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

How to Choose a Physical Therapy Training Program near Irvington 22480

Irvington VA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Irvington VA is an important first step to starting a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the necessary education and training. A PT must also be licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate those you are looking at to make sure they will furnish a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be considered along with location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Irvington VA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, including Irvington VA private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Irvington VA health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about going 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 prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Irvington VA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options available for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Irvington VA 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 obtained a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often offered by community or junior colleges, and take about two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a component of the curriculum.
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 eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to complete and usually include an internship program of a minimum of 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the total commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential component along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in some states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has taken the place of the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer available in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Irvington VA Although not as common as the more traditional 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 combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Irvington VA residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition may be somewhat lower than similar on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning a few of your initial queries, like the type of physical therapy degree you would like to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Irvington VA area and throughout Virginia, you’ll need to look into other qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Also, you want to be sure that you pick the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask each of the potential schools these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the schools you are reviewing have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As previously 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 can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are several ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Get in touch with some Irvington VA physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your school selections. It might also be prudent 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 School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of important statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Irvington VA area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care community is good or even exceptional. It also confirms that the program has a large network of contacts to assist students gain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that supports 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) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Ask if the physical therapist schools you are reviewing have relationships with Irvington VA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to get practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may help students and graduates form professional connections in the Irvington health care community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are researching what the average student to teacher 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 an opportunity to talk with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapist school they pick will need to be within travelling distance of their Irvington VA home. Those who have chosen 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 concern. Something to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps 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 typically charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? Most DPT schools offer some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office and see what kind of help is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapist school you ultimately pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Irvington VA area, verify that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Irvington Virginia?

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

Irvington, Virginia

Irvington is a town in Lancaster County, Virginia, United States. The population was 673 at the 2000 census and it is located on a peninsula of land known as the Northern Neck. It is the name also of a historic district.

The original Chesapeake Academy, 1889–1907, was located in Irvington. One of its graduates, Claybrook Cottingham, was later its assistant principal and subsequently in his long academic career the president of both Louisiana College in Pineville and Louisiana Tech University in Ruston.[3]

The historic district, Irvington, also known as Carters Creek, is a 1,107.2-acre (448.1 ha) area that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. In 2000, it included 149 contributing buildings, 3 contributing sites and one other contributing structure.[4]

Select the Best Physical Therapist College near Irvington VA

Choosing the right physical therapist college is an important initial decision you have to make to launch a rewarding career in the healthcare profession. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you enroll in should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are additional relevant questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that numerous variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might decide to visit each of the campuses to view their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me achieve my goal of becoming a licensed practicing 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 appropriate selection. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Irvington VA.