Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Osage Beach MO

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist Training Program near Osage Beach 65065

Osage Beach MO physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Osage Beach MO is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the necessary training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to research the ones you are looking at to make sure they will provide a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is select a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be evaluated besides 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 the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Osage Beach MO physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, such as Osage Beach MO private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Osage Beach MO health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to take note of for anyone considering going into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Osage Beach MO physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief summaries of degrees that are offered in the Osage Beach MO area:

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are most often made available by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to ready students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to finish and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program must also 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 total commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer attainable in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Osage Beach MO Although not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy programs available, more so at the graduate level. Due to 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 nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Osage Beach MO home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition can be significantly less than comparable on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing 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 Therapist Colleges

By now you most likely have come to decision concerning a few of your initial queries, such as the type of physical therapist degree you want to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Osage Beach MO area and throughout Missouri, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Also, you need to be sure that you pick the school that is ideal for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering. Ask each of the competing schools these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Ask if the programs you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As earlier mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you enroll in an online program, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Contact some Osage Beach MO physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your program options. It might also be a good idea to contact the Missouri Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Osage Beach MO area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also affirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you select provides both exceptional training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for Missouri or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are evaluating have partnerships with Osage Beach MO clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent manner to obtain hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may help students and graduates form professional connections in the Osage Beach healthcare community and assist with job placement once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapist school they choose will have to be within commuting distance of their Osage Beach MO home. Students who have chosen to attend classes online naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Provided? The majority of DPT colleges supply some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are examining have a financial assistance office and see what kind of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapist school you finally select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Osage Beach MO area, confirm that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Osage Beach Missouri?

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

Osage Beach, Missouri

Osage Beach is a city in Camden and Miller counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is in Camden County, while a small eastern sliver is in Miller County. The population was 4,351 at the 2010 census.

The city, known today as Osage Beach, was originally named Zebra, Missouri. The city's post office was established in 1886 and was located on the riverbottom, which was east of the present day post office. The Grand Glaize bridge was replaced in the 1980s. Like the surrounding areas, Zebra was nothing more than a name with a post office. Zebra was soon flooded out during the construction of the Bagnell Dam, which created one of the North America's largest man-made lakes — the Lake of the Ozarks. The post office was rebuilt on the top of a nearby cliff at the heart of the brand new lake. In 1935, residents of the city changed the post office designation to Osage Beach, but no official boundaries were formulated until the early 1960s.

Osage Beach was officially incorporated on May 22, 1959. However, due to political upheaval and discontent among some in the new town, a petition for disincorporation was filed. On May 17, 1960, voters approved legal disincorporation in a special election. But the battle wasn't over yet. In late 1963, a group interested in re-incorporation began organizing and planning a strategy for change. The group lobbied for incorporation stating that with a growing community certain services could only be afforded to the people through local government organization; for instance, sanitation, fire and police protection, street development, sewer and water service, and even the right to serve liquor-by-the-drink through city liquor licensing. Tourists were becoming more common to the area as entertainment and lake activities grew in popularity, many residents were moving in permanently, new businesses were forming, and the group feared without incorporation Osage Beach did not progress and ultimately would lose its identity as the Lake's largest and most progressive recreational area. The group met publicly to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of incorporation and directly confronted the issues that dealt with the disincorporation of 1960. The public was eventually called to another special election in 1965.

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapy School near Osage Beach MO

Choosing the best physical therapist school is a necessary initial decision you must make to start a fulfilling career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you pick should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that a number of factors will lead you toward your final decision. You might decide to go to different colleges to view their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing 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 right choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Osage Beach MO.