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

How to Choose a Physical Therapy College near Millwood 10546

Millwood NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Millwood NY is an essential first step to launching a fulfilling career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the proper education and training. A PT must also be licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate the ones you are thinking about to make certain they will furnish a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is select a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated in addition to location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Millwood NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, including Millwood NY private practices, hospitals, 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 earlier touched on, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also strive 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
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Millwood NY medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering going into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Millwood NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is offered to become 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. Following are brief summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Millwood NY area:

Associate Degrees train students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are most often provided by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary 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 at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order to become a licensed practicing 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 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 required, not solely for graduation but in several 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 United States. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Colleges Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Millwood NY While not as prevalent as the more traditional options, there are many accredited online physical therapist degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online segment of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Millwood NY residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition might be somewhat lower than similar on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you probably have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, like the kind of physical therapy degree you would like to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT schools within the Millwood NY area and throughout New York, you’ll have to look into other qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of school options. Furthermore, you need to make sure that you enroll in the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist programs you are considering. Ask all of the potential schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Ask if the schools you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. 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 select an online school, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Along with ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Get in touch with some Millwood NY physical therapist centers or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your school options. It may 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 School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Millwood NY area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even exceptional. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you choose furnishes both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for New York or the state where you will be practicing. In each 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, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Offered? Inquire if the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing have partnerships with Millwood NY clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent way to get practical experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help students and graduates develop professional connections in the Millwood health care community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit way in the back of the classroom or hide 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 colleges you are looking at what the average student to teacher 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 a chance to speak with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they pick will need to be within driving distance of their Millwood NY home. Students who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may be required 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 don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? Most DPT colleges provide some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department and see what kind of aid is available. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial aid may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist college you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Millwood NY area, make sure that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Millwood New York?

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

Millwood, New York

Millwood is a hamlet located in the town of New Castle, New York in Westchester County. It was originally settled as Sarlesville. The area now known as Millwood appears on 19th century maps as Merritt's Corners (now the intersection of NY 100 and NY 120) and Rockdale Mills (close to what is now the Briarcliff Manor border). As of the 2000 census, the community had a population of 1,210.

Most of Millwood lies in the Chappaqua Central School district. Schools include: Elementary - Roaring Brook, Westorchard and Douglas Grafflin; Middle School - Seven Bridges and Robert E. Bell; High School - Horace Greeley.[2] Most Millwood public school students will go to Westorchard, Seven Bridges, and Horace Greeley. The last group of students who graduated from Bell are seniors during the 2007-2008 school year. Over 94% of Greeley graduates attend 4-year colleges.

Millwood had a train station that was originally built by the New York and Putnam Railroad, that later became the Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad. The last passenger train ran along the Putnam Division in May 1958.[3] Freight service ended in 1962, when the rails were removed after this section had been abandoned. [There was no usable track already by 1970.] Pavement has since taken its place, and it is now a bicycle and pedestrian path, the North County Trailway. The original Millwood station house, built in 1888, burnt to the ground soon after the station was built, and it was replaced by a baggage car. The baggage car remained the station until 1910, when Henry Law built a new station for Briarcliff and the old Briarcliff Manor station was moved to Millwood. This station house was demolished in May 2012.[3][4]

Pick the Right Physical Therapy School near Millwood NY

Picking the best physical therapist school is a necessary initial decision you must make to begin a fulfilling career in the medical field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you pick should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are additional relevant questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that a number of factors will guide you toward your final decision. You may decide to go to each of the colleges to view their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me realize 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 field so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the proper training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Millwood NY.