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

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Degree Program near Merkel 79536

Merkel TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Merkel TX is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the appropriate training and education. A PT must also become licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate those you are thinking about to make certain they will furnish a quality education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is select a school simply because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must 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 is a Physical Therapist?

Merkel TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, such as Merkel TX hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often 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 stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Merkel TX health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone thinking about 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 extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Merkel TX 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 alternatives, the only degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing 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 offered in the Merkel TX area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often offered by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to prepare students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to complete and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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 three years to finish, making the overall investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an important component in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in a number of states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer available in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Merkel TX While not as common as the on campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Merkel TX home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition might be significantly less than comparable on-campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And many 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.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you probably have come to decision regarding some of your preliminary queries, including the type of physical therapist degree you would like to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT schools within the Merkel TX area and across Texas, you’ll need to research additional qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of college options. Also, you need to make certain that you select the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier 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 obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist school and program you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, starting 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 agencies for their reviews also. Call several Merkel TX physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your school options. It may also be prudent 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 School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of significant statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students left due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Merkel TX area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to help students obtain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for Texas or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy colleges you are evaluating have relationships with Merkel TX clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent means to obtain hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help students and graduates develop professional connections in the Merkel healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are researching 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 ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapist school they pick will need to be within driving distance of their Merkel TX home. Students 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. Something to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally 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 Aid Provided? Most DPT colleges provide some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid office and find out what kind of help is offered. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist school you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Merkel TX area, make sure that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Merkel Texas?

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

Merkel, Texas

Around 1870, when the Texas and Pacific Railway was built, the town was founded as Windmill Town. In 1881 it was renamed to Merkel in honor of the first settler in this area, S. M. Merkel from Germany. In 1882 the first mercantile store and in 1883 the first post office opened.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,637 people 1,012 households, and 719 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,342.0 people per square mile (519.5/km²). There were 1,202 housing units at an average density of 611.7 per square mile (236.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.42% White, 1.14% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 6.33% from other races, and 2.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.22% of the population.

There were 1,012 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 still living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.08.

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapy School near Merkel TX

Choosing the ideal physical therapist college is an important first decision you need to make to start a fulfilling career in the health care profession. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are other relevant questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that many variables will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You might decide to go to different campuses to view their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the best choice. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Merkel TX.