Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Federal Way WA

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Program near Federal Way 98003

Federal Way WA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Federal Way WA is an essential first step to starting a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to research those you are looking at to make sure they will furnish a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is choose a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated along with location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Federal Way WA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, including Federal Way WA private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Federal Way WA medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Federal Way WA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is available to practice as 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 brief explanations of degrees that are offered in the Federal Way WA area:

Associate Degrees educate students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often offered by community colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral initial step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to finish and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement in order to become a licensed practicing 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 overall commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an important element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab 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 practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Federal Way WA Although not as prevalent as the more traditional alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist programs available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Federal Way WA residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition may be significantly lower than similar on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

At this point you probably have come to decision regarding some of your preliminary queries, like the kind of physical therapy degree you want to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Federal Way WA area and across Washington, you’ll need to research additional qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of college options. Furthermore, you need to make sure that you choose the college that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential schools these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the programs you are looking at have received accreditation from a regional or a national 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 select an online college, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Along with ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation may 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 important that the college and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Get in touch with a few Federal Way WA 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 program selections. It might also be prudent to check with the Washington Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two useful statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy programs you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Federal Way WA area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even exceptional. It also confirms that the school has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you choose furnishes both superior training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Washington or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is needed 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 PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Inquire if the physical therapist programs you are interested in have associations with Federal Way WA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific way to obtain hands on training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist students and graduates develop professional connections in the Federal Way healthcare community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit way in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they decide on will have to be within driving distance of their Federal Way WA residence. Students who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you choose 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 generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? The majority of DPT colleges offer some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department and see what kind of help is available. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapist school you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Federal Way WA area, make sure 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 carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Federal Way Washington?

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

Federal Way, Washington

Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is a coastal city within the Seattle metropolitan area. Its southwestern boundary is NE Tacoma Puget Sound, to the south is the cities of Milton, then Fife, then Tacoma. It is bordered by Des Moines and Kent on the northeast, Auburn as well as the town of Lakeland North and Lakeland South in unincorporated King County on the east, Milton on the south, and Tacoma as well as Fife Heights and Dash Point in unincorporated Pierce County on the southwest. The population was 95,171 at the 2015 United States Census.[5] Federal Way is currently the 9th largest city in Washington State and the 5th largest in King County, according to the Census Bureau's 2015 population estimate.[3]

Originally a logging settlement, the area was first called "Federal Way" in 1929.[6] The name derived from Federal Highway U.S. 99 (now State Route 99 or Pacific Highway South), which ran from Everett and Seattle to Tacoma.[6] The name Federal Way was first used in 1929 when five existing schools consolidated operations into School District #210 and planned construction of Federal Way High School which opened in 1930 and gave its name to the school district.[7] The local Chamber of Commerce adopted the name in the early 1950s.[8]

Attempts to incorporate the city were voted down in 1971, 1981 and 1985.[9] The voters eventually approved incorporation as a city on February 28, 1990;[8] the official act of incorporation was held at the Sportsworld Lanes bowling complex.[9]

Pick the Best Physical Therapy College near Federal Way WA

Choosing the best physical therapist program is a necessary first decision you must make to launch a fulfilling career in the medical profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you select should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. But there are additional important questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy program, bear in mind that numerous variables will lead you toward your final decision. You may want to go to different colleges to see their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the right choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Federal Way WA.