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

How to Choose a Physical Therapy School near Newfield 14867

Newfield NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Newfield NY is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the proper training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research those you are considering to ensure they will supply a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be evaluated in addition to cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Newfield NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse settings, including Newfield NY hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Newfield NY health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering going into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Newfield NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is attainable to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degree levels that are offered in the Newfield NY area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often made available by community or junior colleges, and require 2 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 developed as pre-physical therapy training to prep candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to complete 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 complete, making the total investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential component in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in some 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 eliminated and is no longer attainable in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Newfield NY While not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Newfield NY home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition may be significantly less than comparable on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you most likely have made a decision concerning some of your initial questions, like the type of physical therapy degree you want to attain, 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 colleges within the Newfield NY area and throughout New York, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Furthermore, you want to make sure that you select the program that is right for you. That’s why we have collected a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously stated, 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 program, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Get in touch with several Newfield NY physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your school selections. It might also be prudent to contact the New York Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may suggest that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Newfield NY area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care community is good or even excellent. It also confirms that the program has a large network of contacts to assist students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the college you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria 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) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Inquire if the physical therapist colleges you are evaluating have associations with Newfield NY hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent means to obtain hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help students and graduates establish professional connections in the Newfield healthcare community and help with job placement after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a smaller class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are looking at what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they select will have to be within travelling distance of their Newfield NY residence. Individuals who have chosen 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. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Provided? The majority of DPT schools supply some type of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are considering have a financial aid department and see what kind of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapy college you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Newfield NY area, confirm that they are available. 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 need to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Newfield New York?

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

Newfield, New York

Newfield is a town in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 5,179 at the 2010 census. The town's name is derived from the many unoccupied tracts of land that were once in the town.

During the Depression many abandoned farms were turned into conservation lands. Newfield contains one of New York State's few remaining covered bridges. The Newfield Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 59.0 square miles (153 km2), of which, 58.9 square miles (153 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.15%) is water.

Choose the Best Physical Therapist School near Newfield NY

Deciding on the right physical therapist school is a necessary initial decision you have to make to begin a fulfilling career in the health care profession. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you select should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are additional important questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist school, bear in mind that many variables will lead you to your final decision. You may decide to visit each of the schools to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the best selection. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Newfield NY.