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

How to Pick a Physical Therapist School near Towanda 18848

Towanda PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Towanda PA is an important first step to launching a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the necessary training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate those you are thinking about to make certain they will deliver a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is enroll in a school just 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 cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Towanda PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, such as Towanda PA hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Towanda PA health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

Towanda PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees available for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the one degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Towanda PA area:

Associate Degrees educate 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 equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are most often provided by community colleges, and take about two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to ready candidates to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not required 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 generally require four years to finish and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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 complete, making the total commitment 7 years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an important element along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in a number of states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer offered in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Towanda PA Although not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online segment of the program may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Towanda PA home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you probably have made a decision concerning several of your initial queries, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you want to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Towanda PA area and across Pennsylvania, you’ll have to research additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Also, you want to make certain that you pick the college that is ideal for you. That’s why we have put together a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing schools these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the programs you are looking at have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. 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 obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing 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 Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact a few Towanda PA physical therapist centers or other healthcare facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your program 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 Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapist schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might suggest 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 help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Towanda PA area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the school has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in furnishes both superior 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 required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Provided? Ask if the physical therapy colleges you are assessing have relationships with Towanda PA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent manner to receive practical training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help students and graduates form professional connections in the Towanda healthcare community and help with job placement after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are researching what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Towanda PA home. Those who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? The majority of DPT colleges provide some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are examining have a financial assistance office and see what type of assistance is available. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy program you finally choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Towanda PA area, verify that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, learn 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 Towanda Pennsylvania?

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

Towanda, Pennsylvania

Towanda is a borough and the county seat of Bradford County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.[3] It is located 66 miles (106 km) northwest of Wilkes-Barre, on the Susquehanna River. The name means "burial ground" in the Algonquian language.[4] Settled in 1784 and incorporated in 1828, Towanda was once known primarily for its industrial interests, which included flour, planing and silk mills, a foundry and machine shop, dye works, and manufacturers of talking machines, cut glass, toys and furniture. The population in 1900 was 4,663 and 4,281 in 1910. As of the 2010 census the population of Towanda was 2,919.[5]

Towanda is located near the center of Bradford County at 41°46′13″N 76°26′48″W / 41.77028°N 76.44667°W / 41.77028; -76.44667 (41.770251, −76.446545),[7] on the west bank of the Susquehanna River. It is bordered to the north and west by North Towanda Township, to the south and west by Towanda Township, and to the east, across the river, by Wysox Township.

U.S. Route 6 passes through the center of the borough, leading southeast 39 miles (63 km) to Tunkhannock and 60 miles (97 km) to the Scranton area, and west 37 miles (60 km) to Mansfield. U.S. Route 220 bypasses the borough to the west and leads north 18 miles (29 km) to its terminus at Waverly, New York and southwest 67 miles (108 km) to Williamsport.

Choose the Best Physical Therapy College near Towanda PA

Choosing the ideal physical therapy school is an important first decision you must make to start a rewarding career in the healthcare field. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you pick should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are additional relevant questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapist school, bear in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might want to go to each of the campuses to view their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me realize my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the best selection. And with the proper training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Towanda PA.