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

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Training Program near Passaic 07055

Passaic NJ physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Passaic NJ is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated as a result of injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the necessary education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to make sure they will furnish a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a school just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be evaluated besides location and cost. But before we talk about 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Passaic NJ physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, including Passaic NJ hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Passaic NJ medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Passaic NJ physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is attainable to become 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. Below are short summaries of degrees that are offered in the Passaic NJ area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often provided by junior or community colleges, and require two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy training to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to complete and usually incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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 3 years to finish, making the total commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an important element in addition to the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, 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 United States. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Passaic NJ While not as prevalent as the on-campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Passaic NJ home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition can be significantly lower than similar on-campus alternatives, 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.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you most likely have come to decision concerning a few of your initial queries, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Passaic NJ area and throughout New Jersey, you’ll have to explore other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of school options. Also, you need to make sure that you choose the program that is best for you. That’s why we have put together a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are considering have received 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 college, 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, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with a few Passaic NJ physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your college options. It might also be a good idea 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 significant statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Passaic NJ area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even outstanding. It also verifies that the program has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you select furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for New Jersey or the state where you will be working. 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 vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Offered? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are evaluating have associations with Passaic NJ clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to obtain practical training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Passaic healthcare community and assist with job placement after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will likely prefer a smaller class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with a few of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they choose will need to be within travelling distance of their Passaic NJ residence. Students who have decided to attend online classes naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something 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 might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? The majority of DPT schools supply some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department and see what type of aid is available. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapy college you ultimately pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you choose to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Passaic NJ area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Passaic New Jersey?

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

Passaic, New Jersey

Passaic (/pəˈseɪ.ɪk/ pə-SAY-ik[20] or locally /pəˈseɪk/ pə-SAYK[21]) is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 69,781,[8][10][11] maintaining its status as the 15th largest municipality in New Jersey with an increase of 1,920 residents (+2.8%) from the 2000 Census population of 67,861,[9] which had in turn increased by 9,820 (+16.9%) from the 58,041 counted in the 1990 Census.[22] Passaic is the tenth most densely populated municipality in the entire United States with 22,000+ people per square mile.

Located north of Newark on the Passaic River, it was first settled in 1678 by Dutch traders, as Acquackanonk Township. The city and river draw their name from the Lenape word "pahsayèk" which has been variously attributed to mean "valley" or "place where the land splits."[23][24][25][26]

The city originated from a Dutch settlement on the Passaic River established in 1679 which was called Acquackanonk. Industrial growth began in the 19th century, as Passaic became a textile and metalworking center.

Pick the Best Physical Therapy College near Passaic NJ

Selecting the ideal physical therapy program is a necessary initial decision you need to make to start a rewarding career in the health care profession. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you select should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. However there are other important questions that you need to ask concerning your college of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist school, bear in mind that many variables will lead you toward your final decision. You might want to visit different schools to view their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me achieve my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the best selection. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Passaic NJ.