How to Find the Right Physical Therapist Program near Kitty Hawk 27949

Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Kitty Hawk NC is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the proper education and training. A PT must also be licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to ensure they will supply a quality education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is enroll in a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be considered in addition to location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Physical therapists practice in diverse settings, such as Kitty Hawk NC private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

• Osteoporosis and Arthritis
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Head injuries.
• Heart attacks.
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
• Burn injuries.
• Hip Replacement.
• Sciatica.
• Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Kitty Hawk NC health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

There are three physical therapy degree options offered for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degrees that are offered in the Kitty Hawk NC area:

• Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often offered by community or junior colleges, and take about two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the program.
• Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist training 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 important first step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of 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 a requirement 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the overall investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer available in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Degrees Online

Although not as prevalent as the on-campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs 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 college campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online segment of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Kitty Hawk NC residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you most likely have made a decision concerning a few of your preliminary queries, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you want to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT colleges within the Kitty Hawk NC area and across North Carolina, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you need to make sure that you select 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 therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential schools these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited?  Find out if the programs you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier 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 enroll in an online college, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy school and program you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call a few Kitty Hawk NC physical therapist centers or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your program selections. It might also be prudent to check with the North Carolina Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two important statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Kitty Hawk NC area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the program has a broad network of contacts to assist students get internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you enroll in provides both exceptional training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for North Carolina or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Ask if the physical therapist colleges you are interested in have relationships with Kitty Hawk NC hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to receive hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help graduates and students form professional connections in the Kitty Hawk health care community and help with job placement once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy school they choose will have to be within driving distance of their Kitty Hawk NC home. Individuals who have opted to attend classes online naturally will not have to concern 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 program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Provided? The majority of DPT schools offer some type of financial aid to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid office and find out what kind of aid is offered. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapy program you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Kitty Hawk NC area, make sure 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, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Kitty Hawk North Carolina?

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

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapy College near Kitty Hawk NC

Selecting the ideal physical therapy college is a necessary initial decision you must make to launch a fulfilling career in the health care field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you pick should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are other important questions that you should ask regarding your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy program, bear in mind that a number of factors will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to go to different 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 be able to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Kitty Hawk NC.

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