Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Mahopac Falls NY

How to Choose a Physical Therapy Program near Mahopac Falls 10542

Mahopac Falls NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Mahopac Falls NY is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the necessary training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate the ones you are looking at to make sure they will provide a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is select a college just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be considered in addition to cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Mahopac Falls NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, including Mahopac Falls NY hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Mahopac Falls NY health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, 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 Degrees Available

Mahopac Falls NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees available for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degrees that are offered in the Mahopac Falls NY area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are typically provided by community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist training to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. Although 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 require four 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 practicing licensed 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 3 years to complete, making the overall investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an intregal element along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in a number of states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer offered in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Mahopac Falls NY Although not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Mahopac Falls NY home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition may be significantly lower than similar on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding some of your initial questions, including the kind of physical therapy degree you would like to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Mahopac Falls NY area and throughout New York, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college options. Also, you want to be sure that you select the program that is right for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering. Ask each of the potential schools these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Ask if the schools you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you enroll in an online school, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative 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 recognized accrediting agency. Along with guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can look into 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 some Mahopac Falls NY physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your program options. It might also be a good idea to contact the New York Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two relevant statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapist programs you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may suggest that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once 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 Mahopac Falls 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 perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you choose provides both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for New York or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Inquire if the physical therapist schools you are evaluating have relationships with Mahopac Falls NY hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific manner to receive hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help students and graduates develop professional connections in the Mahopac Falls health care community and assist with job placement after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit way in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are looking at what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on 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 also.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they pick will have to be within travelling distance of their Mahopac Falls NY home. Students who have decided to attend online classes naturally 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 consider is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT schools supply some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are considering have a financial assistance office and see what kind of assistance is offered. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapy college you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Mahopac Falls NY area, confirm that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Mahopac Falls New York?

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

Mahopac, New York

Mahopac (/ˈmɑːhoʊˌpæk/) is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in the town of Carmel in Putnam County, New York. A suburb some 47 miles (76 km) north of New York City, Mahopac is located on US Route 6 on the county's southern central border with Westchester County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,369.[1]

Originally inhabited by the Wappinger people, an Algonquian tribe, the hamlet's land was patented in 1697 by Adolphus Philipse,[2] son of a wealthy Anglo-Dutch gentryman. During the French and Indian War, Wappingers throughout Putnam County traveled north to Massachusetts to fight for the British.

When the Crown refused to return their land after the war, most Wappingers abandoned the area and joined with other displaced Native Americans elsewhere. Farmers and their families migrated to Mahopac from as far away as Cape Cod and rented land from the Philipse family. Wheelwrights and blacksmiths set up shops to assist the tenant farmers.

Pick the Right Physical Therapy School near Mahopac Falls NY

Picking the ideal physical therapy college is a necessary first decision you need to make to start a gratifying career in the health care profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you pick should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are other critical questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that numerous factors will lead you toward your final decision. You may decide to visit different colleges to view their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Mahopac Falls NY.