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

How to Choose a Physical Therapy Training Program near Lovingston 22949

Lovingston VA physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Lovingston VA is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled due to illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the appropriate education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate the ones you are looking at to make certain they will supply a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is select a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be evaluated along with cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Lovingston VA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse settings, including Lovingston VA hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Lovingston VA health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about going into 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 extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Lovingston VA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options offered for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the one degree that is offered 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. Below are brief descriptions of degrees that are offered in the Lovingston VA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often offered by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take four years to finish and commonly incorporate an internship program of at least 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 overall commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal component along with the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently 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 replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer available in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Lovingston VA Although not as common as the more traditional options, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, even more 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 school campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Lovingston VA residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition might be significantly lower than similar on-campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you most likely have made a decision regarding a few of your initial queries, like the kind of physical therapist degree you want to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT schools within the Lovingston VA area and across Virginia, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school options. Furthermore, you want to be sure that you enroll in the program that is right 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 thinking about. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are reviewing have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier mentioned, 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 may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can look into a PT school’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 also. Get in touch with some Lovingston VA physical therapy clinics or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your program options. It may also be a good idea to check with the Virginia Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two important statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students left due to displeasure 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 college’s job placement program, particularly in the Lovingston VA area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also affirms that the school has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you choose provides both superior training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Virginia or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy schools you are assessing have relationships with Lovingston VA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent manner to get hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help graduates and students establish professional connections in the Lovingston health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they pick will need to be within commuting distance of their Lovingston VA home. Those who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? Most DPT schools supply some type of financial support to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance office and find out what type of help is offered. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapy school you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Lovingston VA area, confirm that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Lovingston Virginia?

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

Lovingston, Virginia

Lovingston is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Nelson County, Virginia, United States.[1] The population as of the 2010 Census was 520.[2] Its ZIP Code is 22949. It was among the communities severely affected by flash flooding from Hurricane Camille in 1969.[3]

The town was formed in 1807 and has been the county seat of Nelson County since 1809 when the courthouse was built in the center of town. The original 30-acre parcel of land on which the town sits was given by the Loving family, a very influential family over the years of the town's history. The town is dominated by the courthouse in the center of town with a grid pattern of streets surrounding it. Front, Second and Spring streets (which is now Route 29) run in a north-south direction while Main and Pleasant streets run in an east-west direction. The layout of the town was designed by George W. Varnum and the original design is still present today with very few alterations.

The courthouse is a significant marker of Lovingston's history as a courthouse town. It was the first public building built after the town's formation in 1807, and expansions have enabled it to remain in use to the present. Notable buildings in the square include the Whitehead Law office, the First Clerk's office, and the original jail that was based on a design from Thomas Jefferson.

Select the Right Physical Therapy Training Program near Lovingston VA

Choosing the ideal physical therapist school is a necessary initial decision you must make to start a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you pick should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapist school, bear in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit each of the colleges to view their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me realize my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the best choice. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Lovingston VA.