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Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree – Jessieville AR

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist Program near Jessieville 71949

Jessieville AR physical therapy school student with volunteerGetting a physical therapy degree near Jessieville AR is an important first step to launching a rewarding 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 may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the necessary training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate those you are thinking about to make certain they will deliver a quality education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. 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 relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated 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 what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Jessieville AR physical therapist helping patient walkPhysical therapists practice in diverse settings, including Jessieville AR hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any advancement 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.
  • Heart attacks.
  • Sports injuries.
  • Fire injuries.
  • Hip Replacement.
  • Sciatica.
  • Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Jessieville AR medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee 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 going into the physical therapy field, 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 Degrees Available

Jessieville AR physical therapist applying acupuncture to patientThere are three physical therapy degrees available for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are brief explanations of degree levels that are available in the Jessieville AR area:

  • Associate Degrees train students to practice as 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 qualify for enrollment. The programs are typically made available by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the curriculum.
  • Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to finish and often incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
  • Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a licensed practicing 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 overall investment of time seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential element in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in several 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 USA. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Jessieville ARAlthough not as prevalent as the more traditional alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the college campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Jessieville AR residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat lower than comparable on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning several of your initial queries, including the type of physical therapist degree you would like to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Jessieville AR area and across Arkansas, you’ll need to research additional qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to make sure that you enroll in the school that is ideal for you. That’s why we have put together a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited?  Find out if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As earlier stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you choose an online program, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Get in touch with several Jessieville AR physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your college selections. It might also be prudent to contact the Arkansas 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 significant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy colleges you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might mean that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Jessieville AR area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care community is good or perhaps excellent. It also affirms that the program has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the college you enroll in provides both superior training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for Arkansas or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are evaluating have associations with Jessieville AR clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to obtain practical experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help students and graduates establish professional relationships in the Jessieville health care community and assist with job placement once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will likely prefer a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at 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 converse with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they pick will need to be within travelling distance of their Jessieville AR residence. Those who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to bear 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 have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of DPT colleges supply some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid office and find out what kind of aid is obtainable. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapist program you ultimately select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you choose to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Jessieville AR area, check that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out 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 might miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Jessieville Arkansas?

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

Jessieville, Arkansas

Jessieville is an unincorporated community located in Garland County, Arkansas, United States. It is located next to Hot Springs Village and north of Hot Springs. Highway 7 runs through the community, and Highway 298 is also inside the town. The town has one school campus, which contains an elementary school, a middle school and a high school.

The population is 51.2% male and 48.8% female. There are 865 households with an average size of 2.85 people. Of those, 62.58% are categorized as Married Households, 8.04% Divorced with the remaining 29.38% Single.The community identifies as 99.43% white and .57% Native American, with no other ethnicities represented.[1]

Pick the Best Physical Therapy School near Jessieville AR

Deciding on the right physical therapy school is an important initial decision you must make to start a rewarding career in the health care field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you choose should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are additional critical questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that a number of factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might decide to go to each of the campuses to view their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal selection. And with the proper training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Jessieville AR.

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    Tri-Lakes Physical Therapy
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