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

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist College near Dublin 03444

Dublin NH physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Dublin NH is an essential first step to launching a fulfilling career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are looking at to ensure they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is choose a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered besides cost and location. But before we discuss 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’s Job Description?

Dublin NH physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying locations, such as Dublin NH hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Dublin NH health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Dublin NH physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options available for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is attainable to become 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. Following are short descriptions of degree levels that are available in the Dublin NH area:

Associate Degrees train students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by community or junior colleges, and take about two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prep candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally require 4 years to finish and often include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an intregal component along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not just 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 phased out and is no longer offered in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Dublin NH While not as common as the more traditional options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Because of 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 college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Dublin NH home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition might be significantly lower than similar on-campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you probably have made a decision regarding a few of your initial questions, such as 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 Dublin NH area and throughout New Hampshire, you’ll need to research other qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of college choices. Furthermore, you need to be sure that you select the school that is right for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask each of the competing schools these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. 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 receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy community. There are a number of ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Get in touch with a few Dublin NH physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your program selections. It might also be prudent to contact the New Hampshire Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students left because of dissatisfaction 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 Dublin NH area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps exceptional. It also verifies that the college has a wide 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 choose provides both excellent training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for New Hampshire or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. Although licensing requirements vary 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 Internships Provided? Ask if the physical therapy programs you are interested in have relationships with Dublin NH clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great means to get practical training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help graduates and students form professional relationships in the Dublin medical community and assist with job placement once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that likes to sit way in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely prefer a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the average 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 determination. This will also give you a chance to talk with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist college they choose will have to be within travelling distance of their Dublin NH home. Individuals who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to consider is that if you choose 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 typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most DPT schools supply some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Inquire if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance department and see what kind of assistance is offered. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. A number of physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapy college you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Dublin NH area, verify that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Dublin New Hampshire?

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

Dublin, New Hampshire

In 1749, the Masonian proprietors granted the town as Monadnock No. 3 (or North Monadnock) to Matthew Thornton and 39 others. But the French and Indian War thwarted permanent settlement until the 1760s, when Henry Strongman moved from Peterborough. Other early settlers arrived from Sherborn, Massachusetts. In 1771, Governor John Wentworth incorporated the town, naming it after Strongman's birthplace: Dublin, Ireland.[2]

Like all towns in this area, the terrain features hills and valleys. Farmers found the soil hard and rocky, but with effort it yielded maize, oats, barley and potatoes, with some wheat and rye. Orchards were common. The first census, taken in 1790, reported 901 residents.[3] By 1859, there were 1,088.[2] Then in 1870, the small mill town of Harrisville voted to separate from Dublin, leaving the latter with only 455 residents during the 1880 census.[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 29.1 square miles (75 km2), of which 28.0 sq mi (73 km2) is land and 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2) is water, comprising 3.78% of the town. The northern slopes of Mount Monadnock occupy the southern part of town. The highest point in Dublin is along Monadnock's northeast ridge, where the elevation reaches 2,834 feet (864 m) above sea level at the town line. Roughly the western half of Dublin lies within the Connecticut River watershed, drained by tributaries of the Ashuelot River, with the eastern half located in the Merrimack River watershed, drained by tributaries of the Contoocook River.[5]

Pick the Best Physical Therapy College near Dublin NH

Picking the ideal physical therapy college is an important initial decision you have to make to launch a rewarding career in the health care profession. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you select should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are other relevant questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that a number of variables will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You may want to go to each of the campuses to view their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me achieve my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the best selection. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Dublin NH.