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

How to Choose a Physical Therapy Program near Riverside 08075

Riverside NJ physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Riverside NJ is a critical first step to launching a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated as a result of injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the appropriate education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate those you are thinking about to make sure they will deliver a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is select a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be evaluated in addition to location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Riverside NJ physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, including Riverside NJ hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes 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 touched on, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Riverside NJ medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely 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

Riverside NJ physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options available for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Riverside NJ area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by community or junior colleges, and take about two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy training to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to finish and commonly include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a licensed practicing 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 three years to complete, making the overall commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an intregal component along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not only 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 offered in the USA. 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 Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Riverside NJ While not as prevalent as the on-campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, 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 requires that the student live near the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Riverside NJ residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition might be significantly lower than similar on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you probably have made a decision regarding a few of your initial questions, like the type of physical therapy degree you want to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Riverside NJ area and across New Jersey, you’ll need to research additional qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of college options. Also, you want to be sure that you enroll in the program that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are considering. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously stated, 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 can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy school and program you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting 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 also. Call some Riverside NJ physical therapy centers or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your college selections. It might also be prudent to contact the New Jersey Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of significant statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapist colleges you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students dropped out because of 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 Riverside NJ area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also affirms that the school 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 essential that the school you enroll in provides both exceptional training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for New Jersey or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are assessing have associations with Riverside NJ hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific means to receive practical training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Riverside healthcare community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. 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 pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist college they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their Riverside NJ residence. Those who have opted 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. Something to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps 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 to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? The majority of DPT schools offer some form of financial support to their potential students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial assistance department and find out what kind of aid is offered. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. Some physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapist college you ultimately select can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Riverside NJ area, check that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Riverside New Jersey?

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

Riverside Township, New Jersey

Riverside Township is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 8,079,[8][9][10] reflecting an increase of 168 (+2.1%) from the 7,911 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 63 (-0.8%) from the 7,974 counted in the 1990 Census.[19]

Riverside was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 20, 1895, from portions of Delran Township.[20] A portion of the township was annexed by Delran in 1901.[21] The township was named for its location on the Delaware River.[22]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 1.614 square miles (4.180 km2), including 1.489 square miles (3.856 km2) of land and 0.125 square miles (0.323 km2) of water (7.73%).[1][2]

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist Degree Program near Riverside NJ

Picking the right physical therapy college is a necessary first decision you need to make to begin a rewarding career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you pick should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are other relevant questions that you need to ask regarding your college of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that many factors will guide you to your final decision. You might decide to visit each of the schools to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Riverside NJ.