Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Kattskill Bay NY

How to Choose a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Kattskill Bay 12844

Kattskill Bay NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Kattskill Bay NY is an important first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the necessary training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate the ones you are looking at to ensure they will supply a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is enroll in a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must 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 what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Kattskill Bay NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse locations, including Kattskill Bay NY hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Kattskill Bay NY medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Kattskill Bay NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees offered for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is offered 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 advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degree levels that are available in the Kattskill Bay NY area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually offered by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to prep students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require 4 years to complete and usually incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the total investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an important component along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not just 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 phased out and is no longer available in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Kattskill Bay NY While not as common as the more traditional options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature 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 in proximity of an available internship. However, the online part of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Kattskill Bay NY home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition may be significantly lower than similar on campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you probably have made a decision regarding a few of your initial questions, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Kattskill Bay NY area and throughout New York, you’ll have to research other qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you want to make certain that you select the college that is right for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the programs you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a regional or a national 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 program, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact some Kattskill Bay NY physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your school 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 significant statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy colleges you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Kattskill Bay NY area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care community is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you choose furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for New York or the state where you will be working. In every 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 vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapist colleges you are interested in have associations with Kattskill Bay NY clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great way to receive practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may assist students and graduates develop professional connections in the Kattskill Bay health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they pick will have to be within travelling distance of their Kattskill Bay NY residence. Students who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. One thing to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally 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 Support Provided? Most DPT colleges provide some form of financial aid to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are considering have a financial aid office and see what type of help is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapy program you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Kattskill Bay NY area, verify that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need 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 Kattskill Bay New York?

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

Fort Ann, New York

Fort Ann is a town in Washington County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.[6] The town population was 6,417 at the 2000 census.[3] The name is derived indirectly from Queen Anne, and directly from a community in the town.[citation needed]

The area was the site of several forts built by various nations, from a small French fort called "The Pickets" near the south end of Lake Champlain in 1689, in the northwest area of the town, to a series of forts (including "Fort Schuyler" and "Queen's Fort') closer to where the village of Fort Ann stands today. The first of these was likely the Stone Fort, built by Englishman Fitz John Winthrop in 1692. The English expedition led by Francis Nicholson built Fort Schuyler, about a half-mile south of the present village, in 1709. (The old Champlain Canal passed through a part of the site.) Nicholson burned the fort when he and his army left, but he returned in 1711 and built the Queen's Fort, later renamed Fort Anne, at the same site. It fell into ruins during the English colonial period.

Fort Anne was rebuilt in 1757 by the English, during the French and Indian War. The fort was named Fort Anne (in honor of Princess Anne, eldest daughter of King George II). The 1777 Battle of Fort Anne occurred here during the Saratoga Campaign. The town was organized as Westfield in 1786, but was renamed Fort Ann – without the "e" – in 1808.[1][8]

Pick the Right Physical Therapist School near Kattskill Bay NY

Choosing the ideal physical therapist college is a necessary first decision you have to make to start a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you choose should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are other critical questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that a number of factors will guide you to your ultimate decision. You might want to visit each of the campuses to see their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Kattskill Bay NY.