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

How to Select a Physical Therapy School near Rubicon 53078

Rubicon WI physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Rubicon WI is an essential first step to launching a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled due to illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the proper education and training. A PT must also be licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research the ones you are looking at to make certain they will furnish a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered along with location and cost. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Rubicon WI physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, including Rubicon WI private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent 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
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Rubicon WI medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Rubicon WI physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the single degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short descriptions of degree levels that are available in the Rubicon WI area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are most often provided by junior or community colleges, and require two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to complete and often incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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 total commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in several 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 offered in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Rubicon WI Although not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online part of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Rubicon WI residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat lower than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you most likely have come to decision regarding a few of your preliminary questions, such as the type of physical therapy degree you intend to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Rubicon WI area and throughout Wisconsin, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Moreover, you want to make sure that you pick the school that is right for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist programs you are considering. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are considering have received 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 choose an online school, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative 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. Along with ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school 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 can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with a few Rubicon WI physical therapist centers or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your program options. It might also be a good idea to check with the Wisconsin Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapy colleges you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Rubicon WI area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or perhaps excellent. It also confirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for Wisconsin or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapist schools you are interested in have associations with Rubicon WI clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific way to obtain hands on training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist graduates and students form professional connections in the Rubicon medical community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak 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 many students, the physical therapy college they select will have to be within travelling distance of their Rubicon WI residence. Students who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern 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 decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most DPT schools supply some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are considering have a financial aid office and find out what type of assistance is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist program you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Rubicon 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, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Rubicon Wisconsin?

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

Rubicon, Wisconsin

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 34.9 square miles (90.5 km²), of which, 34.5 square miles (89.4 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.1 km²) of it (1.17%) is water.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 2,005 people, 662 households, and 544 families residing in the town. The population density was 58.1 people per square mile (22.4/km²). There were 680 housing units at an average density of 19.7 per square mile (7.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.70% White, 0.15% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.

There were 662 households out of which 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.9% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.8% were non-families. 13.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.35.

Pick the Best Physical Therapy School near Rubicon WI

Deciding on the right physical therapy program is a necessary first decision you must make to launch a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT 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 concerning your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that a number of variables will guide you to your final decision. You might decide to visit different colleges to see their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important 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 have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the proper training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Rubicon WI.