Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Cove City NC

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Program near Cove City 28523

Cove City NC physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Cove City NC is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the necessary education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate those you are considering to make certain they will furnish a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is choose a college simply 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 along with location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Cove City NC physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, such as Cove City 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 earlier mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to address 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 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 Cove City NC health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

Cove City NC physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the one 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 prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are brief summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Cove City NC area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are typically offered by community or junior colleges, and require two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy education to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral initial step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to finish and commonly 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 must also be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the overall investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential element in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in some 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 eliminated and is no longer available in the USA. 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 instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Cove City NC While not as prevalent as the more traditional options, there are many accredited online physical therapist degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Cove City NC home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat less than similar on-campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you probably have made a decision concerning several of your initial questions, including the type of physical therapy degree you intend to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT colleges within the Cove City NC area and throughout North Carolina, you’ll need to research other qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to make sure that you enroll in the program that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing schools these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the schools you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional 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 program, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are several ways you can investigate a PT program’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 organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with some Cove City NC physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your college options. It may also be prudent to contact the North Carolina Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two relevant statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Cove City NC area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the college has a large network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that supports 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 therapy school. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Ask if the physical therapist programs you are interested in have relationships with Cove City NC clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific means to obtain hands on training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may assist students and graduates form professional connections in the Cove City healthcare community and assist with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to converse with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they choose will have to be within commuting distance of their Cove City NC residence. Students who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT schools offer some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Ask if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance office and see what kind of assistance is offered. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy school you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Cove City NC area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Cove City North Carolina?

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

Cove City, North Carolina

Cove City is a town in Craven County, North Carolina, United States under the leadership of its mayor, Dred Charleton Mitchell, Jr. The population was 399 at the 2010 Census. It is part of the New Bern, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 433 people, 182 households, and 135 families residing in the town. The population density was 680.0 people per square mile (261.2/km²). There were 195 housing units at an average density of 306.2 per square mile (117.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 51.96% White, 46.88% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 0.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.

There were 182 households out of which 20.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.81.

Pick the Best Physical Therapist School near Cove City NC

Selecting the ideal physical therapist college is an important first decision you need to make to launch a rewarding career in the medical 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 other relevant questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that a number of factors will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You might want to go to different schools to see their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school 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 options so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Cove City NC.