Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Gillette WY

How to Choose a Physical Therapist School near Gillette 82716

Gillette WY physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Gillette WY is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the necessary training and education. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate the ones you are looking at to make sure they will supply a quality education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college simply 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 in addition to location and cost. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Gillette WY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, such as Gillette WY private practices, hospitals, 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 mentioned, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Gillette WY medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, 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 Therapist Degrees

Gillette WY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degrees that are available in the Gillette WY area:

Associate Degrees educate students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are typically offered by community or junior colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to finish and often incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want 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 total investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in a number of states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer available in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Gillette WY While not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Gillette WY residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you most likely have come to decision regarding several of your preliminary queries, like the type of physical therapist degree you would like to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Gillette WY area and across Wyoming, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to make sure that you pick the school that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the programs you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online college, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Get in touch with a few Gillette WY 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 prudent to check with the Wyoming Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist colleges you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Gillette WY area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the school has a large network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Wyoming 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 therapist school. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Offered? Ask if the physical therapist schools you are evaluating have associations with Gillette WY hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great way to obtain hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Gillette health care community and assist with job placement once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit way in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with a few of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they select will have to be within commuting distance of their Gillette WY home. Those who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a program 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 live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? The majority of DPT schools offer some type of financial support to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid department and see what type of assistance is offered. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist program you finally pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Gillette WY area, make certain that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Gillette Wyoming?

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

Gillette, Wyoming

Gillette is a city in and the county seat of Campbell County, Wyoming, United States.[8] The population was estimated at 32,398 as of July 1, 2016.[9] Gillette is centrally located in an area involved with the development of vast quantities of American coal, oil, and coalbed methane gas. The city calls itself the "Energy Capital of the Nation," noting that the state of Wyoming provides nearly 35% of the nation's coal.[10] Over the last decade Gillette saw a population increase of 48% from the 2000 census of 19,646 residents.[11][12]

Gillette started as Donkey Town named after Donkey Creek and then was moved and called Rocky Pile after rocky draw. [13] Gillette was founded in 1891 with the coming of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and incorporated on January 6, 1892, less than two years after Wyoming became a state. Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad changed the name to Gillette for Edward Gillette, who worked as a surveyor for the company. [14]

The first airplane to be flown in Wyoming happened in Gillette for the July 4th celebration in 1911. Pilot George W. Thompson made a few flights in a Mathewson biplane and performed tricks. Thousands of people from cities in a 100 mile radius came to see the event. [15][16]

Select the Right Physical Therapist Training Program near Gillette WY

Choosing the ideal physical therapy college is a necessary initial decision you have to make to begin a rewarding career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you enroll in should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are additional relevant questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist program, bear in mind that a number of variables will lead you to your final decision. You may decide to go to each of the campuses to view their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me realize my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Gillette WY.