Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - West Sayville NY

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy Training Program near West Sayville 11796

West Sayville NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near West Sayville NY is an essential first step to starting a fulfilling career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the necessary training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate those you are looking at to make certain they will deliver a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be evaluated in addition to location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

West Sayville NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, such as West Sayville NY private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other West Sayville NY medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. 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 getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

West Sayville NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees available for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is attainable 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 advance to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degree levels that are available in the West Sayville NY area:

Associate Degrees train students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are usually offered by junior or community colleges, and take about two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training to ready students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to complete and usually incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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 investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential component in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in several 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 available in the United States. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in West Sayville NY While not as common as the more traditional options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online part of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s West Sayville NY residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding several of your preliminary queries, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT colleges within the West Sayville NY area and throughout New York, you’ll need to research additional qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of college choices. Furthermore, you need to be sure that you enroll in the school that is ideal for you. That’s why we have put together a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are considering. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the programs you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. 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 choose an online school, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. In addition to ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Get in touch with some West Sayville NY physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations 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 colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two useful statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may suggest that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the West Sayville 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 exceptional. It also affirms that the college has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you select provides both exceptional training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for New York or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapist programs you are reviewing have relationships with West Sayville NY hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent manner to get hands on training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist students and graduates establish professional connections in the West Sayville healthcare community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit way in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they select will need to be within driving distance of their West Sayville NY home. Individuals who have decided to attend classes online naturally 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 consider is that if you choose 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 often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? Most DPT schools provide some type of financial aid to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid department and find out what kind of help is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy program you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the West Sayville NY area, verify 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 need to enroll in. Also, ask 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 West Sayville New York?

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

West Sayville, New York

West Sayville is located on the South Shore of Long Island in the Town of Islip. Its coordinates are 40°43’54”N 73°6’18”W (40.731594, -73.099701). West Sayville’s coastline borders the Great South Bay.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, West Sayville has a total area of 2.10 square miles (5.45 km2), of which 2.10 square miles (5.44 km2) is land and 0.0077 square miles (0.02 km2), or 0.31%, is water.[3]

The United States Census Bureau reported that during the 2010 census, the population of West Sayville was 5,011, with a population density of 2,386.2 per square mile. Of the total population, 2,407 (48.0%) were males and 2,604 (52.0%) were females.[4]

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapy Degree Program near West Sayville NY

Deciding on the ideal physical therapy school is an important first decision you need to make to start a gratifying career in the health care profession. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you pick should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are additional relevant questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that many factors will lead you toward your final decision. You may want to visit different schools to see their facilities and speak with active 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 supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal selection. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in West Sayville NY.