Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Maggie Valley NC

How to Pick a Physical Therapy College near Maggie Valley 28751

Maggie Valley NC physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Maggie Valley NC is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the appropriate education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate those you are considering to ensure they will supply 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 nearest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be considered 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 is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Maggie Valley NC physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, including Maggie Valley NC hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement 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.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Maggie Valley NC medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Maggie Valley NC physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degrees that are offered in the Maggie Valley 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 a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are typically made available by community or junior colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to ready students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to finish and often incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want to become a practicing licensed 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 complete, making the overall commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in some 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 offered in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Maggie Valley NC Although not as prevalent as the more traditional options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships 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 program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Maggie Valley NC home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition can be somewhat lower than similar on campus alternatives, and expenditures 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 ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you probably have made a decision concerning a few of your preliminary questions, including the type of physical therapist degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT schools within the Maggie Valley NC area and throughout North Carolina, you’ll have to look into other qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of college options. Moreover, you need to be sure that you pick the school that is right for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are thinking about. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. 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 school, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are several ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call a few Maggie Valley NC physical therapist centers or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any insight 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 submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Maggie Valley NC area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even excellent. It also affirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria 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) along with 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 completed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapy schools you are interested in have relationships with Maggie Valley NC hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great way to obtain hands on training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Maggie Valley healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will likely prefer a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Maggie Valley NC residence. Those who have decided to attend online classes naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. Something to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a program 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 typically charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most DPT colleges provide some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are considering have a financial aid office and find out what type of help is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapy college you ultimately choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Maggie Valley NC area, make sure that they are available. 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 need to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Maggie Valley North Carolina?

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

Maggie Valley, North Carolina

Maggie Valley is a town in Haywood County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,150 at the 2010 census.[4] It is home to Cataloochee Ski Area and former Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park. Maggie Valley is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Maggie Valley is located in west-central Haywood County at 35°30′52″N 83°4′1″W / 35.51444°N 83.06694°W / 35.51444; -83.06694 (35.514430, -83.067013).[6]U.S. Route 19 is the main road through the town, leading east 35 miles (56 km) to Asheville and west over Soco Gap 16 miles (26 km) to Cherokee.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 607 people, 297 households, and 179 families residing in the town. The population density was 372.8 people per square mile (143.8/km²). There were 565 housing units at an average density of 347.0 per square mile (133.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.38% White, 1.32% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.16% of the population.

Choose the Best Physical Therapist College near Maggie Valley NC

Picking the ideal physical therapist school is a necessary first decision you must make to launch a gratifying career in the healthcare field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you select should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are other important questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that numerous factors will guide you to your ultimate decision. You may want to go to different schools to see their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me achieve 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 right choice. And with the proper training and education, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Maggie Valley NC.