Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Camden NY

How to Select a Physical Therapy Training Program near Camden 13316

Camden NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Camden NY is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the appropriate education and training. A PT must also be licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate the ones you are considering to make sure they will supply a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be evaluated along with cost and location. But before we cover 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Camden NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, such as Camden NY hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design 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. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Camden NY health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Camden NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief descriptions of degrees that are available in the Camden NY area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have 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 to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to prepare students to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically require 4 years to complete and commonly include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order 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 total investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential element along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in several 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 USA. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Camden NY Although 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 necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Camden NY home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition might be somewhat less than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you probably have come to decision concerning some of your preliminary questions, like the kind of physical therapist degree you want to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the Camden NY area and throughout New York, you’ll need to research other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of school options. Furthermore, you want to make certain that you choose the college that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist programs you are considering. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Ask if the schools you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier 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 choose an online college, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call a few Camden NY physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your program selections. It might also be prudent to contact the New York Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapist schools you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Camden NY area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even excellent. It also affirms that the school has a large network of contacts to assist students get internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you choose provides both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for New York or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Offered? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are interested in have relationships with Camden NY clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to get practical training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help graduates and students form professional connections in the Camden healthcare community and help with job placement once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably 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 average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they select will have to be within travelling distance of their Camden NY home. Individuals who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most DPT colleges provide some type of financial aid to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and find out what kind of assistance is available. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapist school you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you choose to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Camden NY area, make sure 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 have to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Camden New York?

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

Camden, New York

The first settlement occurred around 1792. The town was formed from the Town of Mexico in 1799. Camden is home to International Wire, which is its largest employer. The town only has two stop lights the second one installed in 1999.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 54.1 square miles (140.2 km²), of which, 54.0 square miles (139.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.22%) is water.

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 5,028 people, 1,881 households, and 1,346 families residing in the town. The population density was 93.1 people per square mile (35.9/km²). There were 2,020 housing units at an average density of 37.4 per square mile (14.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.11% White, 0.38% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population.

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapist School near Camden NY

Choosing the best physical therapist program is a necessary first decision you have to 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 decide on should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are additional critical questions that you should ask regarding your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that many factors will guide you to your final decision. You may want to go to each of the schools to see their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Camden NY.