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

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist Training Program near Canaan 12029

Canaan NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Canaan NY is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the proper training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate the ones you are considering to make certain they will provide a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is choose a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be considered in addition to 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 the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Canaan NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse settings, including Canaan NY private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Canaan NY health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy profession, it is quite 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 Therapist Degrees Available

Canaan NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short explanations of degrees that are available in the Canaan NY area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy training to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to finish and often incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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 three years to finish, making the overall investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an important component along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in several 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 USA. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Canaan NY Although not as common as the more traditional options, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Canaan NY residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than comparable on-campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you most likely have made a decision regarding several of your initial queries, including the type of physical therapist degree you want 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 Canaan NY area and throughout New York, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of college options. Moreover, you want to make sure that you select the school that is best for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy schools you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the schools you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional organization. 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 enroll in an online college, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist school and program you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Contact several Canaan NY physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your program selections. It might also be a good idea to check with the New York Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two significant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students left because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Canaan NY area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the college has a broad network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the college you select furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for New York or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapist programs you are reviewing have relationships with Canaan NY clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific manner to receive practical training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may help students and graduates form professional relationships in the Canaan health care community and help with job placement after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are researching what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer 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 opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Canaan NY residence. Those who have chosen to attend classes online 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 keep 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 be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? Most DPT schools offer some type of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the schools you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and see what kind of aid is available. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapy school you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Canaan NY area, make certain that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Canaan New York?

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

Canaan, New York

The first settlers arrived around 1759. The town was founded in 1772 as "Kings District". The name was changed to "Canaan" in 1788. One of the oldest sections of Canaan is Frisbie Street, settled in 1770 by Gideon Frisbie, who emigrated from Canaan, Connecticut.[4] Frisbie Street fronts what was once the Albany-Boston stagecoach route.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.9 square miles (95.7 km2), of which 36.7 square miles (95.0 km2) is land and 0.27 square miles (0.7 km2), or 0.76%, is water.[3] The majority of the town drains westward or northward via tributaries of Kinderhook Creek to the Hudson River, notably Queechy Lake Brook and Buttercup Creek, both of which flow into the Stony Kill. The southeast corner of the town drains via Flat Brook into the Williams River in Massachusetts and thence to the Housatonic River, which flows south into Connecticut.

Interstate 90 passes through the town, connecting the Massachusetts Turnpike to the east with the New York State Thruway to the west. I-90 has one interchange in the town, with New York State Route 22.

Select the Ideal Physical Therapy School near Canaan NY

Deciding on the best physical therapy program is a necessary initial decision you must make to start a rewarding career in the health care profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you choose should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. But there are other important questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that a number of variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may want to visit each of the campuses to view their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me accomplish 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 options so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Canaan NY.