Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Kenton OH

How to Choose a Physical Therapy Training Program near Kenton 43326

Kenton OH physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Kenton OH is an essential first step to launching a fulfilling career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled as a result of illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the appropriate training and education. 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 choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate those you are looking at to ensure they will deliver a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is select a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be evaluated in addition to cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Kenton OH physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, including Kenton OH hospitals, health clinics, 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 earlier stated, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Kenton OH health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also oversee 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 regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Kenton OH physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees offered for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degrees that are offered in the Kenton OH area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually provided by community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to prepare students to move up to the doctoral level. Although 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 normally take 4 years to finish and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order 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 finish, making the overall investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component in addition to the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in some states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer attainable in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Kenton OH While not as prevalent as the on-campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online portion of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Kenton OH residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be significantly lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and costs 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 alternative the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning a few of your preliminary queries, including the type of physical therapist degree you intend to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT schools within the Kenton OH area and throughout Ohio, you’ll need to research additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of college choices. Moreover, you need to be sure that you choose the school that is best for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask each of the potential schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier 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 choose an online program, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not just 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 might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can research 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 agencies for their reviews also. Get in touch with a few Kenton OH physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your college selections. It might also be a good idea to check with the Ohio 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 Rate? There are a two important statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Kenton OH area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the program has a large network of contacts to assist students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you choose furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for Ohio 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 program. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are assessing have relationships with Kenton OH clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific way to get hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can assist graduates and students establish professional connections in the Kenton healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one 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 monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they decide on will have to be within commuting distance of their Kenton OH residence. Those who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT colleges provide some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have a financial assistance department and find out what kind of help is offered. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. Some physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapy school you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Kenton OH area, check that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Kenton Ohio?

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

Kenton, Ohio

Kenton is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Ohio, United States,[6] located in the west central part of Ohio approximately 57 mi (92 km) NW of Columbus and 70 mi (113 km) south of Toledo. The population was 8,262 at the 2010 census. The city was named for frontiersman Simon Kenton of Kentucky and Ohio.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.13 square miles (13.29 km2), of which, 5.04 square miles (13.05 km2) is land and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km2) is water.[1]

The city began as a center for agriculture trade, then in the late nineteenth century developed industry common to America of the time.[9] From 1890 to 1952, Kenton was home to the Kenton Hardware Company, manufacturers of locks, cast-iron toys, and the very popular Gene Autry toy cap guns.[10]

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapy College near Kenton OH

Selecting the right physical therapist school is an important first decision you must make to begin a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you select should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. But there are additional relevant questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that a number of variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might want to go to different colleges to view their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following 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 of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Kenton OH.