Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree – Sierra Madre CA

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy Training Program near Sierra Madre 91024

Sierra Madre CA physical therapy school student with volunteerGetting a physical therapy degree near Sierra Madre CA is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated as a result of injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate those you are considering to make sure they will provide a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated along with location and cost. But before we discuss 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?

Sierra Madre CA physical therapist helping patient walkPhysical therapists practice in diverse locations, including Sierra Madre CA private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

  • Arthritis or Osteoporosis
  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Head injuries.
  • Cardiac arrest.
  • Sports injuries.
  • Burn injuries.
  • Knee Replacement.
  • Sciatica.
  • Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Sierra Madre CA health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Sierra Madre CA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patientThere are 3 physical therapist degrees available for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is offered to become 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. Below are short explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Sierra Madre CA area:

  • Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a component of the curriculum.
  • Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy education to prepare students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to complete and often incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
  • Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order to become a practicing licensed 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 finish, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer attainable 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 present licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Sierra Madre CAWhile not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees available, 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 near the school campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Sierra Madre CA residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition can 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, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you most likely have made a decision concerning a few of your preliminary queries, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Sierra Madre CA area and across California, you’ll have to explore other qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to make certain that you select the program that is right for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are thinking about. Ask each of the potential schools these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited?  Find out if the schools you are reviewing have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. 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 enroll in an online school, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Contact several Sierra Madre CA physical therapy clinics or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your college selections. It might also be a good idea 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 College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might mean that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Sierra Madre CA area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even exceptional. It also confirms that the college has a large network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for California or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. Although licensing requirements vary 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 Internships Provided? Ask if the physical therapy programs you are assessing have relationships with Sierra Madre CA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent way to get hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can help graduates and students establish professional relationships in the Sierra Madre medical community and help with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges 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 ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they decide on will need to be within commuting distance of their Sierra Madre CA residence. Those who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. One thing to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? Most DPT schools offer some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid department and see what kind of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist program you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Sierra Madre CA area, check that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Sierra Madre California?

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

Sierra Madre, California

Sierra Madre is a city in Los Angeles County, California whose population was 10,917 at the 2010 U.S. Census, up from 10,580 at the time of the 2000 U.S. Census. The city is in the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley below the southern edge of the Angeles National Forest. Pasadena and Altadena are to its west, with Arcadia to its south and east. Sierra Madre is known as "Wisteria City", and its city seal is decorated with a drawing of the now widely known 500-foot (150 m) vine.[7] It is also called the "Village of the Foothills" and was an All-America City in 2007.[8]

In approximately 500 CE, Tongva Indians,[9] the native people migrated from the Mojave area to what would become Los Angeles County, (including the San Gabriel Valley). Their name means "People of the Earth". Their primary language was Uto-Aztecan Shoshonean. In the 16th century there were about 25 Tongva villages, with a population of approximately 400 people.[10] By 1769, the first Spanish settlers arrived in the region, finding an estimated 5,000 Tongva living in 31 villages. Sierra Madre was the site of a settlement named Sonayna.[11] Two years later, Mission San Gabriel Arcangel was founded in today's Montebello, causing the Tongva communities to rapidly dwindle{{Citation needed|reason= people do not just disappear; they had to go somewhere|date=October 2018}}. The mission was later moved to San Gabriel because of severe flooding from the Rio Hondo River, which ruined their crops. The original mission site is now marked by a California Historical Landmark.[12] Tongvas were integrated into the culture of the mission, and the tribe were renamed Gabrielino Indians by the Spaniards.[10] The first Mount Wilson trail was carved by the Gabrielino Indians which was used by them when they carried timber down from the mountains for the construction of the San Gabriel Mission in 1771.[13]

Using Mexican and Chinese laborers, Benjamin "Don Benito" Wilson expanded the Mount Wilson Trail in 1864.[13] Nathaniel Carter purchased the original 1,103 acres (4.46 km2) that comprise Sierra Madre in 1881: 845 acres (3.42 km2) from "Lucky Baldwin", 108 acres (0.44 km2) from the Southern Pacific Railroad Company; and 150 acres (0.61 km2) from John Richardson (1811-Aug. 9, 1884).[14] In 1888, the Santa Anita railroad station was built.[10] The first of the year brought Pacific Electric Railway Red Car passenger service to Sierra Madre. Later that year the first electric lights were installed by the Edison Electric Company. In December 1906, the first telephones were installed, 250 of them, by the Home Telephone Company of Monrovia.[10] On February 2, 1907, the first citywide election was held and 96 citizens voted 71–25 to officially incorporate Sierra Madre; the population was about 500. Eighteen days later, Sierra Madre became incorporated as a California city. Charles Worthington Jones was the first mayor.[10]

Select the Best Physical Therapist School near Sierra Madre CA

Picking the ideal physical therapy college is an important first decision you must make to start a gratifying career in the health care field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you choose should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are additional important questions that you should ask regarding your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that numerous variables will guide you toward your final decision. You may decide to go to different schools to view their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Sierra Madre CA.

A Few More Interesting Locations in California

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