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

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist Degree Program near Manchester 17345

Manchester PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Manchester PA is an important first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the necessary training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to research the ones you are looking at to make certain they will provide a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered in addition to location and cost. 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?

Manchester PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse settings, such as Manchester 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 previously stated, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Manchester PA medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about entering 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 Therapist Degrees Offered

Manchester PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees available for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either training 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 Manchester PA area:

Associate Degrees train students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to complete and usually incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the overall investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal component along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment 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 offered in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Colleges Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Manchester PA While not as common as the more traditional options, 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 combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the college campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Manchester PA home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition can be somewhat less than similar on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many 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 motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you probably have come to decision concerning several 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 numerous PT colleges within the Manchester PA area and across Pennsylvania, you’ll have to research additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you want to make sure that you choose the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the programs you are looking at have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As earlier stated, 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 college, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Contact some Manchester PA physical therapist centers or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your program options. It may also be prudent to contact the Pennsylvania Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two relevant statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy colleges you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students left because of 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 Manchester PA area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also verifies that the school has a broad network of contacts to assist students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you choose furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum 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) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Find out if the physical therapist colleges you are assessing have associations with Manchester PA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great means to receive hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help graduates and students form professional relationships in the Manchester health care community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering 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 ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they pick will need to be within driving distance of their Manchester PA residence. Individuals who have decided to attend classes online naturally will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT colleges provide some type of financial support to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid department and find out what kind of aid is obtainable. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapist school you ultimately choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Manchester PA area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Manchester Pennsylvania?

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

Manchester, Pennsylvania

Settled in 1814, the village of Liverpool (now Manchester) was incorporated in 1869 in the eastern section of Manchester Township. During the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War, Liverpool's merchants were raided by the 17th Virginia Cavalry.

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 2,350 people, 1,009 households, and 664 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,986.4 people per square mile (1,148.5/km2). There were 1,058 housing units at an average density of 1,344.5 per square mile (517.1/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.28% White, 0.47% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.89% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.49% of the population.

There were 1,009 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.81.

Select the Ideal Physical Therapist College near Manchester PA

Selecting the ideal physical therapist college is a necessary first decision you have to make to start a gratifying career in the health care field. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you decide on should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are other important questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that numerous factors will guide you to your final decision. You may want to visit different schools to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Manchester PA.