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

How to Select a Physical Therapist School near Murrysville 15668

Murrysville PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Murrysville PA is an important first step to starting a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the necessary education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research the ones you are thinking about to ensure they will furnish a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be evaluated in addition to cost and location. 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’s Job Description?

Murrysville PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, such as Murrysville PA private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Murrysville PA health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone considering going into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Murrysville PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options offered for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is attainable to practice as 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. Following are short explanations of degrees that are available in the Murrysville PA area:

Associate Degrees train students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often offered by community or junior colleges, and take about two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to prep students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and often incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order 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 three years to finish, making the total commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an important element along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in some 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 attainable in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Murrysville PA Although not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees available, more so 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 near the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Murrysville PA home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision regarding several of your preliminary questions, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you want to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are so many PT schools within the Murrysville PA area and across Pennsylvania, you’ll need to explore other qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you need to make certain that you choose the college that is right for you. That’s why we have collected a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing schools these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the schools you are considering have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online college, it can also earn 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, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can look into 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 also. Get in touch with some Murrysville PA physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your program options. It may also be a good idea to check with the Pennsylvania Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two important statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist programs you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may suggest that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Murrysville PA area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps excellent. It also verifies that the college has a large network of contacts to assist students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you choose furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that supports 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) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are interested in have associations with Murrysville PA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great means to receive hands on training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist graduates and students establish professional connections in the Murrysville healthcare community and assist with job placement once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to talk with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapist school they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Murrysville PA home. Those who have opted 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 keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

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

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy school you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you choose to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Murrysville PA area, make sure that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, ask 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 Murrysville Pennsylvania?

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

Murrysville, Pennsylvania

The Municipality of Murrysville is listed as a borough with home rule status in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,872 at the 2000 census. It became a home rule Municipality in August 1976, when its electorate voted for its Charter legally designating it a Municipality.[3]

The Municipality of Murrysville is located at 40°26′5″N 79°39′24″W / 40.43472°N 79.65667°W / 40.43472; -79.65667 (40.434828, -79.656724).[4] It is roughly 20 miles east of Pittsburgh on U.S. Route 22,[5] just east of the county line that separates Westmoreland and Allegheny counties. Murrysville is a control city on the sign for eastbound US 22 at the eastern end of I-376 in Monroeville.

Among the neighborhoods within Murrysville are Murrysville Heights, Heather Highlands, Franklin Estates, Settlers Ridge (The Ridge), Dunningtown, Newlonsburg, Ringertown, Sardis, and White Valley. Murrysville surrounds, but does not include, the Borough of Export, which is a separate municipal entity.

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Murrysville PA

Choosing the ideal physical therapy college is a necessary first decision you need to make to start a rewarding career in the medical field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you enroll in should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that a number of factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might want to go to different colleges to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me achieve my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the right choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Murrysville PA.