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

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy Training Program near Middleburg 17842

Middleburg PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Middleburg PA is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled due to illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate those you are considering to make sure they will furnish a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to 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 besides location and cost. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Middleburg PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, such as Middleburg PA hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Middleburg PA health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee several 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 field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Middleburg PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are brief explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Middleburg PA area:

Associate Degrees educate students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are most often provided by community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy 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 important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order to become a practicing licensed 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 complete, making the total investment of time 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an essential element in addition to the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in several states for licensing also.

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 United States. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Middleburg PA While not as prevalent as the on campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature 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 a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Middleburg PA home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition may 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 may make the online option the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision concerning several of your preliminary queries, including the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the Middleburg PA area and across Pennsylvania, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school options. Also, you need to make certain that you pick the college that is ideal for you. That’s why we have collected a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier 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 select an online college, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Along with ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are several ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Call some Middleburg PA physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your college options. It might also be prudent to contact the Pennsylvania Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two relevant statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapy schools you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest 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 assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Middleburg PA area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care community is good or even exceptional. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in provides both excellent 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) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy colleges you are assessing have associations with Middleburg PA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent manner to obtain hands on training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can help students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Middleburg healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit way in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are considering what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they choose will have to be within driving distance of their Middleburg PA residence. Individuals who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Provided? Most DPT colleges provide some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office and find out what kind of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. Some physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapy college you ultimately select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Middleburg PA area, make sure that they are offered. 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 have to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Middleburg Pennsylvania?

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

Middleburg, Pennsylvania

Middleburg is a borough in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,309 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Snyder County.[3] Middleburg is part of the Selinsgrove, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, and is also part of the larger Bloomsburg-Berwick-Sunbury, PA Combined Statistical Area.

Native Americans had lived in the region for centuries. White settlers are recorded living in the area in 1755. Middleburg was originally named Swinefordstown (Swinefordstettle in the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect) after John Albright Swineford who ran a tavern here in 1787. He was also the owner of land located on the north bank of the Middle Creek on which engineer Frederick Evans laid out the town in 1800.[4] This town became known as Middleburgh circa 1825, and was incorporated as a borough in 1864.[5]

A portion of the site that Middleburg occupies was the location of the Stump's Run Massacre in January 1768. Stump's Run is located to the west of the Glendale Cemetery and is also near the Snyder County Historical Society. In this incident, two colonists named Frederick Stump and John Ironcutter were found to be responsible for the deaths of four Native American men, three Native American women, and three children over a two-day period. Four of the men and two of the women were killed at Stump's cabin, which was located at the mouth of the Middle Creek near Selinsgrove. After Stump and Ironcutter shoved the bodies through a hole in the ice, they traveled up the creek to Stump's Run to kill the remaining woman and the children. These bodies were thrown into the native cabins, and the cabins burned. Although the men claimed self-defense, it is suspected that this could have been provoked by a drunken brawl, or that the natives were killed by Stump in retaliation for the deaths of his wife and children at the hands of Native American raiders. The two men were arrested and taken to the Cumberland County jail at Carlisle for trial, but were freed at the hands of a sympathetic mob. The men were never recaptured.[6]

Pick the Best Physical Therapist School near Middleburg PA

Deciding on the ideal physical therapy school is a necessary first decision you must make to launch a fulfilling career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you select should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are additional relevant questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that many factors will guide you to your final decision. You might decide to go to different schools to view their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Middleburg PA.