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

How to Select a Physical Therapist School near Monroeville 08343

Monroeville NJ physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Monroeville NJ is a critical first step to launching a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate those you are looking at to ensure they will supply a superior education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated in addition to cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Monroeville NJ physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, such as Monroeville NJ hospitals, health clinics, 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 earlier touched on, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring 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 work in close affiliation with other Monroeville NJ health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Monroeville NJ physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short descriptions of degrees that are available in the Monroeville NJ 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 obtained a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are typically provided by junior or community colleges, and take about two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy education to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the total investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an intregal component along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in some states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer attainable in the United States. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases 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 Monroeville NJ Although not as common as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist programs available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Monroeville NJ home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition may 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, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

By now you most likely have made a decision concerning several of your preliminary queries, like the kind of physical therapy degree you intend to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Monroeville NJ area and throughout New Jersey, you’ll have to research additional qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you need to be sure that you enroll in the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential schools these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the schools you are considering 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 enroll in an online school, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist program and school you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’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 look into a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with a few Monroeville NJ physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your college selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the New Jersey Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Monroeville NJ area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps excellent. It also confirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you select furnishes both exceptional training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for New Jersey or the state where you will be working. In each 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 vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapist programs you are assessing have relationships with Monroeville NJ clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great means to receive 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 assist students and graduates establish professional relationships in the Monroeville healthcare community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit way in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they select will have to be within commuting distance of their Monroeville NJ home. Individuals who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually 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 type of financial aid to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and find out what type of help is available. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy school you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Monroeville NJ area, confirm that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Monroeville New Jersey?

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

Monroeville, New Jersey

Monroeville is an unincorporated community located within portions of Elk Township in Gloucester County and Upper Pittsgrove Township in Salem County, New Jersey, United States.[4] The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 08343. Monroeville is mostly filled with wooded areas and farms.[5]

Monroeville was named after Rev. Samuel Y. Monroe, and had also been called Monroe Station for the train depot located in the area. It had contained a cigar factory, a blacksmith shop and a creamery.[6] During the 1880s and 1890s, it was one of several South Jersey destinations settled by Russian Jewish immigrants who were offered transportation by ship from Europe, and were provided with land and a cow in farming colonies.[7]

Select the Right Physical Therapist School near Monroeville NJ

Selecting the ideal physical therapy school is an important first decision you must make to launch a gratifying career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you enroll in should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist school, bear in mind that a number of variables will guide you to your final decision. You might decide to go to each of the schools to see their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me accomplish 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 ideal selection. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Monroeville NJ.