Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Maywood CA

How to Select a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Maywood 90270

Maywood CA physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Maywood CA is an important first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the appropriate education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate those you are thinking about to make certain they will deliver a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is choose a school just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be evaluated along with 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 what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Maywood CA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, such as Maywood CA private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Maywood CA medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Maywood CA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options offered for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degrees that are offered in the Maywood CA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are typically made available by community colleges, and take about two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to ready students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to finish and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order 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 three years to finish, making the overall commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal element along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in a number of states for licensing as well.

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 available in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Maywood CA Although not as common as the more traditional options, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature 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 in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Maywood CA residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than comparable on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

At this point you probably have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are numerous PT schools within the Maywood CA area and throughout California, you’ll have to research additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of school options. Furthermore, you want to make certain that you choose 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 therapy schools you are considering. Ask all of the competing schools these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As previously 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 obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not just the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call some Maywood CA physical therapist centers or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your school options. 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 schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist schools you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Maywood CA area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also verifies that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you choose furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for California or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to 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 and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Offered? Find out if the physical therapist schools you are interested in have associations with Maywood CA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great way to receive hands on training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist students and graduates form professional connections in the Maywood healthcare community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit way in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are looking at what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist college they pick will need to be within commuting distance of their Maywood CA residence. 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 local internships will be of importance. Something 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 typically charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Provided? The majority of DPT colleges offer some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Inquire if the colleges you are considering have a financial assistance department and find out what kind of help is offered. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapy program you ultimately choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Maywood CA area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Maywood California?

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

Maywood, California

Maywood is a small city in southeast Los Angeles County, California.[8] At 1.18 square miles (3.1 km2),[9] Maywood is the third-smallest incorporated city in Los Angeles County.[10] It is bordered by the cities of Bell on the south, Vernon on the north and west, Huntington Park on the southwest, and Commerce on the east. It is the most densely-populated city in California, and has the highest proportion of Latinos, immigrants, and undocumented immigrants in the county.

As of July 1, 2010, Maywood became the first municipality in California to outsource all of its city services,[11][12][13] dismantling its police department, laying off all city employees except for the city manager, city attorney and elected officials,[12] and contracting with outside agencies for the provision of all municipal services.[14] The population was 27,395 at the 2010 census.

The land on which Maywood now stands had been populated by Native American tribes for centuries. The area that would later become Maywood was deeded in 1781 by the Spanish monarchy to Spanish War veteran Manuel Nieto. When the settlement of Pueblo de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles was recorded, it included the cow pasture (now Maywood) that eventually turned into a rancho.[15]

Select the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Maywood CA

Picking the right physical therapist school is an important first decision you need to make to start a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you pick should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are other relevant questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy college, keep in mind that numerous variables will lead you to your final decision. You may want to go to different campuses to see their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Maywood CA.