Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Asheville NC

How to Select a Physical Therapist Program near Asheville 28801

Asheville NC physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Asheville NC is an essential first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated as a result of injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the proper training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research those you are considering to make certain they will provide a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be evaluated besides location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Asheville NC physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, including Asheville NC hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Asheville NC health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Asheville NC physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options available for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate 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 readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Asheville NC area:

Associate Degrees prepare 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 equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are typically provided by junior or community colleges, and take about two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to prep candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to finish and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential element in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in several states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has taken the place of the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer offered in the USA. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Asheville NC While not as common as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs available, even more 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 close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Asheville NC home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning some of your preliminary questions, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you would like to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are numerous PT schools within the Asheville NC area and across North Carolina, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of college options. Furthermore, you want to be sure that you select the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapy schools you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing schools these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. 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 choose 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 enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can research a PT college’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 organizations for their reviews also. Call some Asheville NC physical therapy centers or other healthcare facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your school options. It might also be a good idea to check with the North Carolina Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Asheville NC area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or perhaps exceptional. It also verifies that the college has a wide network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the college you enroll in provides both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for North Carolina or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. Although 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 tests.

Are Internships Offered? Ask if the physical therapist programs you are reviewing have relationships with Asheville NC clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific way to receive practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can assist graduates and students establish professional connections in the Asheville health care community and assist with job placement after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Asheville NC home. Individuals who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? Most DPT colleges offer some form of financial support to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have a financial assistance department and see what kind of help is available. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist college you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Asheville NC area, make certain that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Asheville North Carolina?

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

Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville is a city and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States.[6] It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 12th-most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The city's population was 89,121 according to 2016 estimates.[7] It is the principal city in the four-county Asheville metropolitan area, with a population of 424,858 in 2010.[8]

Before the arrival of the Europeans, the land where Asheville now exists lay within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation.[9] In 1540,[10] Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto came to the area known as Guaxule,[11] bringing the first European visitors[10] along with European diseases, which seriously depleted the native population.[12] The area was used as an open hunting ground until the middle of the 19th century.[13]

The history of Asheville, as a town, began in 1784. In that year, Colonel Samuel Davidson and his family settled in the Swannanoa Valley, redeeming a soldier's land grant from the state of North Carolina. Soon after building a log cabin at the bank of Christian Creek, Davidson was lured into the woods by a band of Cherokee hunters and killed. Davidson's wife, child and female slave fled on foot overnight to Davidson's Fort (named after Davidson's father General John Davidson) 16 miles away.

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Asheville NC

Deciding on the ideal physical therapy program is a necessary initial decision you have to make to launch a fulfilling career in the health care profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you pick should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. But there are additional critical questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit each of the schools to see their facilities and speak to active 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 adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right choice. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Asheville NC.