Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Pine Grove PA

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy Training Program near Pine Grove 17963

Pine Grove PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Pine Grove PA is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the appropriate 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 necessary to evaluate the ones you are looking at to make certain they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Pine Grove PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, including Pine Grove PA hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also try to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Pine Grove PA health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to take note of for anyone considering going into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

Pine Grove PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees offered for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short descriptions of degrees that are available in the Pine Grove PA area:

Associate Degrees train students to be 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 qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by community or junior colleges, and require two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order 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 3 years to finish, making the total investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not solely 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 available in the United States. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Pine Grove PA While not as prevalent as the more traditional alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Pine Grove PA home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be somewhat less than comparable on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you most likely have made a decision regarding some of your initial questions, like the type of physical therapy degree you would like to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Pine Grove PA area and across Pennsylvania, you’ll have to explore other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college options. Moreover, you want to be sure that you pick the program that is right for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering. Ask each of the competing schools these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously mentioned, 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 receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy 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 recognized 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 Program’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Get in touch with several Pine Grove PA physical therapy centers or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your school selections. 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 School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students dropped out 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 help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Pine Grove PA area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also verifies that the college has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you select furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Pennsylvania or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapist colleges you are evaluating have relationships with Pine Grove PA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to obtain hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may assist graduates and students form professional connections in the Pine Grove healthcare community and help with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing what the typical teacher to student 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 a chance to converse with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Pine Grove PA home. Those who have chosen to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. One thing 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 might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? The majority of DPT schools supply some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Inquire if the schools you are examining have a financial aid office and find out what kind of help is offered. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapy program you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Pine Grove 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 due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Pine Grove Pennsylvania?

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

Pine Grove, Pennsylvania

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapy Degree Program near Pine Grove PA

Choosing the right physical therapist college is a necessary first decision you must make to launch a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you choose should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. However there are additional critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that a number of factors will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You may want to go to each of the campuses to view their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me realize 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 field so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the proper training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Pine Grove PA.