Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Rio Linda CA

How to Select a Physical Therapy Training Program near Rio Linda 95673

Rio Linda CA physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Rio Linda CA is an essential first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate the ones you are thinking about to make sure they will provide a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a college 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 discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Rio Linda CA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, including Rio Linda CA hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes 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 in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement 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.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Rio Linda CA health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Rio Linda CA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options offered for students 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 target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degree levels that are offered in the Rio Linda CA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are most often provided by junior or community colleges, and take about two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to finish and commonly 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 3 years to finish, making the overall investment of time seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal element along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not just 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 offered in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Rio Linda CA Although not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Rio Linda CA residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat less than comparable on-campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you most likely have made a decision regarding several of your initial queries, like the type of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Rio Linda CA area and throughout California, you’ll need to research other qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of school options. Also, you need to make sure that you choose the college that is right for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist programs you are considering. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As previously stated, 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 program, it can also earn 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. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Get in touch with some Rio Linda CA physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your school options. It may also be prudent to check with the California Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students left because of 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 school’s job placement program, particularly in the Rio Linda CA area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also confirms that the school has a large network of contacts to assist students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you choose furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for California or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapy programs you are evaluating have partnerships with Rio Linda CA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent way to get practical experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may assist students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Rio Linda healthcare community and help with job placement once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of student that likes to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are researching what the average 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 speak with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they decide on will need to be within commuting distance of their Rio Linda CA home. Students who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern 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 even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally 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 Aid Offered? Most DPT colleges provide some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are considering have a financial aid office and find out what kind of assistance is offered. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist school you ultimately pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Rio Linda CA area, confirm that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Rio Linda California?

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

Rio Linda, California

Rio Linda is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 15,106, up from 10,466 at the 2000 census.

The Rio Linda/Elverta community is located on part of the Rancho Del Paso Mexican land grant of 1844. In 1910, a Fruit Land Company of Minneapolis acquired 12,000 acres (49 km2) of the Grant and in 1912 the area was subdivided. Renamed in 1913 to Rio Linda, it was known as 'Dry Creek Station', a flag stop for the Northern Electric Railroad. Two families settled in Rio Linda by 1912, three more arrived in 1913 and nine more in 1914. By 1918 approximately fifty families in the community, mostly of Scandinavian and German descent. By 1920 poultry farming had proved to be feasible in the area which was advertised throughout several Eastern states during the 1920s. An association was formed in 1942 as the area became well known for its excellent poultry production.[2]

The 2010 United States Census[6] reported that Rio Linda had a population of 15,106. The population density was 1,525.3 people per square mile (588.9/km²). The racial makeup of Rio Linda was 11,654 (77.1%) White, 621 (4.1%) African American, 235 (1.6%) Native American, 665 (4.4%) Asian, 62 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 1,304 (8.6%) from other races, and 821 (5.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3,033 persons (20.1%).

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapy Degree Program near Rio Linda CA

Choosing the ideal physical therapist program is an important initial decision you must make to start a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you pick should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. But there are other important questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that many factors will lead you to your final decision. You might want to go to each of the campuses to view their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me achieve 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 options so you can make the ideal choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Rio Linda CA.