Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Feasterville Trevose PA

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Feasterville Trevose 19053

Feasterville Trevose PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Feasterville Trevose PA is an important first step to launching 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 must obtain the proper education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate the ones you are thinking about to make certain they will supply a quality education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered 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 what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Feasterville Trevose PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying locations, such as Feasterville Trevose PA private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a program 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 requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Feasterville Trevose PA health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Feasterville Trevose PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options available for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is attainable to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are brief explanations of degrees that are available in the Feasterville Trevose PA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often provided by community colleges, and take about two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist training to prep students to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to finish and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program also must 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 overall commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential element along with the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not only 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 eliminated and is no longer available in the United States. Some 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 Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Feasterville Trevose PA While not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Feasterville Trevose PA residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat less than comparable on-campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing 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 Colleges

By now you most likely have come to decision regarding some of your preliminary questions, including the kind of physical therapy degree you want 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 schools within the Feasterville Trevose PA area and throughout Pennsylvania, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school options. Furthermore, you need to make certain that you enroll in the college that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are considering. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you choose an online college, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist school and program you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several 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 several Feasterville Trevose PA physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your school options. It might also be prudent 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 Percentage? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapy schools you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students left due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Feasterville Trevose PA area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also verifies that the program has a wide network of contacts to assist students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you select provides both exceptional training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria 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 therapy college. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Provided? Ask if the physical therapist schools you are evaluating have relationships with Feasterville Trevose PA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great means to receive practical experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist graduates and students form professional relationships in the Feasterville Trevose healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are looking at what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they decide on will have to be within driving distance of their Feasterville Trevose PA home. Individuals who have chosen to attend classes online naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. Something to keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? The majority of DPT colleges offer some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial assistance office and find out what type of assistance is available. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you may 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 too expensive, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist program you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Feasterville Trevose PA area, make certain that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Feasterville Trevose Pennsylvania?

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

Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania

Feasterville-Trevose is a former census-designated place (CDP) in Lower Southampton Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The population was 6,525 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 19053. The area has been separated into two CDPs in the 2010 census, Feasterville and Trevose.

The Feasterville-Trevose CDP referred to by the U.S. Census Bureau encompasses a portion of Lower Southampton Township, but other sections of the township to the west and south are commonly considered parts of Feasterville, while the community of Trevose extends into Bensalem Township. Lower Southampton Township to the north is part of the Langhorne Post Office. The CDP is actually a relatively densely populated residential area between the two communities' central business districts.

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 6,525 people, 2,578 households, and 1,776 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 4,909.4 people per square mile (1,894.2/km²). There were 2,649 housing units at an average density of 1,993.8/sq mi (769.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.39% White, 2.13% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.99% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.28% of the population.

Choose the Best Physical Therapy School near Feasterville Trevose PA

Picking the right physical therapy program is a necessary first decision you have to make to begin a rewarding career in the health care profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you decide on should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are other critical questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that many variables will guide you to your final decision. You may want to visit different campuses to view their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Feasterville Trevose PA.