Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - North Bend OR

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy College near North Bend 97459

North Bend OR physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near North Bend OR is an essential first step to starting a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled due to illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the proper education and training. A PT must also be licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research the ones you are looking at to make sure they will supply a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. 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 need to be considered along with cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

North Bend OR physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, including North Bend OR hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other North Bend OR medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

North Bend OR physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degrees that are available in the North Bend OR area:

Associate Degrees train students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are typically offered by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to ready candidates to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to complete and often incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order 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 three years to complete, making the total commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an important element in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in a number of 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 available in the USA. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in North Bend OR Although not as prevalent as the on-campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist programs available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online part of the curriculum may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s North Bend OR home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat lower than similar on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding a few of your preliminary questions, including the type of physical therapist degree you want to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT colleges within the North Bend OR area and across Oregon, you’ll need to explore other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college options. Also, you want to make certain that you choose the program that is ideal for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Ask if the schools you are considering have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. 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 can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact some North Bend OR physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your school options. It might also be a good idea to contact the Oregon Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two useful statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the North Bend OR area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also verifies that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Oregon or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are interested in have associations with North Bend OR clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great means to obtain hands on training in a clinical setting, 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 North Bend health care community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with some of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they decide on will need to be within commuting distance of their North Bend OR home. Those who have decided to attend online classes naturally 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 choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or even 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 typically charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT colleges offer some form of financial aid to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial assistance office and see what type of aid is obtainable. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist program you ultimately select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the North Bend OR area, make certain that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near North Bend Oregon?

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

North Bend, Oregon

North Bend is a city in Coos County, Oregon, United States with a population of 9,695 as of the 2010 census.[5][6] North Bend is surrounded on three sides by Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet and estuary where the Coos River enters Coos Bay and borders the city of Coos Bay to the south. North Bend became an incorporated city in 1903.[6]

Before Europeans visited the Oregon coast, Native American tribes claimed the Coos Bay region as their homeland for thousands of years.[7] Members of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, Siuslaw and Coquille tribes lived, fished, hunted and gathered along Coos Bay and its estuaries, along rivers, and in meadows and forests.[7]

Approximately 400 years ago, British and Spanish explorers first approached the South Coast.[7] In 1579, Sir Francis Drake is purported to have sought shelter for his ship, the Golden Hinde, around Cape Arago.[8][9] Trader and explorer Jedediah Smith was in the region seeking furs and the Hudson's Bay Company sent Alexander Roderick McLeod to search for an inland passage.[7]

Select the Best Physical Therapy Degree Program near North Bend OR

Choosing the best physical therapist program is an important first decision you have to make to launch a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you choose should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are other critical questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy college, keep in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your final decision. You might decide to go to each of the colleges to view their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me achieve my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in North Bend OR.