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

How to Pick a Physical Therapist College near Hortonville 54944

Hortonville WI physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Hortonville WI is an essential first step to launching a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled as a result of illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the proper education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are looking at to make sure they will deliver a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is choose a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered besides location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Hortonville WI physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse settings, such as Hortonville WI hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce 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
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Hortonville WI medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Hortonville WI physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options offered 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 training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degrees that are offered in the Hortonville WI area:

Associate Degrees train students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by community or junior colleges, and require two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to ready students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 4 years to finish and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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 three years to complete, making the total commitment seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an important component along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not just 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 eliminated and is no longer attainable 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 existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Hortonville WI While not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Hortonville WI residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be significantly less than comparable on-campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning some of your preliminary queries, such as the type of physical therapy degree you want to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Hortonville WI area and across Wisconsin, you’ll need to explore other qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Moreover, you need to be sure that you enroll in the school that is best for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. Ask all of the potential schools these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are reviewing have received accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously stated, 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 can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with 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 College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact a few Hortonville WI physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your program options. It might also be prudent to contact the Wisconsin 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 relevant statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapist schools you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Hortonville WI area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also verifies that the program has a large network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the college you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Wisconsin or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy programs you are evaluating have associations with Hortonville WI hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great way to get practical experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help graduates and students develop professional connections in the Hortonville healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Small classes enable 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 classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they choose will need to be within travelling distance of their Hortonville WI residence. Those who have chosen to attend online classes naturally will not have to worry 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 decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of DPT schools supply some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Inquire if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department and see what type of help is available. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapy school you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Hortonville WI area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Hortonville Wisconsin?

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

Hortonville, Wisconsin

The village was founded in 1848 by landowner Alonzo Horton. One of Horton's first priorities was to dam Black Otter Creek, creating the 75-acre (300,000 m2) Black Otter Lake. After laying out a plat for the community and encouraging development by giving much of the land away, Horton was swayed westward by the California Gold Rush. He later developed the city of San Diego, California.[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.55 square miles (9.19 km2), of which, 3.47 square miles (8.99 km2) of it is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) is water.[10]

The community is located on the shores of the 75-acre (300,000 m2) Black Otter Lake. It is drained by Black Otter Creek, which flows into the Wolf River just north of the village. The total watershed for the lake is estimated to be 16 square miles (41 km2).[11]

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Hortonville WI

Selecting the ideal physical therapy college is an important initial decision you need to make to begin a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you select should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. But there are additional important questions that you need to ask regarding your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that a number of variables will lead you to your final decision. You might want to visit each of the colleges to view their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me realize my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal selection. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Hortonville WI.