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

How to Select a Physical Therapy School near Hudson 28638

Hudson NC physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Hudson NC is an important first step to launching a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated due to injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research the ones you are considering to make certain they will supply a quality education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is choose a school just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be evaluated in addition to cost and location. 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 is a Physical Therapist?

Hudson NC physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, such as Hudson NC private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they create a program of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Hudson NC medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering going into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Hudson NC physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief explanations of degrees that are offered in the Hudson NC area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or can 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 made available by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to ready students to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to finish and often include an internship program of at least 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 3 years to finish, making the overall investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an important element along with the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in a number of 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 USA. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Hudson NC Although not as common as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the program may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Hudson NC home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition can be somewhat less than similar on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the best choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you probably have made a decision concerning several of your initial queries, including the type of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the Hudson NC area and throughout North Carolina, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Furthermore, you need to make sure that you enroll in the school that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are thinking about. Ask each of the potential schools these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional organization. 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 enroll in an online college, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy school and program you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several 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 search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Call some Hudson NC physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your program selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the North Carolina Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two important statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapy colleges you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may suggest 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 hired with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Hudson NC area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in provides both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for North Carolina or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is required 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 number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are assessing have associations with Hudson NC clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent means to obtain hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist students and graduates form professional connections in the Hudson health care community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with some of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they choose will have to be within travelling distance of their Hudson NC home. Individuals who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most DPT schools offer some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial assistance office and find out what kind of assistance is offered. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapy college you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Hudson NC area, confirm that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Hudson North Carolina?

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

Hudson, North Carolina

Hudson is a picturesque small town in the foothills of Western North Carolina. It was once known for its furniture industry but as of late for its international businesses such as Shurtape, Beocare and Outdura. According to its most recent census, Hudson has a population of approximately 3800 people but during the day, this swells to over 11,000 due to those who work in town and those who attend school at Caldwell Community College and other surrounding schools.

Hudson's landmarks are the "HUB" (the Hudson Uptown Building, the former Hudson Elementary school where locals can gather for special events), the Gold Mine Fine Jewelry & Gifts, the Hudson Library, the Hudson Volunteer Fire Department, the Hudson Post Office, the Hudson Optimist Club, Hudson American Legion, Donna's Cafe, Vintage Cafe, Yesteryear Antiques and Hudson Primary Care.

The town boasts two parks—Redwood Park features a beautiful playground with children's slides/activities, a swimming pool and several ballfields. The Hickman Windmill & Depot Museum Park features the Historic Hudson Depot and Red Caboose as well as a 100-year-old windmill. Music is often performed in the park, most notably Pickin' in the Park during summer months. On clear days, Hudson offers views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, including Grandfather Mountain. These views can be seen over Hudson Middle School directly off the US Highway 321 Hudson exit. Hudson also hosts Caldwell County's oldest continuous event (nearly 60 years), The Butterfly Festival which is held the first Saturday every May with attendance of between 8000-10000 people.

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Hudson NC

Choosing the ideal physical therapist school is an important initial decision you must make to start a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you enroll in should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are other critical questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that numerous variables will guide you to your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit different colleges to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Hudson NC.