Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Corpus Christi TX

How to Select a Physical Therapist School near Corpus Christi 78401

Corpus Christi TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Corpus Christi TX is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated as a result of 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 receive the necessary education and training. A PT must additionally be 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 evaluate those you are considering to make sure they will provide a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is choose a college just because it happens to be the nearest 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 talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Corpus Christi TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, including Corpus Christi TX hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. 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 people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Corpus Christi TX health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering going into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Corpus Christi TX physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degrees that are offered in the Corpus Christi TX area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often offered by community or junior colleges, and take about two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to prep students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to complete and usually include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a licensed practicing 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 3 years to complete, making the overall investment of time seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in several 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 eliminated and is no longer offered in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Corpus Christi TX Although not as common as the on-campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure 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 in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Corpus Christi TX home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition may be significantly lower than comparable on-campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning several of your initial questions, like the type of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Corpus Christi TX area and across Texas, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Also, you need to make sure that you pick the college that is right for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. 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 choose an online program, it may also receive 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. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact a few Corpus Christi TX physical therapy clinics or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your school options. It might also be a good idea to check with the Texas 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 find out about all of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Corpus Christi TX area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you select furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Texas or the state where you will be practicing. 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. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Find out if the physical therapist programs you are interested in have partnerships with Corpus Christi TX hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific way to receive hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can help students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Corpus Christi healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit far in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor 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 also.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they pick will have to be within driving distance of their Corpus Christi TX residence. Individuals who have decided to attend classes online naturally 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 keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? The majority of DPT schools provide some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid department and see what type of aid is offered. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapist school you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Corpus Christi TX area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Corpus Christi Texas?

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

Corpus Christi, Texas

Corpus Christi (/ˌkɔːrpəs ˈkrɪsti/), colloquially Corpus (Latin: Body of Christ), is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County,[6] it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio Counties. It is 130 miles southeast of San Antonio. Its political boundaries encompass Nueces Bay and Corpus Christi Bay. Its zoned boundaries include small land parcels or water inlets of three neighboring counties.

The city's population was estimated to be 320,434 in 2014, making it the eighth-most populous city in Texas. The Corpus Christi metropolitan area had an estimated population of 442,600.[1] It is also the hub of the six-county Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice Combined Statistical Area, with a 2013 estimated population of 516,793. The Port of Corpus Christi is the fifth-largest in the United States. The region is served by the Corpus Christi International Airport.

The city's name means Body of Christ in Latin. The name was given to the settlement and surrounding bay by Spanish explorer Alonso Álvarez de Pineda in 1519, as he discovered the lush semitropical bay on the Catholic feast day of Corpus Christi.[citation needed] The nickname of the city is "Sparkling City by the Sea", particularly featured in tourist literature.[7]

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapist Degree Program near Corpus Christi TX

Picking the right physical therapy school is a necessary initial decision you need to make to begin a gratifying career in the health care profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you enroll in should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are other critical questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that numerous factors will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to go to different colleges to see their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following 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 education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Corpus Christi TX.