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

How to Choose a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Stanardsville 22973

Stanardsville VA physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Stanardsville VA is an important first step to starting a rewarding career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must 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 before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research the ones you are looking at to ensure they will furnish a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is enroll in a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has cheapest 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 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?

Stanardsville VA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, such as Stanardsville VA hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Stanardsville VA medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with 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 often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

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

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are typically made available by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 4 years to finish 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 finish, making the overall investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential component along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

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 United States. A number of 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 implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Stanardsville VA Although not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs available, more so 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 a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Stanardsville VA residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition may be significantly lower than similar on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you most likely have made a decision concerning a few of your preliminary queries, such as the type of physical therapy degree you would like to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Stanardsville VA area and throughout Virginia, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to be sure that you enroll in the college that is right for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist programs you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential schools these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have received accreditation from a regional or a national 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 enroll in an online program, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Call several Stanardsville VA physical therapist centers or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your college selections. It might also be a good idea to check with the Virginia Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two significant statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapist programs you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Stanardsville VA area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or perhaps excellent. It also affirms that the program has a broad network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in provides both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Virginia or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy schools you are evaluating have partnerships with Stanardsville VA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent way to obtain practical experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may assist students and graduates develop professional connections in the Stanardsville healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they decide on will have to be within driving distance of their Stanardsville VA residence. Students who have decided 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 importance. Something to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT colleges supply some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department and find out what kind of assistance is offered. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapy school you finally choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Stanardsville VA area, make sure that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Stanardsville Virginia?

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

Stanardsville, Virginia

Stanardsville is a town in Greene County, Virginia, United States. The population was 367 at the 2010 census,[3] down from 476 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Greene County.[4] The name is from Robert Stanard, a benefactor who donated land for public use. It is part of the Charlottesville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Stanardsville is named for Stanard family, landholders who surveyed the first lots for the town in 1794.[5] In 1838, Greene County was created from land previously contained within Orange County and Stanardsville was selected as the county seat.[6]

Stanardsville is located in central Greene County at 38°17′49″N 78°26′22″W / 38.29694°N 78.43944°W / 38.29694; -78.43944 (38.296852, -78.439367),[8] at the eastern foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. U.S. Route 33 passes just south of the town, leading southeast 6 miles (10 km) to U.S. Route 29 at Ruckersville and northwest 8 miles (13 km) to Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. State Highway 230 terminates at Business US 33 in the center of Stanardsville and leads northeast 11 miles (18 km) to US 29 near Madison.

Choose the Right Physical Therapist Degree Program near Stanardsville VA

Picking the ideal physical therapist program is an important first decision you must make to start a gratifying career in the healthcare field. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you decide on should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are additional important questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that a number of factors will lead you to your final decision. You might want to go to different campuses to view their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental 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 achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Stanardsville VA.