Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Lufkin TX

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist College near Lufkin 75901

Lufkin TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Lufkin TX is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the proper training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate those you are considering to make certain they will deliver a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is choose a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be considered along with location and cost. 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 what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Lufkin TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse locations, such as Lufkin TX private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, 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 problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Lufkin TX medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Lufkin TX physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief descriptions of degrees that are available in the Lufkin TX area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often 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 component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to finish and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the total commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal component in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not just 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 USA. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Lufkin TX While not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Lufkin TX residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition can be somewhat less than comparable on campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you most likely have made a decision concerning some of your preliminary questions, like the kind of physical therapy degree you want to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are numerous PT schools within the Lufkin TX area and across Texas, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of college options. Moreover, you need to be sure that you enroll in the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing schools these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. 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 school, it can also obtain 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 simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are several ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Get in touch with several Lufkin TX 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 school options. It may also be prudent to contact the Texas Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of significant statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students left because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Lufkin TX 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 even exceptional. It also affirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria 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) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Offered? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are assessing have relationships with Lufkin TX clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific manner to receive 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 help students and graduates form professional connections in the Lufkin healthcare community and help with job placement after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit way in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching 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 final determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with some of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they select will need to be within commuting distance of their Lufkin TX residence. Students who have opted to attend classes online naturally will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. Something to keep in mind is that if you decide 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 to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT colleges supply some form of financial support to their potential students. Ask if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance office and see what kind of assistance is offered. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist program you finally select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you opt to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Lufkin TX area, confirm that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Lufkin Texas?

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

Lufkin, Texas

Lufkin is a city in and the county seat of Angelina County in eastern Texas, United States.[3] This city is 120 miles (190 km) northeast of Houston. Founded in 1882, the population was 35,837 at the 2017 census.[4]

The city is named for Abraham P. Lufkin, a cotton merchant and Galveston city councilman. Lufkin was the father-in-law of Paul Bremond, president of the Houston, East and West Texas Railway which developed the town.

In 1906 while living in Lufkin, writer Katherine Anne Porter married her first husband John Henry Koontze in a double ring ceremony that also had her sister Gay Porter marry T.H. Holloway. The minister who presided over the ceremony was Rev. Ira Bryce, serving at the time at Lufkin's First Methodist Church.

Enroll in the Best Physical Therapist College near Lufkin TX

Deciding on the best physical therapy program is a necessary first decision you need to make to start a gratifying career in the healthcare profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you pick should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. However there are other critical questions that you need to ask regarding your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that numerous variables will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You might want to visit each of the schools to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school 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 field so you can make the ideal choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Lufkin TX.