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

How to Select a Physical Therapist College near Stow 44224

Stow OH physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Stow OH is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the necessary training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to research those you are looking at to make certain they will furnish a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is select a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be evaluated along with location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Stow OH physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, such as Stow OH private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing 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 problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to stop any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Stow OH health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Stow OH physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options available for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, 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 prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short explanations of degree levels that are available in the Stow OH area:

Associate Degrees train students to be 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 community or junior colleges, and require 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training to prep students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to complete and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program must also 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 finish, making the overall investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal component along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in several 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 available in the United States. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Stow OH Although not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Stow OH home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition might be somewhat less than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you probably have come to decision regarding several of your preliminary questions, like the type of physical therapist degree you want to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Stow OH area and throughout Ohio, you’ll need to look into other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college options. Moreover, you need to make sure that you choose the college that is best for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are thinking about. Ask each of the potential schools these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the schools 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 enroll in an online college, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy school and program you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact several Stow OH physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your program options. It might also be a good idea to check with the Ohio Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students left because of displeasure 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 college’s job placement program, particularly in the Stow 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 outstanding. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to assist students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you choose furnishes both superior training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Ohio or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Find out if the physical therapist colleges you are interested in have partnerships with Stow OH clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great way to obtain practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can assist graduates and students form professional relationships in the Stow healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit way in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they pick will have to be within travelling distance of their Stow OH home. Students who have opted 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 consider is that if you decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

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

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapy college you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Stow OH area, verify that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Stow Ohio?

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

Stow, Ohio

Stow is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 34,837 at the 2010 census, 34,797 at the 2015 estimate, and 34,711 at the 2016 estimate.[9] It is a suburban community within the Akron metropolitan area. Stow is adjacent to several other suburban communities in Summit and Portage counties. It is bordered on the south by the cities of Tallmadge and Munroe Falls and the village of Silver Lake, on the east by the city of Kent and Franklin Township, on the north by the city of Hudson, and on the west by the city of Cuyahoga Falls.

Stow is named for Joshua Stow, its original proprietor. Joshua Stow was a member of the party led by Moses Cleaveland to survey the lands of the Connecticut Western Reserve around present-day Cleveland in 1796. He was a native of Middletown, Connecticut, however, and never lived in Stow, though he spent both time and money developing the township and is quoted as saying it was "one of the prettiest and most romantic spots in the Western Reserve."[10] The land that would eventually be known as Stow Township was the survey township "Town 3, Range 10" of the Western Reserve and was initially 25 square miles (65 km2). It was purchased by Joshua Stow for $14,154. Prior to the arrival of European settlers, the area around what is now Stow was inhabited by a tribe of Seneca Native Americans at a small settlement in the area that is now part of the neighboring village of Silver Lake.[11][12]

The first settler in Stow Township was William Walker, who arrived in 1802. Walker built a cabin just south of the land of his father Robert in Hudson Township mistakenly believing he was building in Hudson. In 1804, when Stow Township was separated from Hudson Township and surveyed into lots by Joseph Darrow, it was discovered his house was actually in Stow Township. Walker purchased the lot his home was on and continued to live there. Darrow had been hired by Joshua Stow's land agent William Wetmore, a settler also from Middletown, Connecticut, who moved to Stow in 1804 with his family and several other settlers. The Wetmores built a cabin in July 1804 near the center of Stow Township and the present-day intersection of Darrow Road and Kent Road. In 1808, the Wetmores built a home near the Seneca settlement in what is now Silver Lake. The house overlooked a small lake, known as Silver Lake since 1874, that was known earlier as Wetmore Pond or Stow Lake. Stow Township was formally organized in 1808 with the first election held in 1811. 1808 was also the year it was made part of the original Portage County. It remained as part of Portage County until it was included in the new Summit County in 1840.[11][13]

Choose the Best Physical Therapist School near Stow OH

Picking the best physical therapy program is an important first decision you need to make to begin a rewarding career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you select should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are other relevant questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your final decision. You might decide to visit different schools to view their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Stow OH.