Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Los Altos CA

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy Training Program near Los Altos 94022

Los Altos CA physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Los Altos CA is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the necessary training and education. A PT must also become licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate those you are thinking about to make sure they will deliver a quality education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is select a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be evaluated along with location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Los Altos CA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, including Los Altos CA private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Los Altos CA medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone thinking about going into 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 Degrees Offered

Los Altos CA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is attainable to become 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 short explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Los Altos CA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are typically provided by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to prep candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to finish and commonly incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order 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 3 years to finish, making the total commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment 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 attainable in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Los Altos CA While not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the college campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Los Altos CA residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition might be significantly less than comparable on campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you probably have made a decision concerning several of your initial questions, like the type of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT colleges within the Los Altos CA area and throughout California, you’ll need to research other qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Furthermore, you need to make sure that you pick the school that is best for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing schools these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier 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 program, it may also receive 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 simply the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Along with guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Get in touch with some Los Altos CA physical therapist centers or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your program selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the California Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of significant statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapist schools you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Los Altos CA area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even outstanding. It also confirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to help students obtain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you choose furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for California 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 fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Offered? Find out if the physical therapist programs you are evaluating have relationships with Los Altos CA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific way to obtain hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may assist students and graduates develop professional connections in the Los Altos health care community and assist with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are considering what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with some of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Los Altos CA home. Those who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often 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 Help Offered? The majority of DPT schools supply some type of financial support to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid office and find out what type of assistance is offered. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapist program you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Los Altos CA area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure 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 Los Altos California?

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

Los Altos, California

Los Altos (/lɔːs ˈæltoʊs/ ( listen)) is a city in Santa Clara County, California, in northern Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 28,976 according to the 2010 census.

Most of the city's growth occurred between 1950 and 1980. Originally an agricultural town with many summer cottages and apricot orchards, Los Altos is now an affluent commuter town for Silicon Valley. Los Altos has several distinctive features. Commercial zones are strictly limited to the downtown area and small shopping and office parks lining Foothill Expressway and El Camino Real.

Homes and other real estate are costly in Los Altos. The median household income of Los Altos for 2006–2010 was $149,964.[9] The average home listing price in 2014 was $1.96 million.[10] In 2017, Forbes put Los Altos (94022 and 94024) as the 3rd and 48th most expensive ZIP codes in the United States with median home prices of $7,755,000 and $3,431,615, respectively.[11] In 2018, data from the American Community Survey revealed that Los Altos was the fifth wealthiest city in the United States.[12]

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapy Training Program near Los Altos CA

Choosing the right physical therapy college is an important initial decision you need to make to launch a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that a number of variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might want to go to each of the campuses to see their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the proper training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Los Altos CA.