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

How to Pick a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Somerset 54025

Somerset WI physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Somerset WI is an essential first step to starting a fulfilling career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the necessary 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 prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to make certain they will provide a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be considered besides cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Somerset WI physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, including Somerset WI private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Somerset WI medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to keep in mind 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 prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Somerset WI physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees offered for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief summaries of degrees that are available in the Somerset WI area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by junior or community colleges, and require two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to prep candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and commonly incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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 finish, making the overall investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an important element along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in some 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 eliminated and is no longer attainable in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Somerset WI While not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees 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 an available internship. However, the online segment of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Somerset WI residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition may be somewhat lower than comparable on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you most likely have made a decision regarding some of your preliminary questions, like the type of physical therapy degree you intend to attain, 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 Somerset WI area and throughout Wisconsin, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of college options. Also, you need to make certain that you enroll in the school that is best for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional 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 choose an online school, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist program and school you enroll in 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 a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning 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 agencies for their reviews as well. Call several Somerset WI physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your program selections. It might also be prudent to contact the Wisconsin Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two important statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students left 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 college’s job placement program, particularly in the Somerset WI area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps excellent. It also affirms that the school has a large network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the college you select 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 required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing have associations with Somerset WI clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific means to receive hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Somerset medical community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching what the typical 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 a chance to talk with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they pick will need to be within commuting distance of their Somerset WI residence. Students who have chosen to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. One thing to keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT colleges provide some form of financial support to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have a financial assistance department and see what type of assistance is available. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapy program you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Somerset WI area, make certain 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 carry. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Somerset Wisconsin?

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

Somerset, Wisconsin

Somerset was named by General Samuel Harriman after his father's home of Somerset, England.[6] Somerset has a lengthy and colorful history. Before the turn of the century Somerset was bordered on the south by cranberry bogs. The terrain naturally lent itself to the production of cranberries as a result of the hilliness of the area, which is dotted with ponds, sloughs, swamps and bogs. These wet areas became of greater interest to the local population during Prohibition. These same low spots where water collected became ideal for collecting water for the production of moonshine (homemade alcoholic beverages). Indeed, Somerset already had a history of being a rough logging town, and it was only a natural progression to become the supplier of bootlegged alcohol to the twin cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. After Prohibition ended, the citizens of Somerset returned to the more humble activities of logging and farming.

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 2,635 people, 990 households, and 654 families residing in the village. The population density was 958.2 inhabitants per square mile (370.0/km2). There were 1,102 housing units at an average density of 400.7 per square mile (154.7/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 93.1% White, 1.0% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 2.0% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.1% of the population.

There were 990 households of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.9% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.15.

Choose the Right Physical Therapist College near Somerset WI

Picking the ideal physical therapist college is a necessary initial decision you must make to start a rewarding career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you enroll in should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. However there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that many variables will lead you to your final decision. You may want to visit different schools to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me accomplish 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 best choice. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Somerset WI.