Tennessee Archives - Page 3 of 261 - Physical Therapy Schools

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy College near Tazewell 37879

Tazewell TN physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Tazewell TN is an essential first step to launching a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate education and training. A PT must also be licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to make sure they will deliver a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. 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 important qualifications that need to be considered in addition to location and cost. But before we discuss 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?

Tazewell TN physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, such as Tazewell TN 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 earlier mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Tazewell TN health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

Tazewell TN physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options available for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the single degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief summaries of degrees that are available in the Tazewell TN area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by junior or community colleges, and take about two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to prep candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 4 years to complete and commonly include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to finish, making the overall commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an important element in addition to the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in a number of states for licensing as well.

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 attainable in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Tazewell TN While not as common as the more traditional options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Tazewell TN home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition might be significantly less than comparable on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision concerning some of your initial questions, like the type 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 because there are numerous PT schools within the Tazewell TN area and throughout Tennessee, you’ll have to research additional qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you need to make sure that you enroll in the college that is ideal for you. That’s why we have put together a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are thinking about. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Ask if the programs you are looking at have earned accreditation from a regional or a national 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 may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. 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 search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact several Tazewell TN physical therapist clinics 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 may also be prudent to check with the Tennessee Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapy colleges you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students left due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Tazewell TN area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also verifies that the school has a wide network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you select provides both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for Tennessee 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 program. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Ask if the physical therapy colleges you are interested in have partnerships with Tazewell TN hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent manner to receive hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Tazewell healthcare community and help with job placement after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they pick will have to be within driving distance of their Tazewell TN home. Those who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local 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 usually 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 Offered? The majority of DPT schools provide some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have a financial assistance department and see what type of aid is available. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. Some physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program 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 college you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Tazewell TN area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an option 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 because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Tazewell Tennessee?

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

Tazewell, Tennessee

Tazewell is a town in and the county seat of Claiborne County, Tennessee, United States.[5] The population was 2,165 at the 2000 census and 2,218 at the 2010 census. The town is named for Henry Tazewell (1753–1799), a U.S. senator from Virginia.[6]

In 1750, Dr. Thomas Walker of Virginia publicized the location of Cumberland Gap, which brought a stream of long hunters down the Clinch and Powell valleys into what is now Claiborne County.[7] The land at the time was part of Cherokee and Shawano hunting grounds,[8] and hostile attacks by members of these two tribes were not uncommon. To protect themselves, hunters, fur traders and early settlers erected a series of small forts and stations along the Powell and Clinch valleys. One such station, known as Fort Butler, was located just west of modern Tazewell.[9]

Among the earliest settlers in the Tazewell area was John Hunt (1750–1822), a militia captain who would later be instrumental in the founding of Huntsville, Alabama. In 1804, three years after the creation of Claiborne County, Tazewell was chosen as the county seat due in part to Hunt's influence (although a local legend states that the residents of Tazewell's rival for the seat, Springdale, were too intoxicated to vote on the day of selection). Hunt was named the county's first sheriff, and the government met at his house until a courthouse was constructed.[10] The original courthouse was a wooden structure which had hitching posts for horses in front.

Select the Right Physical Therapist Training Program near Tazewell TN

Picking the ideal physical therapist school is a necessary initial decision you have to make to start a gratifying career in the health care field. 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 other important questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that many variables will guide you to your final decision. You might decide to go to each of the schools to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Tazewell TN.