mass Ave. Rt 13 then follows Mass Ave/Rt 2a for 0.3 miles. Rt 13 then follows Chase Rd to the Townsend Line. Rt 225 begins in Lunenburg, at an intersection with Rt 2a/Mass Ave near the Shirley line. Rt 225 follows West Groton Rd from Rt 2a to the Shirley line.

Select the Best Physical Therapist Degree Program near Lunenburg MA

Selecting the right physical therapist school is a necessary initial decision you must make to launch a fulfilling career in the health care field. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you choose should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. But there are other critical questions that you need to ask concerning your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your final decision. You might want to visit each of the colleges to view their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the best choice. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Lunenburg MA.