Tag Archives: Physical Therapist Assistant Education Requirements Otisville MI 48463

Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree – Otisville MI

How to Select a Physical Therapist Training Program near Otisville 48463

Otisville MI physical therapy school student with volunteerEarning a physical therapy degree near Otisville MI is an essential first step to launching a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the necessary training and education. A PT must also become licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research the ones you are thinking about to make certain they will supply a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is select a school just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be evaluated in addition to location and cost. But before we cover 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?

Otisville MI physical therapist helping patient walkPhysical therapists practice in a variety of locations, including Otisville MI hospitals, health clinics, 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 earlier touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent 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
  • Head injuries.
  • Cardiac arrest.
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
  • Burn injuries.
  • Knee Replacement.
  • Sciatica.
  • Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Otisville MI health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Otisville MI physical therapist applying acupuncture to patientThere are three physical therapist degrees offered for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are brief summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Otisville MI area:

  • Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by community or junior colleges, and require two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually part of the curriculum.
  • Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to complete and commonly include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
  • Doctorate Degrees are required if you want to become a practicing licensed 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 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an important element along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in several 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 phased out and is no longer available 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 Therapy Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Otisville MIWhile not as common as the on campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapist degrees available, even more 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 requires that the student live near the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Otisville MI residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition may be somewhat lower than comparable on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring 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 Therapist Schools

By now you most likely have made a decision concerning some of your preliminary questions, including the kind of physical therapy degree you intend to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Otisville MI area and across Michigan, you’ll have to research additional qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of college options. Furthermore, you want to be sure that you choose the college that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited?  Find out if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online college, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. 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 imperative that the college and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with some Otisville MI physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your school selections. It may also be prudent to check with the Michigan Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of important statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Otisville MI area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care community is good or even excellent. It also affirms that the school has a large network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you choose provides both excellent training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Michigan or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. While licensing requirements fluctuate 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 exams.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Ask if the physical therapy programs you are interested in have associations with Otisville MI hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to obtain hands on training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Otisville medical community and help with job placement after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit far in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they choose will have to be within driving distance of their Otisville MI home. Individuals who have opted 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. Something to keep 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 be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? Most DPT colleges provide some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are examining have a financial aid department and see what kind of aid is available. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapy college you ultimately choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you opt to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Otisville MI area, make certain that they are available. 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 might miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Otisville Michigan?

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

Otisville, Michigan

The first land entry for the Forest (after the heavy growth of trees) community was made in March 1836 by James Seymour. The first settlers, Henry Heister and family, came in 1837. The township was organized in 1837, with the second settler, Nathaniel Smith, elected supervisor.[1] In 1851, a sawmill was built by John Hayes, who sold the mill to Francis Otis the next year.[1] On February 14, 1855, the post office opened with postmaster John Crawford. On April 5, 1861, the post office was renamed to Otisville.[1] The village was platted by William F. Otis and T.D. Crocker in 1863. In 1874, a station opened by the Pere Marquette Railway in the village.[1]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.97 square miles (2.51 km2), of which 0.88 square miles (2.28 km2) is land and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km2) is water.[2]

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 864 people, 342 households, and 225 families residing in the village. The population density was 981.8 inhabitants per square mile (379.1/km2). There were 379 housing units at an average density of 430.7 per square mile (166.3/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.8% White, 0.5% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.

Pick the Right Physical Therapy Training Program near Otisville MI

Choosing the ideal physical therapist college is a necessary first decision you have to make to launch a fulfilling career in the medical profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you decide on should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are other important questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that a number of factors will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit different colleges to see their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program 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 options so you can make the ideal choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Otisville MI.

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    Business Results 1 - 10 of 23

    Advanced Physical Therapy Center
    2 Reviews
    Sports Medicine, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy
    Phone:
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    Phone:
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    Cora Rehabilitation Clinics
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