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

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Program near Plainfield 03781

Plainfield NH physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Plainfield NH is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the proper education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate those you are looking at to make sure they will provide a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is enroll in a school just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be considered besides cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Plainfield NH physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse settings, including Plainfield NH private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers 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 frequently pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Plainfield NH health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Plainfield NH physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees offered for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short descriptions of degrees that are offered in the Plainfield NH area:

Associate Degrees educate 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 programs are most often made available by junior or community colleges, and take about two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to prepare students to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to finish and commonly incorporate 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 3 years to complete, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential element in addition to the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor 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 eliminated and is no longer offered in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Plainfield NH While not as prevalent as the on-campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online part of the curriculum may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Plainfield NH home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat less than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you most likely have made a decision concerning some of your initial queries, including the kind of physical therapy degree you would like to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Plainfield NH area and across New Hampshire, you’ll need to research other qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school options. Moreover, you need to be sure that you select the program that is right for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Find out if the schools you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier 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 enroll in an online school, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, beginning with requesting 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. Get in touch with some Plainfield NH physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your college options. It may 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 schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist schools you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Plainfield NH area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even exceptional. It also affirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements 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 vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing have relationships with Plainfield NH clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent way to receive practical experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help students and graduates develop professional connections in the Plainfield healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment 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 hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. 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 converse with some of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they pick will need to be within travelling distance of their Plainfield NH residence. Students who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something 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 need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT schools offer some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are examining have a financial assistance office and see what type of help is available. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapy college you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Plainfield NH area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Plainfield New Hampshire?

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

Plainfield, New Hampshire

Plainfield is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 2,364.[1] The town is home to the Helen Woodruff Smith Bird Sanctuary and Annie Duncan State Forest.

The village of Plainfield, where 205 people resided at the 2010 census,[1] is defined as the Plainfield census-designated place (CDP) and is located in the western part of the town along New Hampshire Route 12A. Plainfield includes the village of Meriden, home to Kimball Union Academy, a private preparatory school.

The town was first settled by a group from Plainfield, Connecticut. It was one of the towns incorporated by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth in 1761, at the beginning of the reign of King George III. A part of Plainfield known as "Meriden Parish", named for the farm of Massachusetts Governor Jonathan Belcher, became the site of Kimball Union Academy, built in 1813.[2]

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapy Training Program near Plainfield NH

Picking the ideal physical therapy school is a necessary initial decision you have to make to begin a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you enroll in should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that a number of variables will lead you to your final decision. You might want to visit different schools to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the best choice. And with the proper training and education, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Plainfield NH.