Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree – Phillipsburg NJ

How to Select a Physical Therapy College near Phillipsburg 08865

Phillipsburg NJ physical therapy school student with volunteerGetting a physical therapist degree near Phillipsburg NJ is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the healthcare 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 obtain the proper training and education. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to research the ones you are considering to make sure they will deliver a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is select a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered besides cost and location. But before we talk about 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Phillipsburg NJ physical therapist helping patient walkPhysical therapists work in a variety of settings, such as Phillipsburg NJ hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

  • Osteoporosis and Arthritis
  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Strokes.
  • Cardiac arrest.
  • Sports injuries.
  • Fire injuries.
  • Knee Replacement.
  • Fibromyalgia.
  • Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Phillipsburg NJ medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Phillipsburg NJ physical therapist applying acupuncture to patientThere are three physical therapist degree options available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is attainable to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief summaries of degrees that are available in the Phillipsburg NJ area:

  • Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are typically made available by junior or community colleges, and take about two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a component of the course of study.
  • Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to complete and often include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
  • Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential component along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely 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 United States. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Phillipsburg NJWhile not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the program may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Phillipsburg NJ home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be somewhat less than similar on campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you probably have made a decision regarding several of your preliminary questions, including the type of physical therapy degree you intend to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT colleges within the Phillipsburg NJ area and throughout New Jersey, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of college options. Moreover, you need to be sure that you select the school that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited?  Ask if the schools you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online program, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Contact some Phillipsburg NJ physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide 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 filed against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two important statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapy colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Phillipsburg NJ area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or perhaps excellent. It also verifies that the program has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in provides both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for New Jersey or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Offered? Ask if the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing have associations with Phillipsburg NJ hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to get hands on 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 graduates and students develop professional connections in the Phillipsburg medical community and assist with job placement after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing what the average teacher to student 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 instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

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

Is Financial Aid Provided? The majority of DPT schools offer some form of financial aid to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are considering have a financial aid office and find out what kind of aid is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. Some physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapy school you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Phillipsburg NJ area, make sure that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Phillipsburg New Jersey?

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

Phillipsburg, New Jersey

The town is located along the Delaware River in western New Jersey, on the border with Pennsylvania, and is considered part of the Delaware Valley region and the eastern border of the Lehigh Valley region. The Norfolk Southern Railway's Lehigh Line (formerly the main line of the Lehigh Valley Railroad with a mix of main line trackage combined long leased to the Central Railroad of New Jersey by its builder Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company), runs through Phillipsburg on its way cross river to Easton, Pennsylvania. The Belvidere Delaware Railroad was leased (1871) and later acquired by the Pennsylvania Railroad connecting the lower Poconos to Trenton, New Jersey and Philadelphia.

As of 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 14,950,[10][11][12] reflecting a decline of 216 (-1.4%) from the 15,166 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 591 (-3.8%) from the 15,757 counted in the 1990 Census.[22]

The town grew from a sleepy agricultural village (in 1824), and was transformed into a transportation hub and shipping center as the Delaware terminus of the Morris Canal (1829-1924), the first transportation infrastructure project (of several, each eventually) giving the community a direct connection 107 miles (172 km) to New York City. The Central Railroad of New Jersey would soon follow with a connection, but the community's growth (and for a long while, its importance) was that it reached the canal terminals of both the Delaware Canal and the Lehigh Canal by its cross-river cable ferry system to Easton, PA. In 1853, the Lehigh Valley Railroad connected across the river with the CNJ and a passenger shortline railroad, the Belvidere Delaware Railroad, as well as the Morris Canal, all within Phillipsburg. Rapid growth followed quickly.

Select the Right Physical Therapy College near Phillipsburg NJ

Deciding on the right physical therapy program is a necessary initial decision you must make to launch a gratifying career in the health care field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you select should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are additional critical questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that a number of factors 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 college help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Phillipsburg NJ.

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