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

How to Select a Physical Therapist School near Cleveland 27013

Cleveland NC physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Cleveland NC is an essential first step to starting a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to research those you are considering to ensure they will deliver a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is select a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be evaluated besides 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?

Cleveland NC physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of locations, including Cleveland NC hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment 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 injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Cleveland NC medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

Cleveland NC physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the single degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short descriptions of degrees that are available in the Cleveland NC 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 equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are typically offered by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to prep candidates to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to complete and often incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want 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 complete, making the total investment of time 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in some states for licensing as well.

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. A number of practicing 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 Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Cleveland NC While not as prevalent as the on campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Cleveland NC residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition might be significantly less than similar on-campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you most likely have come to decision concerning several of your preliminary questions, including the kind of physical therapist degree you want to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT colleges within the Cleveland NC area and throughout North Carolina, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of college choices. Also, you need to make sure that you choose the school that is best for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are considering. Ask each of the potential schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are reviewing 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 select an online college, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Get in touch with several Cleveland NC physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your school options. It may also be prudent to check with the North Carolina Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two relevant statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapy colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out because of 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 college’s job placement program, particularly in the Cleveland NC area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care community is good or even exceptional. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to assist students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you select provides both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for North Carolina or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Offered? Ask if the physical therapy programs you are reviewing have partnerships with Cleveland NC clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific manner to get practical training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help students and graduates establish professional connections in the Cleveland medical community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit way in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will likely prefer a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with some of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Cleveland NC home. Students who have opted 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 importance. One thing 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 have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? The majority of DPT colleges supply some form of financial support to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office and see what type of help is available. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist school you ultimately pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Cleveland NC area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Cleveland North Carolina?

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

Cleveland County, North Carolina

Cleveland County is a county located in the western Piedmont and on the southern border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 98,078.[1] Its county seat is Shelby.[2]

Cleveland County comprises the Shelby, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area. This is included in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC Combined Statistical Area. In the late 19th and early 20th century, this was an area of textile mills.

The county was formed in 1841 from parts of Lincoln and Rutherford counties. It was named for Benjamin Cleveland, a colonel in the American Revolutionary War, who took part in the Battle of King's Mountain. From 1841 to 1887 "Cleaveland" was the spelling used; the present spelling was adopted in 1887.[3]

Pick the Right Physical Therapy College near Cleveland NC

Picking the right physical therapist college is an important initial decision you have to make to start a gratifying career in the healthcare field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you pick should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. However there are other important questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that a number of factors will lead you to your final decision. You might decide to visit each of the schools to view their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Cleveland NC.