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

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist School near Minerva 44657

Minerva OH physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Minerva OH is an important first step to launching a fulfilling career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to research the ones you are considering to make certain they will supply a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is choose a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be evaluated besides 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 the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Minerva OH physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, including Minerva OH hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. 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 individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Minerva OH medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Minerva OH physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degree levels that are available in the Minerva OH area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often offered by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy training to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified 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 complete and often 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 must also be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to finish, making the total investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal component along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in a number of 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 offered in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Minerva OH Although not as prevalent as the on campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the course of study may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Minerva OH home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be somewhat less than similar on-campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding a few of your preliminary questions, like the kind of physical therapy degree you want to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Minerva OH area and across Ohio, you’ll have to research additional qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of college choices. Moreover, you want to make certain that you enroll in the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the programs you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional 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 college, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapist profession. 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 search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Get in touch with a few Minerva OH physical therapist centers or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your college options. It may also be prudent to contact the Ohio Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy colleges you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Minerva OH area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you select provides both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Ohio 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 therapy college. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have associations with Minerva OH hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent means to receive practical experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can help students and graduates develop professional connections in the Minerva healthcare community and assist with job placement after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their Minerva OH residence. Those who have opted to attend online classes 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 consider is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most DPT colleges provide some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are examining have a financial aid office and see what type of assistance is offered. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist program you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Minerva OH area, verify that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Minerva Ohio?

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

Minerva, Ohio

The Carroll and Stark County portions of Minerva are part of the Canton-Massillon, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Columbiana County portion is part of the Salem, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area.

The village of Minerva began when a surveyor named John Whitacre purchased 123 acres of land from Isaac Craig in 1818 for the construction of a log mill. The town, named for his niece, Minerva Ann Taylor born April 19, 1833, grew up around the mill. Minerva's first schoolhouse was built in 1846. In its early years the Sandy and Beaver Canal helped drive Minerva's economy, to be replaced in importance by the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1840s. Minerva manufacturers Willard and Isaac Pennock patented the United States' first steel railroad car in the nineteenth century.[6]

According to local legend, in the 1760s the French held possession of Fort Duquesne, which later became Fort Pitt in Pittsburgh. George Washington was leading a company of 2000 British troops from the east to attack the fort. The British held up at Turtle Creek for the night. Indian scouts reported to the French that an attack was coming. The French loaded one ton of gold, which was to be the French payroll, onto ten pack horses and sent them west along the Great Trail. They were to head to present-day Bolivar, Ohio, where there was a blockhouse for shelter and provisions. That location later became the location of Fort Laurens. The British were successful in overthrowing the fort and learned of the escape with the gold. Four days out of Pittsburgh, the British were catching up to the French, so the French buried the gold to avoid it falling into British hands. It was reportedly buried at the fork of three springs. One mile to the west of that location, a rock was placed in the fork of a tree. Over the years, many have tried to locate the legendary buried treasure, but to this day it has not been found.

Choose the Right Physical Therapist Training Program near Minerva OH

Picking the right physical therapy college is an important initial decision you have to make to begin a rewarding career in the health care field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you select should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are other critical questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your final decision. You might decide to visit different colleges to see their facilities and talk with 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 right selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Minerva OH.