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

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist College near Lumberton 77657

Lumberton TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Lumberton TX is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the necessary 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 enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to research the ones you are thinking about to make sure they will deliver a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered besides 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 the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Lumberton TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, such as Lumberton TX 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 stated, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Lumberton TX medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering going into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Lumberton TX physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees available for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is attainable to practice as 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 short descriptions of degrees that are available in the Lumberton TX area:

Associate Degrees educate students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are most often made available by community colleges, and require two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education 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 important initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require 4 years to finish and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program must also be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only 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 attainable in the USA. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Lumberton TX Although not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, even more 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 necessitates that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Lumberton TX residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition might be significantly less than comparable on-campus options, and expenses 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 alternative the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, including the type of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Lumberton TX area and throughout Texas, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Also, you want to be sure that you pick the program that is best for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. 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 program, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Get in touch with several Lumberton TX physical therapist centers or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your program selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Texas Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Lumberton TX area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you choose furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements 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) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Offered? Inquire if the physical therapist programs you are assessing have associations with Lumberton TX hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific means to get practical experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist graduates and students form professional connections in the Lumberton 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 probably prefer a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with a few of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they pick will have to be within commuting distance of their Lumberton TX home. Individuals who have opted to attend classes online obviously 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 program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly 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 Support Provided? The majority of DPT schools provide some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and see what type of aid is obtainable. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist program you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Lumberton TX area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option 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 may miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Lumberton Texas?

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

Lumberton, Texas

Lumberton is a city in Hardin County, Texas, United States. The population was 11,943 at the 2010 census,[3] up from 8,731 at the 2000 census. Lumberton is the home of Village Creek State Park. The city is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area.

Lumberton is located in southeastern Hardin County at 30°15′50″N 94°12′7″W / 30.26389°N 94.20194°W / 30.26389; -94.20194 (30.263896, -94.201918).[4] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.4 square miles (34.7 km2), of which 13.3 square miles (34.4 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.77%, are water.[3] The eastern border of the city is Village Creek, a southeast-flowing tributary of the Neches River.

The Eastex Freeway (comprising US 69, 96, and US 287) runs north from Beaumont to the southern border of Lumberton, where it splits into two separate highways, both running north to south, with Highway 96 in the eastern portion of the city and Highways 69 and 287 in the western portion. The two highways house the majority of the commercial development on the city. US 96 leads north-northeast 7 miles (11 km) to Silsbee, while Highway 69/287 leads northwest 11 miles (18 km) to Kountze, the Hardin County seat. Beaumont is 12 miles (19 km) to the south.

Enroll in the Best Physical Therapist Training Program near Lumberton TX

Choosing the best physical therapy program is an important initial decision you need to make to launch a rewarding career in the healthcare field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you enroll in should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are additional important questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that a number of factors will guide you toward your final decision. You may want to go to each of the colleges to see their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Lumberton TX.