Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Arlington WI

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist School near Arlington 53911

Arlington WI physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Arlington WI is an essential first step to starting a rewarding career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the proper training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate the ones you are considering to make certain they will supply a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is choose a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated along with cost and location. 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 is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Arlington WI physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying locations, including Arlington WI hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any advancement of the disability. Although 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.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Arlington WI medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

Arlington WI physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short explanations of degrees that are available in the Arlington WI 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 obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are typically made available by community colleges, and take about two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to prep candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to complete and commonly include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program must also 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 7 years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an important element in addition to the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in a number of 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 phased out and is no longer available in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Colleges Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Arlington WI Although not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs offered, more so 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 necessitates that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online part of the course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Arlington WI home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition can be significantly less than comparable on-campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning some of your initial questions, including the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT colleges within the Arlington WI area and throughout Wisconsin, you’ll need to research additional qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to make sure that you select the program that is ideal for you. That’s why we have put together a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Ask if the programs you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. 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 enroll in an online school, it may 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. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Call some Arlington WI physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your program options. It may also be prudent to check with the Wisconsin Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two useful statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students left because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After 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 Arlington WI area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or even exceptional. It also confirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you select provides both superior training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for Wisconsin 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 therapy program. While licensing requirements differ 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 additional tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have associations with Arlington WI clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to get practical training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may assist graduates and students form professional connections in the Arlington medical community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of student that likes to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are researching what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they pick will have to be within commuting distance of their Arlington WI home. Students who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to keep in mind 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 commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT colleges supply some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid office and find out what type of help is available. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapist school you ultimately choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Arlington WI area, check that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Arlington Wisconsin?

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

Arlington, Wisconsin

Arlington is a village in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 819 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Arlington. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 819 people, 317 households, and 233 families residing in the village. The population density was 810.9 inhabitants per square mile (313.1/km2). There were 330 housing units at an average density of 326.7 per square mile (126.1/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.3% White, 1.2% African American, 0.5% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 317 households of which 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 26.5% were non-families. 17.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.95.

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapy School near Arlington WI

Selecting the ideal physical therapy school is a necessary first decision you must make to begin a gratifying career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you select should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy college, keep in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your final decision. You might want to go to each of the colleges to see their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me achieve 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 ideal selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Arlington WI.