Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Grain Valley MO

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist Training Program near Grain Valley 64029

Grain Valley MO physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Grain Valley MO is an important first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to ensure they will supply a quality education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be considered in addition to 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 what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Grain Valley MO physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse locations, such as Grain Valley MO hospitals, health clinics, 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 touched on, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to stop any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Grain Valley MO medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with 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 routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Grain Valley MO physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options available for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the one degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are brief summaries of degrees that are available in the Grain Valley MO 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 qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually provided by community colleges, and require two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to prepare students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to finish and often incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a practicing licensed 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 3 years to finish, making the overall commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal component in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in a number of 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 practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Grain Valley MO While not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist programs offered, 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 requires that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the program may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Grain Valley MO home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition may be somewhat less than comparable on-campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you most likely have made a decision concerning some of your initial questions, like the type of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are numerous PT schools within the Grain Valley MO area and throughout Missouri, you’ll have to research additional qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Moreover, you need to be sure that you enroll in the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential schools these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously stated, 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 can 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, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Get in touch with a few Grain Valley MO physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your program options. It may also be a good idea to check with the Missouri Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapist colleges you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate 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 school’s job placement program, particularly in the Grain Valley MO area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even excellent. It also confirms that the college has a large network of contacts to assist students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you select provides both superior training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Missouri or the state where you will be practicing. 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. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapist schools you are assessing have partnerships with Grain Valley MO clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent way to get hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help students and graduates establish professional connections in the Grain Valley health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Big 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 prefer a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Grain Valley MO residence. Students who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might 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 to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? Most DPT schools provide some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and see what kind of help is obtainable. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapy school you ultimately pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Grain Valley MO area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Grain Valley Missouri?

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

Grain Valley, Missouri

Grain Valley is a city in Jackson County, Missouri, United States. Grain Valley is located in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and is a suburb of Kansas City. The population was 12,854 at the 2010 census[7] and an estimated 13,684 in 2016.[4] It is 23 miles (37 km) east of downtown Kansas City.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.07 square miles (15.72 km2), of which 6.06 square miles (15.70 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.[2]

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 12,854 people, 4,566 households, and 3,395 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,121.1 inhabitants per square mile (819.0/km2). There were 4,867 housing units at an average density of 803.1 per square mile (310.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.6% White, 2.5% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.9% of the population.

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapy Degree Program near Grain Valley MO

Deciding on the right physical therapist school is an important first decision you have to make to begin a rewarding career in the health care field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you pick should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are additional important questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that numerous variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might want to go to different campuses to view their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the right choice. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Grain Valley MO.