Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Glasser NJ

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist Degree Program near Glasser 07837

Glasser NJ physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Glasser NJ is an important first step to launching a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to research those you are considering to make sure they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is enroll in a school just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be evaluated along with cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Glasser NJ physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, such as Glasser NJ private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Glasser NJ health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Glasser NJ 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 choices, the one degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degrees that are offered in the Glasser NJ area:

Associate Degrees train 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 equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often offered by community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy training to prepare candidates to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to finish and usually incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the total investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not just 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 phased out and is no longer offered in the USA. Some licensed 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 Therapy Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Glasser NJ Although not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Glasser NJ residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition may be significantly lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you probably have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, such as the type of physical therapist degree you would like to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the Glasser NJ area and throughout New Jersey, you’ll have to research additional qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Furthermore, you want to make sure that you pick the school that is right for you. That’s why we have put together a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the schools you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate 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 receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy school and program you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with 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 important that the college and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT school’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 agencies for their reviews also. Contact a few Glasser NJ 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 school options. It may also be prudent to contact the New Jersey 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 two important statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapy programs you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might suggest that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After 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 Glasser NJ area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also confirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for New Jersey 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 school. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Inquire if the physical therapist programs you are reviewing have relationships with Glasser NJ clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent way to get hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist students and graduates form professional connections in the Glasser health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are looking at 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 final determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they decide on will have to be within commuting distance of their Glasser NJ residence. Students 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. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most DPT colleges offer some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office and find out what type of help is obtainable. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm 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 classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Glasser NJ area, make sure that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Glasser New Jersey?

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

Glasser, New Jersey

Glasser is an area within the Northwood section of the Borough of Hopatcong, New Jersey. While not officially a municipality, the area was granted its own ZIP Code (07837) in 1933 by the US Postal Service. Currently the area contains a small US Post Office, several residential apartments and bungalows, and a restaurant & bar overlooking Lake Hopatcong. Nearby residents get their mail delivered to PO boxes at the Glasser Post Office.

Visitors to Glasser may find a variety of different ways it's displayed on current GPS devices. In some cases it may appear as Glasser, Hopatcong, Lake Hopatcong or even Andover. A correspondence with Garmin's support explained that because of Glasser's unusual status "the street addressing is assigned to a surrounding ZIP (in this case Andover, New Jersey 07821)

According to the New Jersey Postal History Society..."Despite the lack of an official designation, almost everyone refers to the town as Glasser, for Bill Glasser who purchased the property in 1910, said [former postmaster] Elmer Hobbs. According to the postmaster, Glasser built a general store where the post office now stands. At the time, the only post office in the area was in Landing, on the southern end of the lake. A narrow, unfinished road was the only way to get by land from one end of the lake to the other. As a service to his customers and neighbors, Glasser picked up their mail (via boat in summertime) and allowed neighbors to pick up their mail at his general store. In 1933, the post office made Glasser a postmaster because it was determined that he could not otherwise be permitted to carry mail that did not belong to him. When ZIP codes came into existence, they gave him one — 07837 — and started calling the town Glasser. "They didn't want to call it Henderson. It's a cove on the lake. The area's also known as Northwood. But there were too many Northwoods and Hendersons in the postal system," said Hobbs. The name then began showing up on maps, marked as a dot on the Sussex-Morris county border. "It's not an official town," said Rusby. "But if you have a post office, you get put on the map.".[2]

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapist College near Glasser NJ

Deciding on the ideal physical therapy school is a necessary first decision you have to make to launch a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you select should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are additional critical questions that you need to ask regarding your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might decide to visit each of the colleges to view their facilities and talk 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 adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Glasser NJ.