Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Southworth WA

How to Pick a Physical Therapy Program near Southworth 98386

Southworth WA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Southworth WA is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the necessary education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate the ones you are considering to ensure they will furnish a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is select a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be evaluated besides 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Southworth WA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse locations, such as Southworth WA private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Southworth WA medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite 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 Degree Options

Southworth WA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy 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 target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degrees that are available in the Southworth WA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to prepare candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to complete and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want 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 three years to complete, making the overall investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only 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 eliminated 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 present licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Southworth WA Although not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online part of the program may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Southworth WA home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be significantly lower than similar on campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number 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 attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you probably have made a decision concerning a few of your preliminary queries, like the type of physical therapist degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT schools within the Southworth WA area and throughout Washington, you’ll need to research other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college options. Moreover, you want to make sure that you choose the college that is ideal for you. That’s why we have collected a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the schools you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you enroll in an online school, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy school and program you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Call a few Southworth WA physical therapist 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 program options. It might also be a good idea to contact the Washington Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two useful statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Southworth WA area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the program has a wide network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you choose furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Washington or the state where you will be working. 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 program. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Ask if the physical therapy colleges you are interested in have associations with Southworth WA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific means to get hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may assist students and graduates establish professional connections in the Southworth healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are researching what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy school they pick will need to be within commuting distance of their Southworth WA home. Students who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry 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 college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most DPT schools offer some type of financial support to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office and see what kind of aid is offered. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist program you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Southworth WA area, verify that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative 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 because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Southworth Washington?

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

Southworth, Washington

Southworth is a census-designated place (CDP) on Puget Sound in Kitsap County, Washington, United States.[1] It is best known for being the west end of the Fauntleroy-Vashon Island-Southworth Washington State Ferries run. Landmarks include Southworth Grocery, a US Post Office, ferry terminal, clay cliffs and a private beach on the point. Next to the ferry is also a popular place to launch kayaks for trips to nearby Blake Island. The population was 2,185 at the 2010 census.

Choose the Best Physical Therapy School near Southworth WA

Picking the ideal physical therapy school is a necessary first decision you need to make to launch a gratifying career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you enroll in should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are additional important questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, keep in mind that a number of factors will guide you toward your final decision. You might want to go to each of the colleges to view their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Southworth WA.