Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Chatham VA

How to Pick a Physical Therapy College near Chatham 24531

Chatham VA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Chatham VA is a critical first step to launching a rewarding career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the proper training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate those you are looking at to ensure they will provide a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is choose a school just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be considered besides cost and location. But before we cover 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Chatham VA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, including Chatham VA private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they design a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Chatham VA health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may 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 getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Chatham VA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees available for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is offered to become 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 short explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Chatham VA area:

Associate Degrees train students to become 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 typically made available by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require 4 years to complete and often incorporate an internship program of at least 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). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the overall commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential component in addition to the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not just 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 phased out and is no longer attainable in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Chatham VA While not as common as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist programs available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online segment of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Chatham VA home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition can be somewhat less than similar 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 may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary questions, including the type of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Chatham VA area and throughout Virginia, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you need to be sure that you select the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential schools these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the programs you are reviewing 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 enroll in an online program, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy school and program you choose are accredited, not just the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Get in touch with a few Chatham VA physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your school options. It might also be a good idea to contact the Virginia Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Chatham VA area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even excellent. It also confirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Virginia or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Offered? Find out if the physical therapist programs you are evaluating have associations with Chatham VA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent way to obtain practical training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist students and graduates establish professional relationships in the Chatham health care community and assist with job placement after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are reviewing 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 decision. This will also give you a chance to converse with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they select will need to be within travelling distance of their Chatham VA home. Individuals who have opted to attend classes online naturally 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 keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of DPT schools supply some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid department and see what kind of aid is offered. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapy school you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Chatham VA area, confirm that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Chatham Virginia?

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

Chatham, Virginia

Chatham is a town in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Pittsylvania County.[3] Chatham's population was 1,338 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Danville, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town was originally called Competition, but the name was changed to Chatham by the Virginia General Assembly on May 1, 1852.[4]

It is the home to the oldest continually used building in Pittsylvania County, once an 18th-century tavern, since turned into a house and now occupied by Chatham Hall faculty. Chatham is the county seat for Pittsylvania County and has held that status since 1777.[5] There is a large U.S. Department of Agriculture office to support farmers in the area and a small branch office of the U.S. Forestry Service. The State of Virginia has built a new state prison at the site of an old work-release camp and this led to infrastructure upgrades in fire and water services to support the increased population.

Chatham did not see any battle action during the Civil War although it is between Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, and Danville, which contained Confederate prisons for captured Union soldiers. On Confederate Memorial Day each year, the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy places flowers at the statue of a Confederate soldier which is prominent in the front of the historic Pittsylvania County Court House. There is a walking tour of this downtown historic district and a brochure for this is available at the Town Hall, or at the Historical Society building next to Town Hall. There are several bed & breakfast establishments located on Main Street in historic Greek Revival homes.

Enroll in the Best Physical Therapy Degree Program near Chatham VA

Selecting the best physical therapist school is an important first decision you must make to launch a rewarding career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you pick should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are additional important questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, keep in mind that numerous variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may want to visit each of the campuses to view their facilities and speak to 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 adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can accomplish your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Chatham VA.