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

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist College near Portsmouth 00210

Portsmouth NH physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Portsmouth NH is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate those you are looking at to make sure they will furnish a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is select a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered along with location and cost. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Portsmouth NH physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, including Portsmouth NH hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Portsmouth NH health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Portsmouth NH physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degrees that are offered in the Portsmouth NH area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are usually provided by community or junior colleges, and require two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training to prep candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and usually incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want 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 overall commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential element in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

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 available 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 present licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Portsmouth NH While not as prevalent as the more traditional alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Portsmouth NH residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat lower than similar on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages 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 Programs

By now you most likely have made a decision regarding some of your preliminary queries, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you want to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Portsmouth NH area and throughout New Hampshire, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of college choices. Furthermore, you need to make sure that you select the program that is ideal for you. That’s why we have put together a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are thinking about. Ask each of the potential schools these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the schools you are reviewing have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. 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 choose an online college, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Call several Portsmouth NH physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you 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 filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two important statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy schools you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students left due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Portsmouth NH area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even exceptional. It also verifies that the program has a large network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in provides both excellent training and a course of study 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) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapist schools you are interested in have relationships with Portsmouth NH clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific manner to receive practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist students and graduates form professional relationships in the Portsmouth healthcare community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit way in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with some of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapist school they pick will have to be within commuting distance of their Portsmouth NH home. Those who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. Something to keep 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 may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally 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 Support Provided? The majority of DPT schools supply some form of financial support to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have a financial assistance department and find out what kind of help is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapist school you finally choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Portsmouth NH area, confirm that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Portsmouth New Hampshire?

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

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, in the United States. It is the only city in the county, but only the fourth-largest community,[2] with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census.[3] As of 2016 the estimated population was 21,485.[1] A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination, Portsmouth was the home of the Strategic Air Command's Pease Air Force Base, later converted to Portsmouth International Airport at Pease with limited commercial air service.

American Indians of the Abenaki and other Algonquian languages-speaking nations, and their predecessors, inhabited the territory of coastal New Hampshire for thousands of years before European contact.

The first known European to explore and write about the area was Martin Pring in 1603. The Piscataqua River is a tidal estuary with a swift current, but forms a good natural harbor. The west bank of the harbor was settled by English colonists in 1630 and named Strawbery Banke, after the many wild strawberries growing there. The village was fortified by Fort William and Mary. Strategically located for trade between upstream industries and mercantile interests abroad, the port prospered. Fishing, lumber and shipbuilding were principal businesses of the region.[4]Enslaved Africans were imported as laborers as early as 1645 and were integral to building the city's prosperity.[5] Portsmouth was part of the Triangle Trade, which made significant profits from slavery.

Enroll in the Best Physical Therapist Training Program near Portsmouth NH

Picking the right physical therapist college is an important initial decision you need to make to begin a gratifying career in the health care profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you select should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are additional critical questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that numerous variables will guide you to your final decision. You might decide to go to each of the colleges to see their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Portsmouth NH.