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

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist Training Program near Williamstown 17098

Williamstown PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Williamstown PA is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate those you are looking at to make certain they will furnish a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is enroll in a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be evaluated in addition to cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Williamstown PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, such as Williamstown 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 diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Williamstown PA medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Williamstown PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options offered for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the single degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degree levels that are available in the Williamstown PA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are typically offered by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to prepare students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to complete and often incorporate an internship program of at least 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the total commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an intregal element along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

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

Physical Therapy Colleges Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Williamstown PA While not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the course of study may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Williamstown PA home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition might be significantly lower than similar on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding a few of your initial questions, like the kind of physical therapy degree you intend to earn, 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 schools within the Williamstown PA area and throughout Pennsylvania, you’ll need to explore other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you need to be sure that you choose the school that is right for you. That’s why we have put together a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering 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 choose an online college, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT program’s reputation, beginning 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 as well. Get in touch with some Williamstown PA physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your school options. It might also be a good idea to check with the Pennsylvania Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might mean that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Williamstown PA area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also affirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in provides both exceptional training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for Pennsylvania or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing have associations with Williamstown PA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to obtain hands on training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist students and graduates establish professional connections in the Williamstown medical community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit way in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the average teacher to student 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 a chance to converse with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they choose will need to be within driving distance of their Williamstown PA residence. Those who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? Most DPT schools offer some type of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance office and see what kind of assistance is available. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. A number of physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapy program you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you choose to continue working while you attend classes. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Williamstown PA area, make certain that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses 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 Williamstown Pennsylvania?

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

Williamstown, Pennsylvania

Williamstown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States, 38 miles (61 km) northeast of Harrisburg. Formerly, anthracite coal mines were here, as well as hosiery mills. The population was 1,387 at the 2010 census.[3]

Williamstown is located in northeastern Dauphin County at 40°34′52″N 76°37′6″W / 40.58111°N 76.61833°W / 40.58111; -76.61833 (40.581075, -76.618296).[4] It is in the valley of Wiconisco Creek, between Big Lick Mountain to the north and Peters Mountain to the south. U.S. Route 209 passes to the south of the borough, leading northeast 24 miles (39 km) to Pottsville and west 11 miles (18 km) to Elizabethville.

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 1,433 people, 611 households, and 406 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,692.2 people per square mile (2,213.1/km²). There were 716 housing units at an average density of 2,844.1 per square mile (1,105.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.02% White, 0.14% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population.

Select the Ideal Physical Therapy Degree Program near Williamstown PA

Selecting the ideal physical therapist program is an important first decision you must make to begin a gratifying career in the health care field. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you enroll in should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that numerous variables will lead you to your final decision. You may decide to visit different campuses to view their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Williamstown PA.