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

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Program near Lincolndale 10540

Lincolndale NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Lincolndale NY is an essential first step to starting a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the proper education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to research those you are considering to make certain they will supply a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be considered along with location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Lincolndale NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, such as Lincolndale NY hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Lincolndale NY medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Lincolndale NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief explanations of degree levels that are available in the Lincolndale 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 obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by junior or community colleges, and require two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training 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 essential preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally take four years to complete and commonly include 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 3 years to finish, making the overall investment of time seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal component in addition to the considerable lab and classroom 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 replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer available in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Lincolndale NY Although not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Lincolndale NY home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you most likely have come to decision concerning several of your preliminary questions, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are numerous PT schools within the Lincolndale NY area and across New York, you’ll need to explore other qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to be sure that you choose the school that is right for you. That’s why we have put together a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you choose an online college, it may 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 simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. In addition to ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting 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 exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Get in touch with a few Lincolndale NY physical therapist centers or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your school selections. It may also be prudent to check with the New York Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two relevant statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapist colleges you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Lincolndale NY area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also verifies that the school has a wide network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you choose furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for New York or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Provided? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have partnerships with Lincolndale NY hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific way to get practical training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may assist graduates and students develop professional connections in the Lincolndale healthcare community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the typical teacher to student 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 talk with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy school they pick will have to be within driving distance of their Lincolndale NY home. Those who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? The majority of DPT colleges offer some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial assistance department and find out what type of help is offered. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist school you ultimately pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Lincolndale NY area, make sure 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 have to carry. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Lincolndale New York?

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

New York State Route 139

New York State Route 139 (NY 139) is a 2.81-mile (4.52 km) state highway located within the town of Somers in Westchester County, New York, in the United States. It connects the hamlet of Whitehall Corners at an intersection with NY 100 with the hamlet of Lincolndale at a junction with U.S. Route 202 (US 202). The entirety of NY 139, known as Primrose Street, was assigned in the early 1930s.

NY 139 begins at an intersection with NY 100 (Croton Turnpike) in the town of Somers. It proceeds northeast as a two-lane highway named Primrose Street, winding its way northeast through a residential area of Somers. The homes soon give way to wooded areas, and NY 139 bends north-northeastward into another residential area north of Plum Brook Road. NY 139 turns northwest, passing a local cemetery and the Wright Reis House and soon the Somers Reis Park.[4]

The route continues northwest, remaining a residential street near Sunderland Lane, entering a commercial district north of Foley Road. NY 139 winds its way north past Anglebrook Golf Club, bending west at a junction with Brick Hill Road. A short distance after the bend, NY 139 intersects US 202 (East Lovell Street). This junction serves as the northern terminus of NY 139, while the right-of-way continues west as US 202 and Lincolndale Avenue.[4]

Choose the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Lincolndale NY

Deciding on the best physical therapist school is a necessary first decision you need to make to launch a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you enroll in should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are additional relevant questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy program, bear in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may want to go to each of the schools to see their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me reach 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 ideal choice. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Lincolndale NY.