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

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Dousman 53118

Dousman WI physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Dousman WI is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled as a result of illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the proper 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 choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to research the ones you are thinking about to make sure they will provide a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is enroll in 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 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Dousman WI physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse locations, such as Dousman WI hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Dousman WI medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Dousman WI physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is attainable to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief explanations of degree levels that are available in the Dousman WI area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often provided by community or junior colleges, and require two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to ready students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to complete and usually include 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 complete, making the overall commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in several 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 phased out and is no longer attainable in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Dousman WI While not as prevalent as the on campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist programs available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Dousman WI home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on-campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning several of your initial questions, including the type of physical therapist degree you want to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Dousman WI area and throughout Wisconsin, you’ll have to research other qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Furthermore, you need to be sure that you select the school that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapy schools you are considering. Ask each of the competing schools these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. 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 select an online college, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT program’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with some Dousman WI physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your school options. It might also be prudent to contact the Wisconsin Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two useful statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapist schools you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction 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 school’s job placement program, particularly in the Dousman WI area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care community is good or perhaps excellent. It also confirms that the college has a large network of contacts to assist students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for Wisconsin or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to 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 amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapist programs you are reviewing have associations with Dousman WI clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent manner to get practical training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Dousman health care community and help with job placement once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit way in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely prefer a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering what the average 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 an opportunity to converse with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapist school they decide on will have to be within driving distance of their Dousman WI residence. Those who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT schools offer some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department and see what type of assistance is available. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapy program you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you opt to continue working while you attend classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Dousman WI area, verify that they are available. 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 enroll in. Also, learn 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 Dousman Wisconsin?

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

Dousman, Wisconsin

A post office called Dousman has been in operation since 1856.[7] Founded in 1881, the village was named for Talbot C. Dousman, a local farmer and businessman who helped bring the Chicago and North Western railroad to the area.[8][9] The village was incorporated in 1917.[9]

The village was at one time[when?] called "Bullfrog Station" because of the numerous bullfrogs in the area. The local baseball team is still called the Dousman Frogs and an annual frog jumping competition takes place during Dousman's Derby Days.[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.68 square miles (6.94 km2), of which, 2.58 square miles (6.68 km2) of it is land and 0.10 square miles (0.26 km2) is water.[2]

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Dousman WI

Deciding on the ideal physical therapy school is a necessary first decision you have to make to launch a gratifying career in the health care field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you select should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. However there are additional relevant questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that numerous variables will lead you to your final decision. You might decide to visit different campuses to view their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me achieve my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal selection. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Dousman WI.