Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Mansfield MO

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist School near Mansfield 65704

Mansfield MO physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Mansfield MO is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated due to illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate those you are thinking about to make certain they will provide a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be considered besides location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Mansfield MO physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, such as Mansfield MO hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Mansfield MO health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Mansfield MO physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, 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 explanations of degrees that are available in the Mansfield MO area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by community or junior colleges, and require two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training to ready students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take four years to complete and usually incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want 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 3 years to finish, making the total commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an intregal element along with the extensive classroom and lab 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 available in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Mansfield MO While not as common as the on campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online segment of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Mansfield MO residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition may be somewhat less than similar on campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you most likely have come to decision concerning some of your preliminary queries, like the type of physical therapist degree you would like to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Mansfield MO area and across Missouri, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you need to make sure that you choose the program that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online program, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can look into a PT program’s reputation, beginning with asking for 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 as well. Call a few Mansfield MO physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your college options. It may also be a good idea to contact the Missouri Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might mean that students left because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Mansfield MO area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the program has a wide network of contacts to assist students gain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Missouri or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Ask if the physical therapist colleges you are interested in have partnerships with Mansfield MO clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent way to receive practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can help students and graduates form professional connections in the Mansfield health care community and help with job placement after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy school they choose will have to be within driving distance of their Mansfield MO residence. Those who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually 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 Support Offered? The majority of DPT schools offer some form of financial aid to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid department and see what kind of help is available. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapist program you finally pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Mansfield MO area, verify that they are available. 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 carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Mansfield Missouri?

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

Mansfield, Missouri

Mansfield is located in the Ozarks on the south edge of the Salem Plateau. The community is served by US Route 60 and Missouri Route 5. The town sits on the drainage divide between the White River tributaries to the south and the Missouri River tributaries to the north.[8]

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 1,296 people, 568 households, and 322 families residing in the city. The population density was 689.4 inhabitants per square mile (266.2/km2). There were 646 housing units at an average density of 343.6 per square mile (132.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.6% White, 0.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.5% Asian, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 568 households of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.3% were non-families. 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 3.07.

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapist School near Mansfield MO

Choosing the best physical therapist college is a necessary first decision you must make to launch a fulfilling career in the health care profession. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask concerning your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy college, keep in mind that many variables will guide you toward your final decision. You may want to go to different schools to view their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional 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 achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Mansfield MO.