Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Clairton PA

How to Select a Physical Therapy Training Program near Clairton 15025

Clairton PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Clairton PA is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled as a result of illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the appropriate training and education. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to research those you are considering to ensure they will furnish a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be evaluated in addition to location and cost. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Clairton PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, such as Clairton PA private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Clairton PA health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering going into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Clairton PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees offered for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is attainable 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 available in the Clairton PA 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 equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are typically made available by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to prep candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to complete and often incorporate an internship program of at least 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 three years to finish, making the total commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an important element in addition to the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in several 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 attainable in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Clairton PA While not as prevalent as the more traditional options, 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 incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online part of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Clairton PA residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be significantly less than comparable on campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding several of your preliminary questions, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you intend to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Clairton PA area and across Pennsylvania, you’ll have to look into other qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of college options. Moreover, you want to be sure that you pick the program that is right for you. That’s why we have collected a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask each of the potential schools these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. 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 select an online college, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT program’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 organizations for their reviews also. Contact some Clairton PA physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your school selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Pennsylvania Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of important statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapy colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students left due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Clairton PA area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you choose provides both excellent training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Pennsylvania or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Ask if the physical therapist programs you are interested in have relationships with Clairton PA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent manner to get hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist graduates and students develop professional connections in the Clairton healthcare community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are looking at what the typical 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 determination. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they decide on will need to be within commuting distance of their Clairton PA residence. Individuals who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT colleges provide some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department and find out what kind of aid is obtainable. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapist college you finally pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Clairton PA area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out 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 might miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Clairton Pennsylvania?

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

Clairton, Pennsylvania

Clairton is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Monongahela River. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area. The population was 6,796 at the 2010 census.[4] Under Pennsylvania legal classifications for local governments, Clairton is considered a third-class city. It is home to Clairton Works, the largest coke manufacturing facility in the United States.

The city was the setting for the movie The Deer Hunter (1978), although none of the movie was actually filmed there (other mill towns in the Monongahela River Valley and elsewhere in the tri-state area were used). Even the opening scene, which features a large sign saying "Welcome to Clairton, City of Prayer," was shot in Mingo Junction, Ohio, although its phrasing is based on smaller signs posted at the city's boundaries during the mid-1960s (as a response to the Supreme Court's 1963 ban on sponsored school prayer).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.8 km2). 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) of it is land, and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) of it (8.31%) is water.

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Clairton PA

Selecting the right physical therapist program is an important first decision you must make to begin a rewarding career in the health care field. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you select should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are additional important questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that many variables will guide you to your final decision. You might want to visit different colleges to see their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right choice. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Clairton PA.