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

How to Pick a Physical Therapist School near Vidor 77662

Vidor TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Vidor TX is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled due to illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the proper training and education. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to ensure they will deliver a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered in addition to location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Vidor TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of locations, including Vidor 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 the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they develop a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop 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
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Vidor TX health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Vidor TX physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degree levels that are available in the Vidor TX area:

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are typically provided by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training 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 important first step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 4 years to finish and usually incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a practicing licensed 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 three years to complete, making the total investment of time 7 years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal component along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment 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 replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer offered in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Vidor TX While not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online segment of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Vidor TX residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition might be somewhat less than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you probably have come to decision regarding some of your initial questions, like the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Vidor TX area and throughout Texas, you’ll have to explore other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college options. Also, you need to make certain that you pick the program that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy schools you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the programs you are looking at have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As previously 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 may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist school and program you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact several Vidor TX physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your college selections. It might also be prudent to contact the Texas Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

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 reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Vidor TX area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also affirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you choose furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Texas or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapy colleges you are interested in have relationships with Vidor TX hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great way to get hands on training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may help graduates and students form professional connections in the Vidor medical community and help with job placement after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they pick will have to be within driving distance of their Vidor TX residence. Those who have opted to attend classes online naturally will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? The majority of DPT colleges provide some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial assistance department and see what type of help is available. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapist program you ultimately pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Vidor TX area, make sure that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Vidor Texas?

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

Vidor, Texas

Vidor (/ˈvaɪdər/ VY-dər) is a city in western Orange County, Texas, United States. A city of Southeast Texas, it lies at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Farm to Market Road 105, six miles east of Beaumont. The town is mainly a bedroom community for the nearby refining complexes in Beaumont and Port Arthur and is part of the Beaumont-Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 10,579 at the 2010 census.

The area was heavily logged after the construction of the Texarkana and Fort Smith Railway that was later part of a line that ran from Kansas City to Port Arthur, Texas. The city was named after lumberman Charles Shelton Vidor, owner of the Miller-Vidor Lumber Company and father of director King Vidor. By 1909 the Vidor community had a post office and four years later a company tram road was built. Almost all Vidor residents worked for the company. In 1924 the Miller-Vidor Lumber Company moved to Lakeview, just north of Vidor, in search of virgin timber. A small settlement remained and the Miller-Vidor subdivision was laid out in 1929.

Vidor was known as a "sundown town," where African Americans were not allowed after sunset; it was long considered a haven for the Ku Klux Klan. In 1993, after the U.S. federal government attempted to bring African Americans into Vidor's public housing, the Klan held a march in the community, prompting African American families to move out within a matter of months.[1]

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapist Degree Program near Vidor TX

Choosing the ideal physical therapy program is a necessary first decision you must make to begin a rewarding career in the healthcare profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you pick should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are additional important questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapist school, bear in mind that many factors will guide you to your final decision. You may decide to go to different colleges to view their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Vidor TX.