Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree – Lodge Grass MT

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist Training Program near Lodge Grass 59050

Lodge Grass MT physical therapy school student with volunteerReceiving a physical therapist degree near Lodge Grass MT is an essential first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the appropriate education and training. A PT must also be licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to ensure they will provide a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered along with location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Lodge Grass MT physical therapist helping patient walkPhysical therapists practice in a variety of locations, including Lodge Grass MT hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

  • Arthritis or Osteoporosis
  • Car or motor cycle accidents
  • Strokes.
  • Cardiac arrest.
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
  • Burn injuries.
  • Hip Replacement.
  • Fibromyalgia.
  • Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Lodge Grass MT medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating 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 heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Lodge Grass MT physical therapist applying acupuncture to patientThere are three physical therapist degree options available for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degrees that are offered in the Lodge Grass MT area:

  • Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually offered by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a component of the curriculum.
  • Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement 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 generally require four years to complete and commonly 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 three years to complete, making the overall investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an important element along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not only 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 offered in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases 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 Lodge Grass MTAlthough not as common as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist programs available, 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 portion of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Lodge Grass MT residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition can be significantly less than comparable on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision concerning some of your initial queries, like the type of physical therapy degree you intend to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are numerous PT schools within the Lodge Grass MT area and throughout Montana, you’ll need to research additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to make certain that you enroll in the school that is best for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited?  Ask if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As previously stated, 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 can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact a few Lodge Grass MT physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your school options. It might also be a good idea to contact the Montana Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two significant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Lodge Grass MT area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also confirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the college you choose furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for Montana or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Find out if the physical therapist programs you are interested in have associations with Lodge Grass MT clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent manner to obtain practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help graduates and students develop professional connections in the Lodge Grass medical community and assist 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 the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering what the typical 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 speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist college they pick will have to be within travelling distance of their Lodge Grass MT home. Individuals who have decided to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. One thing to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT colleges offer some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid department and find out what kind of aid is offered. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate 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 confirm that the physical therapy program you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Lodge Grass MT area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Lodge Grass Montana?

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

Lodge Grass, Montana

The two words of the name of "Lodge Grass" are not usually put together, in that order, to make a commonly used name, or meaningful phrase. This is because the name "Lodge Grass" came from a mistake of interpretation of the Crow Indian name for "Greasy Grass".

Lodge Grass is named after Lodge Grass Creek, which flows through the town, but as explained in a video viewed in 2013 on YouTube by Joe Medicine Crow, Crow tribal historian, the correct Crow name for Lodge Grass Creek is Greasy Grass Creek.[4]

Crow tradition holds that when the Crows camped on the bottoms of the Lodge Grass Creek or the Little Bighorn River in the spring and summer, when the grass in the valley would be high and when the dew was heavy the bellies and legs of the horses would become wet and glisten as if covered with grease.[4] In another traditional version of the same derivation of the name, when the Crows camped on the creek and walked through the thick grass in the morning when it held dew, their moccasins and leggings would get wet and they would look greasy. Thus the Crows called the valley areas of the Little Bighorn River and Lodge Grass Creek "the Greasy Grass".

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Lodge Grass MT

Selecting the ideal physical therapy college is a necessary initial decision you need to make to launch a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you enroll in should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are other relevant questions that you need to ask concerning your college of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist school, bear in mind that many factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might want to go to different colleges to view their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me realize 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 best choice. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Lodge Grass MT.

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