Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - East Grand Forks MN

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Degree Program near East Grand Forks 56721

East Grand Forks MN physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near East Grand Forks MN is a critical first step to starting a fulfilling career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to research the ones you are thinking about to make sure they will furnish a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is select a college just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered in addition to cost and location. But before we talk about 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

East Grand Forks MN physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, including East Grand Forks MN private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other East Grand Forks MN health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee 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 considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

East Grand Forks MN physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short descriptions of degree levels that are available in the East Grand Forks MN area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become 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 programs are most often made available by community colleges, and require two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training to prep candidates 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 typically require 4 years to finish and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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 3 years to complete, making the total investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an essential component in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only 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 offered in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in East Grand Forks MN While not as common as the on-campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online portion of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s East Grand Forks MN home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat less than similar on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you probably have come to decision regarding several of your initial queries, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the East Grand Forks MN area and across Minnesota, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of school choices. Furthermore, you need to be sure that you select the program that is right for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are considering. Ask each of the competing schools these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the programs you are looking at have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As previously 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 obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact some East Grand Forks MN physical therapy centers or other healthcare facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your college selections. It may also be prudent to check with the Minnesota Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist programs you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the East Grand Forks MN area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or even outstanding. It also verifies that the program has a large network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you select furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Minnesota or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Offered? Inquire if the physical therapist programs you are interested in have relationships with East Grand Forks MN clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent way to get hands on training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help graduates and students form professional relationships in the East Grand Forks health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with some of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they pick will have to be within driving distance of their East Grand Forks MN home. Individuals who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most DPT schools supply some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are considering have a financial aid office and see what type of aid is obtainable. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapist program you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the East Grand Forks MN area, check that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option 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 may miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near East Grand Forks Minnesota?

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

East Grand Forks, Minnesota

It is located in the Red River Valley region along the eastern bank of the Red River of the North, directly across from the larger city of Grand Forks, North Dakota. The cities of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks form the center of the Grand Forks, ND–MN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is often called Greater Grand Forks. The metropolitan area had an estimated population of 102,449 on July 1, 2015.[6]

East Grand Forks, along with Grand Forks, was heavily damaged by a major flood in 1997. The entire city was under a mandatory evacuation and almost no homes were spared damage. After the flood, several neighborhoods had to be demolished because of damage. The city cleared development from the floodplain bordering the Red and Red Lake rivers. It developed a large park known as the Greater Grand Forks Greenway to provide a new recreation area for residents along the river. A similar park was developed in Grand Forks, North Dakota on the opposite side of the river. The parklands, with trees and a variety of greenery, can absorb floodwaters and help protect the cities naturally. Moving residential and business development out of these areas also helps prevent future flood damage. In addition, a new system of dikes was constructed to protect the city from future flooding.

East Grand Forks developed on both sides of the Red Lake River which joins with the Red River in town. The main part of town is located north of the river; this was the original part that developed as the downtown area, as well as several early residential neighborhoods. The area south of the river is known as "The Point." The land narrows almost to a peninsula at the confluence of the Red and Red Lake rivers. "The Point" contains more residential development.

Select the Right Physical Therapist Training Program near East Grand Forks MN

Selecting the best physical therapist college is an important first decision you need to make to start a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you pick should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are other important questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that many variables will lead you toward your final decision. You might want to visit each of the colleges to see their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can accomplish your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in East Grand Forks MN.