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

How to Select a Physical Therapy College near Cocolamus 17014

Cocolamus PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Cocolamus PA is an essential first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients 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 obtain the appropriate education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many requiring 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 considering to ensure they will furnish a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is select a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated besides location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Cocolamus PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, such as Cocolamus 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 the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Cocolamus PA health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering going into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Cocolamus PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees available for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate 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 readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degree levels that are available in the Cocolamus PA area:

Associate Degrees train 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 GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often provided by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require 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 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 investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an important component along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in some 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 offered in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Cocolamus PA While not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Cocolamus PA home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition can be somewhat less than similar on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

At this point you most likely have made a decision concerning some of your preliminary questions, like the type of physical therapy degree you intend to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Cocolamus PA area and across Pennsylvania, you’ll have to look into other qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you need to make certain that you select the school that is right for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are considering. Ask all of the potential schools these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. 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 school, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Along with guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. 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 may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Get in touch with several Cocolamus PA physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your college options. It may also be a good idea to check with the Pennsylvania Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist programs you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Cocolamus PA area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or even exceptional. It also verifies that the program has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

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

Are Internships Offered? Find out if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have relationships with Cocolamus PA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great way to receive hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Cocolamus health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit way in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to talk with some of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they select will need to be within travelling distance of their Cocolamus PA residence. Students who have decided to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing 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 might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? Most DPT schools offer some form of financial aid to their potential students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial assistance office and see what kind of help is available. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist school you finally select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Cocolamus PA area, check that they are available. 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 have to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Cocolamus Pennsylvania?

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

Former state routes in Pennsylvania

The following is a list of former state routes in Pennsylvania. These roads are now either parts of other routes or no longer carry a traffic route number. This list also includes original routes of numbers that were decommissioned and later reactivated in other locations in which most of these are still active today.

The former Pennsylvania Route 2 was the designation for the Lackawanna Trail and was formed in 1924,[5] running south to north from Philadelphia to the New York state line for a distance of 163 miles (262 km).[4] The route passed through Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Northampton, Monroe, Wayne, Lackawanna, Wyoming, and Susquehanna Counties.

Deleted in 1928,[1][2][3] PA 2 followed the former U.S. Route 611 from Philadelphia to Scranton (now Pennsylvania Route 611 between Philadelphia and Tobyhanna and Pennsylvania Route 435 between Gouldsboro and Dunmore), and the current U.S. Route 11 from there to the New York state line near Great Bend. The route originally continued as New York State Route 2 (not related to the current Route 2 near Albany).

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Cocolamus PA

Deciding on the ideal physical therapy school is a necessary first decision you must make to launch a rewarding career in the health care profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you decide on should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. But 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, bear in mind that many variables will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You might decide to visit different schools to view their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the best selection. And with the proper training and education, you can fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Cocolamus PA.