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

How to Pick a Physical Therapy School near Concordville 19331

Concordville PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Concordville PA is a critical first step to launching a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to make certain they will furnish a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be considered in addition to cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Concordville PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, such as Concordville PA private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they develop 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. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Concordville PA medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Concordville PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees offered for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short descriptions of degrees that are offered in the Concordville PA area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually provided by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to prepare students to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to finish and often incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want 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 three years to complete, making the overall investment of time 7 years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential element along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, 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 phased out and is no longer attainable in the USA. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Concordville PA Although not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, even more 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 necessitates that the student live near the school 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 Concordville PA residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition can be somewhat lower than comparable on-campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary questions, like the type of physical therapy degree you intend to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Concordville PA area and across Pennsylvania, you’ll need to research other qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of college choices. Furthermore, you want to make certain that you select the college that is right for you. That’s why we have put together a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are thinking about. Ask each of the potential schools these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are reviewing have received accreditation from a national or a regional 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 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 enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Contact some Concordville PA physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your college selections. It might also be a good idea to check with the Pennsylvania 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 Rate? There are a couple of significant statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapist schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students left due to dissatisfaction 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 Concordville PA area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the program has a wide network of contacts to assist students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you select provides both exceptional training and a course of study that supports 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) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Inquire if the physical therapy programs you are reviewing have relationships with Concordville PA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great means to obtain hands on training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help students and graduates form professional connections in the Concordville healthcare community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit far in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will likely prefer a smaller class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the typical 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 talk with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapist school they pick will have to be within driving distance of their Concordville PA home. 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. 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 be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? Most DPT colleges provide some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid department and see what type of assistance is available. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapy school you ultimately choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Concordville PA area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Concordville Pennsylvania?

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

Concordville, Pennsylvania

Concordville is an unincorporated community in Concord Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located 20 miles west-southwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of U.S. Routes 1 and 322. This intersection can be traced back to two of the earliest roads in Pennsylvania, Baltimore Pike which became U.S. 1, and Concord Pike, which connected Pennsylvania with Delaware.[3]

The first European settlement in the area occurred about 1700, after Quakers bought land from William Penn. Two Friends Meetinghouses (formerly Orthodox and Hicksite) are located in the village. The Orthodox meetinghouse was built in the first half of the nineteenth century, while the Hicksites retained the original meetinghouse (built 1728, reconstructed and expanded 1788). The two factions have since merged and now meet in the original meetinghouse. Part of the village was added to the National Register in 1973.[4]

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Concordville PA

Choosing the best physical therapist program is an important initial decision you have to make to begin a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you choose should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. But there are other important questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapist program, keep in mind that numerous variables will guide you toward your final decision. You might want to go to each of the colleges to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me accomplish 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 options so you can make the right choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Concordville PA.