Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - River Falls WI

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy Program near River Falls 54022

River Falls WI physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near River Falls WI is a critical first step to launching a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the proper education and training. A PT must also be licensed in every state, 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 necessary to research those you are considering to ensure they will provide a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is select a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be evaluated besides cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

River Falls WI physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying locations, including River Falls WI hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other River Falls WI health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

River Falls WI physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is attainable to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degrees that are offered in the River Falls WI area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually offered by community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to finish and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program must also be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the overall investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an intregal element along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not just 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 offered in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in River Falls WI Although not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist programs available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s River Falls WI home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be significantly lower than similar on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning a few of your initial questions, like the type of physical therapist degree you would like to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are so many PT schools within the River Falls WI area and across Wisconsin, you’ll need to explore other qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of college options. Furthermore, you need to be sure that you pick the college that is ideal for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the schools you are looking at have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As previously 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 enroll in an online school, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT program’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Contact some River Falls 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 recommendations about your program options. It may also be a good idea to contact the Wisconsin Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might suggest that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the River Falls WI area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you choose provides both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Wisconsin or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapist schools you are interested in have relationships with River Falls WI clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent way to receive hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist graduates and students develop professional connections in the River Falls medical community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit way in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they select will have to be within commuting distance of their River Falls WI home. Individuals who have decided to attend classes online naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. 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 may be required 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 colleges offer some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are looking at have a financial assistance office and see what type of aid is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapy school you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the River Falls WI area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near River Falls Wisconsin?

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

River Falls, Wisconsin

River Falls is a city in Pierce and St. Croix counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is adjacent to the Town of River Falls in Pierce County and the Town of Kinnickinnic in St. Croix County. River Falls is the most populous city in Pierce county. The population was 15,000 at the 2010 census, with 11,851 residing in Pierce County, and 3,149 in St. Croix County. It is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and is about 30 miles (48 km) east of the center of that region.[5]

The city's first settlers were Joel Foster and his indentured servant, Dick, in the year 1848.[6] The original village was started as the village of Kinnickinnic in 1854 by brothers Nathaniel N. and Oliver S. Powell who were from St. Lawrence County, New York. At the time, the town and village were also known as "Greenwood" but this was changed, as another Greenwood, Wisconsin already existed.[7] The present name is for the rapids on the Kinnickinnic River.[8]

On June 23, 1893, a lightning bolt hit the center circus pole at a Ringling Brothers circus performance in River Falls, leading to the injuries of more than a dozen audience members and performers and the deaths of seven.[9]

Select the Ideal Physical Therapist School near River Falls WI

Choosing the ideal physical therapist school is a necessary first decision you have to make to launch a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you decide on should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are additional relevant questions that you should ask regarding your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist school, bear in mind that numerous variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might want to visit different campuses to see their facilities and speak to active 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 supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the right selection. And with the proper training and education, you can fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in River Falls WI.