Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Princeton Junction NJ

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Program near Princeton Junction 08550

Princeton Junction NJ physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Princeton Junction NJ is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the necessary education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate those you are considering to make certain they will furnish a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is select a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered besides cost and location. But before we cover 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 is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Princeton Junction NJ physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, including Princeton Junction NJ private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Princeton Junction NJ medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Princeton Junction NJ physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the only 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 preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief summaries of degrees that are offered in the Princeton Junction NJ area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or can 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 usually made available by community colleges, and require two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to finish and usually 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 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 total commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an important component along with the substantial 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 replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer offered in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Princeton Junction NJ While not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist programs available, 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 necessitates that the student live near the college campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online segment of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Princeton Junction NJ home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition might be significantly lower than similar on-campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding some of your initial questions, including the type of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are numerous PT schools within the Princeton Junction NJ area and throughout New Jersey, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you want to be sure that you enroll in the college that is ideal for you. That’s why we have put together a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing schools these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously 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 select an online school, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Contact a few Princeton Junction NJ physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your program options. It might also be prudent to check with the New Jersey Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two important statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students left due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Princeton Junction NJ area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the program has a large network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you select provides both superior training and a curriculum that supports 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 therapy program. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Offered? Ask if the physical therapy colleges you are interested in have associations with Princeton Junction NJ hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific means to obtain hands on training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can help graduates and students develop professional connections in the Princeton Junction healthcare community and assist with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapist school they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their Princeton Junction NJ home. Individuals who have decided to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college 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 typically charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT schools offer some form of financial support to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid office and see what type of assistance is offered. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapy program you ultimately pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you opt to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Princeton Junction NJ area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Princeton Junction New Jersey?

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

Princeton Junction station

Princeton Junction (signed as Princeton Junction at West Windsor) is a railroad station in Princeton Junction, New Jersey, located in West Windsor Township. It serves NJ Transit (NJT) and Amtrak on the Northeast Corridor (NEC), and NJ Transit on the Princeton Branch.

Princeton Junction's origins can be traced back to the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company, the predecessor of the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 19th century. The original station was built in 1864,[6] in preparation for Princeton Branch service to begin in 1865.

Albert Einstein, who lived at 112 Mercer Street in Princeton, used to enjoy sitting at the station and watching the trains go by.[7] More than once, he employed trains to explain the practical effects of his General Theory of Relativity.

Choose the Best Physical Therapy College near Princeton Junction NJ

Selecting the right physical therapist program is an important initial decision you need to make to begin a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you select should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are other relevant questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that a number of factors will guide you toward your final decision. You may want to go to different colleges to see their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the right choice. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Princeton Junction NJ.