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

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Program near Harrisonburg 22801

Harrisonburg VA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Harrisonburg VA is a critical first step to launching a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the proper education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate those you are looking at to ensure they will provide a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated along with 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 is a Physical Therapist?

Harrisonburg VA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, including Harrisonburg 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 previously mentioned, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Harrisonburg VA medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Harrisonburg VA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for individuals to enroll in 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 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 degrees that are offered in the Harrisonburg VA area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are usually provided by community or junior colleges, and require two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to prepare students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to finish and commonly 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 also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to finish, making the overall investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an important element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in several 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 United States. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Harrisonburg VA Although not as prevalent as the more traditional alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Harrisonburg VA residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be significantly lower than comparable on campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

By now you probably have come to decision regarding a few of your preliminary questions, like the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to attain, 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 Harrisonburg VA area and across Virginia, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of college options. Furthermore, you want to be sure that you enroll in the program that is right for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Ask if the programs you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier 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 select an online program, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Call some Harrisonburg VA physical therapy clinics or other healthcare facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your college options. It may also be a good idea to contact the Virginia Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapy colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Harrisonburg VA area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even exceptional. It also confirms that the college has a large network of contacts to help students get internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Virginia or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Inquire if the physical therapist colleges you are evaluating have associations with Harrisonburg VA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific means to get practical experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist graduates and students develop professional connections in the Harrisonburg healthcare community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a smaller class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are looking at what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with some of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they choose will have to be within travelling distance of their Harrisonburg VA home. Individuals who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to keep 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 often charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? Most DPT colleges offer some type of financial support to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance department and find out what type of assistance is offered. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapy program you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Harrisonburg VA area, verify that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Harrisonburg Virginia?

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

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,914,[6] with a census-estimated 2016 population of 53,078.[7] Harrisonburg is the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham County,[8] although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Harrisonburg with Rockingham County for statistical purposes into the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a 2011 estimated population of 126,562.[9]

Harrisonburg is home to James Madison University (JMU), a public research university with an enrollment of over 20,000 students,[10] and Eastern Mennonite University (EMU), a private, Mennonite-affiliated liberal arts university. Although the city has no historical association with President James Madison, JMU was nonetheless named in his honor as Madison College in 1938 and renamed as James Madison University in 1977.[11] EMU largely owes it existence to the sizable Mennonite population in the Shenandoah Valley, to which many Pennsylvania Dutch settlers arrived beginning in the mid-18th century in search of rich, unsettled farmland.[12]

The city has become a bastion of ethnic and linguistic diversity in recent years. Over 1,900 refugees have been settled in Harrisonburg since 2002.[13] As of 2014, Hispanics or Latinos of any race comprise 19% of the city's population.[14]Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) students speak 55 languages in addition to English, with Spanish, Arabic, and Kurdish being the most common languages spoken.[15] Over one-third of HCPS students are English as a second language (ESL) learners.[16]Language learning software company Rosetta Stone was founded in Harrisonburg in 1992,[17] and the multilingual "Welcome Your Neighbors" yard sign originated in Harrisonburg in 2016.[13]

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapy Training Program near Harrisonburg VA

Deciding on the right physical therapist program is a necessary initial decision you need to make to begin a fulfilling career in the health care profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you select should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. But there are additional critical questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that a number of variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might want to visit different schools to view their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Harrisonburg VA.