How to Find the Right Physical Therapist Program near Cape Girardeau 63701

Receiving a physical therapist degree near Cape Girardeau MO is an important first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the appropriate training and education. A PT must also become licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate those you are thinking about to make certain they will supply a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered along with location and cost. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, including Cape Girardeau MO private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

• Arthritis or Osteoporosis
• Car or motor cycle accidents
• Strokes.
• Cardiac arrest.
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
• Fire injuries.
• Hip Replacement.
• Sciatica.
• Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Cape Girardeau MO medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering going into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degree levels that are available in the Cape Girardeau MO area:

• Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually provided by junior or community colleges, and take about two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually part of the curriculum.
• Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to ready students to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to complete and often include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
• Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program must also 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 investment of time seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an important component in addition to the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in some 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 available in the USA. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

While not as common as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Cape Girardeau MO residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition may be somewhat lower than comparable on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

By now you most likely have come to decision regarding a few of your preliminary questions, like the type of physical therapist degree you would like to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are numerous PT schools within the Cape Girardeau MO area and across Missouri, you’ll need to research other qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school options. Also, you need to make certain that you select the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited?  Find out if the programs you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. 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 may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not just 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 an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Call several Cape Girardeau MO physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your college options. It might also be prudent to contact the Missouri 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 Percentage? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapist programs you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once 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 Cape Girardeau MO area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps excellent. It also confirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you choose provides both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Missouri or the state where you will be practicing. 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. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy schools you are assessing have relationships with Cape Girardeau MO clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great means to get practical training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may help students and graduates establish professional relationships in the Cape Girardeau medical community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are considering 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 final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with some of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they pick will have to be within driving distance of their Cape Girardeau MO home. Students who have decided to attend online classes naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something 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 normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? Most DPT schools supply some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance office and see what kind of aid is offered. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapist college you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Cape Girardeau MO area, confirm that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Cape Girardeau Missouri?

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

Select the Best Physical Therapy Degree Program near Cape Girardeau MO

Picking the ideal physical therapist program is an important first decision you must make to launch a rewarding career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you enroll in should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are additional important questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that a number of variables will guide you toward your final decision. You might want to visit each of the colleges to see their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Cape Girardeau MO.

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