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

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy College near Duquesne 15110

Duquesne PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Duquesne PA is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the appropriate training and education. A PT must also be 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 the ones you are considering to make certain they will deliver a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be evaluated besides location and cost. But before we discuss 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?

Duquesne PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, including Duquesne PA private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Duquesne PA health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Duquesne PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees offered for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degrees that are available in the Duquesne PA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are usually provided by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to prepare students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally require 4 years to finish and often include 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). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to finish, making the total commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in several 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 offered in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Duquesne PA While not as prevalent as the on campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure 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 an available internship. However, the online part of the program may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Duquesne PA home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition might be somewhat lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you most likely have come to decision regarding several of your initial questions, like the kind of physical therapist degree you want to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Duquesne PA area and across Pennsylvania, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college options. Furthermore, you want to make sure that you choose the school that is right for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are thinking about. Ask each of the potential schools these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the programs 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 school, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. In addition to ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Call several Duquesne PA physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your program 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 schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapist colleges you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Duquesne PA area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even exceptional. It also confirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you enroll in provides both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Pennsylvania or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Find out if the physical therapist programs you are reviewing have partnerships with Duquesne PA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent way to get hands on training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help graduates and students form professional connections in the Duquesne healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit way in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are reviewing 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 final decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they choose will have to be within driving distance of their Duquesne PA home. Students who have chosen to attend online classes naturally will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? Most DPT colleges supply some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Inquire if the colleges you are examining have a financial aid office and see what type of assistance is available. At a minimum they should help in getting 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 college because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapy college you ultimately select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Duquesne PA area, check that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Duquesne Pennsylvania?

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

Duquesne, Pennsylvania

Duquesne Works, a productive steel mill that was part of Carnegie Steel Corporation and later part of U.S. Steel, was the heart and soul of Duquesne during its brightest moments in the early 20th century. Duquesne was home to the largest blast furnace in the world, named the "Dorothy Six".[6]Bob Dylan´s song Duquesne Whistle (Tempest, 2012) is dedicated to it.

The city's population peaked in 1930, then declined with deindustrialization beginning in the 1960s. Today a stark post-industrial landscape, Duquesne has fewer total residents (5,565 at the 2010 U.S. census) than were the city's mill workers in 1948.[7] According to the McKeesport Daily News, Duquesne has the worst performing schools in the state of Pennsylvania. Duquesne was designated a financially distressed municipality in 1991 by the state.

Duquesne High School closed in 2007. Beginning with the 2007-08 school year, Duquesne students have reported to West Mifflin Area High School, or East Allegheny High School. Since July 2007, the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) has managed all academic and business operations of the Duquesne's K-8 school district.

Pick the Right Physical Therapist Degree Program near Duquesne PA

Deciding on the best physical therapist program is an important first decision you have to make to begin a rewarding career in the healthcare field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you enroll in should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. But there are other critical questions that you should ask regarding your college of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that many variables will guide you to your final decision. You may decide to go to each of the colleges to view their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Duquesne PA.