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

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Stafford 77477

Stafford TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Stafford TX is an important first step to starting a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated as a result of injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the necessary training and education. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to research the ones you are considering to make sure they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered in addition to cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Stafford TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, including Stafford TX private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Stafford TX health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather 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

Stafford TX physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options available for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, 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 preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Stafford TX area:

Associate Degrees train students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are typically provided by community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist training to ready candidates to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take four years to finish and often include an internship program of at least 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 complete, making the total commitment seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an important component in addition to the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer available in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Stafford TX Although not as prevalent as the on-campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Stafford TX residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be somewhat lower than comparable on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you most likely have come to decision concerning several of your preliminary questions, like the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT schools within the Stafford TX area and throughout Texas, you’ll have to look into other qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of college options. Furthermore, you need to be sure that you pick the college that is right for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Ask if the programs you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online program, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Contact several Stafford TX physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your program 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 filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy colleges you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students left due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Stafford TX area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even outstanding. It also affirms that the college has a large network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you select provides both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Texas or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Ask if the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing have relationships with Stafford TX hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent means to obtain practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may assist students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Stafford health care community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with some of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Stafford TX home. Students who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry 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 decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most DPT schools offer some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office and find out what type of help is offered. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapist school you finally choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you choose to continue working while you attend classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Stafford TX area, check that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Stafford Texas?

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

Stafford, Texas

Stafford is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. The city is mostly in Fort Bend County, with a small portion in Harris County. As of the 2010 census, Stafford's population was 17,693,[3] up from 15,681 at the 2000 census. As of 2018 the population had risen to an estimated 21,265.[4]

William Stafford established a plantation with a cane mill and a horse-powered cotton gin in 1830. On April 15, 1836, during the Texas Revolution, the forces of Antonio López de Santa Anna stopped at Stafford's plantation and ordered it to be burned. Stafford rebuilt his plantation and resided there until his 1840 death. A settlement called "Stafford's Point" established itself around the plantation; it became a townsite in August 1853 when the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway began stopping there. Stafford's Point had a post office from 1854 to 1869. "Staffordville" had a post office from January 5, 1869 to February 26, 1869. The settlement, now known as "Stafford", operated a post office from 1869 to 1918; the post office reopened in 1929.[5]

In 1884, Stafford had 50 residents, two general stores, and a grocer. By 1896, the settlement had a population of 300. By 1914, the population fell to 100. In 1931, 320 people lived in Stafford. This increased to 400 residents in 1946. Stafford incorporated as a city in 1956.[5]

Pick the Best Physical Therapist Training Program near Stafford TX

Picking the right physical therapist school is a necessary first decision you have to make to start a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are additional critical questions that you need to ask concerning your college of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that a number of variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit each of the campuses to see their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me reach 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 appropriate choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Stafford TX.