Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Cornish NH

How to Select a Physical Therapy School near Cornish 03745

Cornish NH physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Cornish NH is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled due to illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the proper education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate those you are considering to make certain they will provide a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered in addition to cost and location. 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 is a Physical Therapist?

Cornish NH physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, including Cornish NH private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Cornish NH health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering going into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Cornish NH physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief summaries of degrees that are available in the Cornish NH area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often provided by junior or community colleges, and require 2 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 education to prep candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to complete and often incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want to become a licensed practicing 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 investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in several 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 phased out and is no longer offered in the United States. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Cornish NH While not as prevalent as the more traditional options, there are some accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online segment of the course of study may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Cornish NH residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition might be significantly less than similar on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding some of your preliminary queries, including the type of physical therapist degree you want to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT colleges within the Cornish NH area and throughout New Hampshire, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of college options. Also, you need to be sure that you choose the program that is ideal for you. That’s why we have collected a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional organization. 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 select an online program, 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. In addition to guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapist profession. 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 check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with a few Cornish NH physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your college options. It might also be a good idea to check with the New Hampshire Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of important statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Cornish NH area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps excellent. It also affirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you select furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for New Hampshire or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing have partnerships with Cornish NH clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent means to get practical experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help graduates and students form professional relationships in the Cornish health care community and assist with job placement after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they select will have to be within driving distance of their Cornish NH residence. 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 bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT schools provide some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Inquire if the schools you are looking at have a financial assistance department and see what kind of aid is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapist school you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Cornish NH area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Cornish New Hampshire?

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

Cornish, New Hampshire

The town was granted in 1763 and contained an area once known as "Mast Camp" because it was the shipping point for the tall masts floated down the river by English settlers. It was incorporated in 1765 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth and named for Sir Samuel Cornish, a distinguished admiral of the Royal Navy.[2] Cornish has historically been a well-known summer resort for artists and writers. Sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens began coming to Cornish in 1885, seeking a studio away from the summer heat of New York City. Artist friends followed him, including painter and illustrator Maxfield Parrish, who designed and built his estate, the Oaks, in the area. The surrounding area became the center of the popular Cornish Art Colony.[3]

Cornish is the site of the longest wooden covered bridge in the United States, and the longest two-span covered bridge in the world. The Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge spans the Connecticut River and was built in 1866 at an original cost of $9,000.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.8 square miles (111 km2), of which 42.1 sq mi (109 km2) is land and 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km2) is water, comprising 1.68% of the town. The long ridge of Croydon Mountain follows the eastern boundary of town; the highest point in town is a knob on Croydon Mountain which reaches an elevation of 2,323 ft (708 m) above sea level.[4] Cornish is drained by Mill Brook, Blow-me-down Brook, and the Connecticut River, which bounds it on the west. Cornish lies fully within the Connecticut River watershed.[5] The eastern part of the town is a portion of the approximately 25,000-acre (100 km2) Blue Mountain Forest Association private game preserve, also known locally as Corbin Park, named after its founder, Austin Corbin.

Pick the Right Physical Therapy College near Cornish NH

Deciding on the best physical therapist program is an important first decision you must make to begin a fulfilling career in the health care field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you select should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. But there are other relevant questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, keep in mind that a number of factors will lead you toward your final decision. You might decide to visit each of the campuses to see their facilities and speak to 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 be able to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal selection. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Cornish NH.