Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Asbury Park NJ

How to Select a Physical Therapy College near Asbury Park 07712

Asbury Park NJ physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Asbury Park NJ is an important first step to starting a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the appropriate training and education. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to research those you are considering to make certain they will provide a quality education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be considered besides location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Asbury Park NJ physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, such as Asbury Park NJ hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Asbury Park NJ health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy profession, it is rather 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 Offered

Asbury Park NJ physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options offered for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the one degree that is attainable to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief explanations of degrees that are offered in the Asbury Park NJ area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may 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 typically provided by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 4 years to finish 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 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 total commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal element along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in several states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out 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 Therapist Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Asbury Park NJ While not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to 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 in proximity of an available internship. However, the online segment of the course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Asbury Park NJ residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat lower than comparable on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you probably have come to decision regarding some of your initial queries, including the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT schools within the Asbury Park NJ area and across New Jersey, you’ll have to look into other qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school options. Furthermore, you need to make sure that you choose the college that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the programs you are looking at have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As earlier 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 choose an online college, it can also obtain 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, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Contact several Asbury Park NJ physical therapist centers or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your college selections. It may also be a good idea to check with the New Jersey Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two relevant statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy programs you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students dropped out because of displeasure 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 Asbury Park NJ 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 verifies that the school has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for New Jersey or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Provided? Inquire if the physical therapist schools you are evaluating have relationships with Asbury Park NJ clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific means to receive practical experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may help students and graduates establish professional relationships in the Asbury Park medical community and help with job placement once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit way in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Asbury Park NJ residence. Those who have chosen 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 bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Provided? The majority of DPT colleges supply some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid department and see what kind of aid is offered. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapist program you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Asbury Park NJ area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Asbury Park New Jersey?

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

Asbury Park, New Jersey

As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 16,116,[11][12][13] reflecting a decline of 814 (−4.8%) from the 16,930 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 131 (+0.8%) from the 16,799 counted in the 1990 Census.[22]

Asbury Park was originally incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 26, 1874, from portions of Ocean Township. The borough was reincorporated on February 28, 1893. Asbury Park was incorporated as a city, its current type of government, as of March 25, 1897.[24]

A seaside community, Asbury Park is located on New Jersey's central coast. Developed in 1871 as a residential resort by New York brush manufacturer James A. Bradley, the city was named for Francis Asbury, the first American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States.[25][26][27]

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapist Degree Program near Asbury Park NJ

Choosing the ideal physical therapy college is a necessary initial decision you must make to launch a rewarding career in the healthcare profession. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. But there are additional critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that many factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might decide to go to different schools to see their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the best selection. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Asbury Park NJ.