Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Dacoma OK

How to Select a Physical Therapy College near Dacoma 73731

Dacoma OK physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Dacoma OK is an important first step to launching a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to research those you are looking at to make sure they will deliver a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a school just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be evaluated besides location and cost. 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Dacoma OK physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, such as Dacoma OK hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Dacoma OK medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather 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 Therapy Degrees Available

Dacoma OK physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options offered for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degrees that are offered in the Dacoma OK area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by community colleges, and require two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want to become a practicing licensed 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 complete, making the total investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal component along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in a number of 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 phased out and is no longer offered in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding 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 Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Dacoma OK Although not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature 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 an available internship. However, the online segment of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Dacoma OK residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition may be significantly lower than similar on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you probably have made a decision concerning some of your initial queries, including the kind of physical therapist degree you want to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Dacoma OK area and across Oklahoma, you’ll need to research other qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of college choices. Also, you need to be sure that you pick the program that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential schools these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are looking at have received 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 select an online program, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist school and program 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. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may 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 imperative that the school and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, beginning 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 also. Call several Dacoma OK physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your program selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Oklahoma Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapy colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Dacoma OK area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps excellent. It also verifies that the school has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you enroll in provides both excellent training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Oklahoma 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 therapist program. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing have partnerships with Dacoma OK hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific means to receive practical training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help graduates and students form professional relationships in the Dacoma health care community and help with job placement once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are researching what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with some of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they select will have to be within driving distance of their Dacoma OK home. Individuals who have decided to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually 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 Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT colleges offer some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Inquire if the schools you are looking at have a financial assistance office and see what kind of help is offered. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy school you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Dacoma OK area, confirm that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Dacoma Oklahoma?

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

Dacoma, Oklahoma

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 148 people, 64 households, and 41 families residing in the town. The population density was 284.6 people per square mile (109.9/km²). There were 88 housing units at an average density of 169.2 per square mile (65.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.30% White, 1.35% Native American, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.70% of the population.

There were 64 households out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 3.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the town, the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

Select the Right Physical Therapist College near Dacoma OK

Picking the best physical therapist college is a necessary initial decision you must make to begin a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you enroll in should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are additional important questions that you need to ask concerning your college of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that many variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may want to visit each of the campuses to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me achieve my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the right selection. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Dacoma OK.