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

How to Select a Physical Therapist Training Program near Waynesville 28786

Waynesville NC physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Waynesville NC is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling 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 may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the proper training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research the ones you are thinking about to make certain they will furnish a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated in addition to cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Waynesville NC physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, such as Waynesville NC hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes 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 mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

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

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Waynesville NC physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options available for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degree levels that are offered in the Waynesville 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 obtained a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually offered by community or junior colleges, and take about two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to finish and usually include 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an important element along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only 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 United States. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Waynesville NC While not as common as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more 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 nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Waynesville NC home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition might be somewhat less than similar on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision concerning several of your preliminary queries, like the type of physical therapist degree you want to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Waynesville NC area and throughout North Carolina, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Furthermore, you need to make sure that you enroll in the school that is right for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online college, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not just the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call a few Waynesville NC physical therapist centers or other healthcare facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your school options. It might 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 schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two significant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Waynesville NC area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to help students get internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you choose provides both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for North Carolina or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are assessing have associations with Waynesville NC hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to obtain 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 establish professional connections in the Waynesville health care community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit way in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. 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 several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they choose will need to be within travelling distance of their Waynesville NC residence. Students 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. One thing to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? Most DPT schools offer some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid department and see what type of aid is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist school you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Waynesville NC area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out 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 Waynesville North Carolina?

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

Waynesville, North Carolina

Waynesville is a town in and the county seat of Haywood County, North Carolina, United States.[4] It is the largest town in Haywood County and the largest in western North Carolina west of Asheville. Waynesville is located about 30 miles (50 km) southwest of Asheville between the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge mountains.

As of the 2010 census, Waynesville had a population of 9,869.[5] The town is located just outside the Pisgah National Forest and is close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Waynesville and Haywood County are part of the four-county Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area, currently the fifth largest metropolitan area in North Carolina. It is the third largest town in the MSA behind the cities of Asheville and Hendersonville.

Waynesville is located southwest of the center of Haywood County at 35°29′00″N 82°59′40″W / 35.483226°N 82.994511°W / 35.483226; -82.994511 (35.483226, −82.994511),[6] in the valley of Richland Creek, a tributary of the Pigeon River. U.S. Routes 23 and 74 (the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway) form a bypass along the northwest side of the town, with access from Exits 98 through 102. The highways lead northeast to Asheville and southwest 18 miles (29 km) to Sylva. U.S. Route 276 passes through the center of Waynesville, following (from north to south) Russ Avenue, Walnut Street, Main Street, and Pigeon Street. US-276 leads north 5 miles (8 km) to Dellwood and southeast over Wagon Road Gap 39 miles (63 km) to Brevard

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Waynesville NC

Selecting the ideal physical therapy college is a necessary first decision you have to make to launch a fulfilling career in the health care profession. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you decide on should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are other relevant questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that a number of factors will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You might want to go to each of the colleges to see their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me reach 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 field so you can make the best selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Waynesville NC.