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

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy Program near Lansing 14882

Lansing NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Lansing NY is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the proper education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to research those you are considering to make certain they will furnish a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated besides location and cost. But before we discuss 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?

Lansing NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying locations, including Lansing NY private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, 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 deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Lansing NY medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Lansing NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options offered for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short descriptions of degrees that are offered in the Lansing NY area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are typically made available by community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to ready students to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be eligible 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 at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement in order to become a practicing licensed 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 3 years to finish, making the overall commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an intregal component along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in a number of states for licensing as well.

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 USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Lansing NY Although not as prevalent as the on-campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the program may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Lansing NY residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition might be somewhat less than similar on-campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you most likely have come to decision regarding some of your initial questions, like the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT colleges within the Lansing NY area and throughout New York, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Furthermore, you want to make certain that you select the school that is right for you. That’s why we have collected a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Ask if the programs you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier 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 program, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Contact a few Lansing NY physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest 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 York Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapist colleges you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may suggest that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Lansing NY area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps excellent. It also confirms that the school has a large network of contacts to assist students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in provides both excellent training and a curriculum that satisfies 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) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Ask if the physical therapist schools you are evaluating have partnerships with Lansing NY clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to receive practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can help graduates and students form professional relationships in the Lansing medical community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they choose will have to be within travelling distance of their Lansing NY home. Students who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local 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 perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? Most DPT schools supply some form of financial support to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid office and see what type of help is offered. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapist 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 Lansing NY area, check that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Lansing New York?

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

Lansing, New York

Lansing (/ˈlænsɪŋ/) is a town in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 11,033 at the 2010 census. The town is named after John Lansing. Settlers from Lansing were early residents of the then-township of Lansing, Michigan and named it after their hometown; it would later become a city and the capital of Michigan.

Lansing, located on the Eastern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes district of New York, is known best as a small town close to Ithaca, New York. Lansing was within the realm of the Cayuga tribe. The Sullivan Expedition of 1779 passed through the area to destroy native villages in retaliation for raids on colonists.[citation needed]

In 1780, the area was divided into lots (the Central New York Military Tract) to pay the Revolutionary war soldiers for their service. The first settlers came to Lansing in 1781. John Lemming, Jr., secretary to General Schuyler, was charged with granting this land. The Town of Lansing was formed in 1817 from the Town of Genoa, Cayuga County, when Tompkins County was founded.

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist College near Lansing NY

Deciding on the best physical therapist program is an important initial decision you need to make to begin a rewarding career in the health care profession. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you enroll in should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are additional important questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that many factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may want to go to each of the colleges to see their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal selection. And with the proper training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Lansing NY.