Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Dripping Springs TX

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Degree Program near Dripping Springs 78620

Dripping Springs TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Dripping Springs TX is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled due to illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the necessary training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate the ones you are considering to ensure they will furnish a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a school just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered in addition to cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Dripping Springs TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse settings, including Dripping Springs TX private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers 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 earlier mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Dripping Springs TX medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, 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 bear in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Dripping Springs TX physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is available to become 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 Dripping Springs TX area:

Associate Degrees train students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often provided by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy training to ready candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to finish and often incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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 the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential component in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not solely 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 eliminated and is no longer offered in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Dripping Springs TX While not as common as the more traditional options, 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, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Dripping Springs TX residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition might be somewhat lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you probably have come to decision concerning several of your initial queries, including the type of physical therapist degree you would like to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT colleges within the Dripping Springs TX area and throughout Texas, you’ll need to research additional qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of college options. Moreover, you want to make certain that you enroll in the college that is ideal for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are considering. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the schools you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online school, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Contact a few Dripping Springs TX physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your school options. It may 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 Percentage? There are a two relevant statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Dripping Springs TX area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even exceptional. It also verifies that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you select provides both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Texas or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Inquire if the physical therapist schools you are evaluating have relationships with Dripping Springs TX hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific means to get 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 may help graduates and students form professional relationships in the Dripping Springs medical community and assist with job placement after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit way in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely prefer a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they select will have to be within commuting distance of their Dripping Springs TX residence. Individuals who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble 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 choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? Most DPT schools provide some form of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid office and find out what type of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapy college you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Dripping Springs TX area, make sure that they are offered. 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 enroll in. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Dripping Springs Texas?

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

Dripping Springs, Texas

Dripping Springs is in northern Hays County at 30°11′31″N 98°05′07″W / 30.191998°N 98.085382°W / 30.191998; -98.085382 (30.191998, -98.085382).[6] It is on U.S. Route 290, which leads east 23 miles (37 km) to Austin and west 24 miles (39 km) to Johnson City.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10.0 km2), all land.[4] Most of the city drains southwest to Onion Creek, an east-flowing tributary of the Colorado River.

The city is served by the Dripping Springs Independent School District.[7][8] The city has one high school, two middle schools, and four elementary schools. The district is classified as 5A currently. The area is also served by the Pinnacle Campus of Austin Community College.[9]

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapy School near Dripping Springs TX

Picking the ideal physical therapist program is a necessary initial decision you need to make to begin a fulfilling career in the health care field. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you enroll in should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are additional critical questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy program, bear in mind that numerous variables will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You might decide to go to different campuses to see their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me achieve my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Dripping Springs TX.