Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Yosemite National Park CA

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy School near Yosemite National Park 95389

Yosemite National Park CA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Yosemite National Park CA is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are considering to make certain they will supply a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is choose a school just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be evaluated along with cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Yosemite National Park CA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, such as Yosemite National Park CA hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes 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 previously mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Yosemite National Park CA health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy field, it is rather 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 Therapist Degrees Offered

Yosemite National Park CA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options available for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degree levels that are offered in the Yosemite National Park 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 a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are usually offered by junior or community colleges, and require two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to finish and usually incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order to become a licensed practicing 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 investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not solely 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 eliminated and is no longer offered in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Yosemite National Park CA While not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist programs 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 close to the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Yosemite National Park CA residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition might be somewhat less than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you probably have come to decision regarding several of your initial queries, such as the type of physical therapy degree you would like to earn, 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 colleges within the Yosemite National Park CA area and throughout California, you’ll need to explore other qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to be sure that you enroll in the program that is right for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are considering. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you choose an online program, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are several ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Call a few Yosemite National Park CA physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your program options. It might also be prudent to contact the California Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Yosemite National Park CA area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the college has a large network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you choose provides both exceptional training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for California or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Ask if the physical therapy programs you are reviewing have relationships with Yosemite National Park CA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great way to get 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 help graduates and students form professional connections in the Yosemite National Park medical community and help with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit way in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will likely prefer a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they pick will need to be within driving distance of their Yosemite National Park CA residence. Individuals who have chosen to attend online classes naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to bear in mind is that if you choose 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 typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? Most DPT schools supply some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are examining have a financial aid department and find out what kind of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapist school you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Yosemite National Park CA area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Yosemite National Park California?

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

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park (/joʊˈsɛmɪtɪ/, yoh-SEM-i-tee)[4] is an American national park lying in the western Sierra Nevada of Central California,[5][6] bounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park, which is managed by the U.S. National Park Service, covers an area of 747,956 acres (1,168.681 sq mi; 302,687 ha; 3,026.87 km2)[2] and sits in four counties: centered in Tuolumne and Mariposa, extending north and east to Mono and south to Madera County. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, lakes, mountains, meadows, glaciers, and biological diversity.[7] Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness.[8]

On average, about 4 million people visit Yosemite each year,[3] and most spend the majority of their time in the 5.9 square miles (15 km2) of Yosemite Valley.[7] The park set a visitation record in 2016, surpassing 5 million visitors for the first time in its history.[9] Yosemite was central to the development of the national park idea. First, Galen Clark and others lobbied to protect Yosemite Valley from development, ultimately leading to President Abraham Lincoln's signing the Yosemite Grant in 1864. Later, John Muir led a successful movement to establish a larger national park encompassing not just the valley, but surrounding mountains and forests as well—paving the way for the U.S. National Park system.[10]

Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and the park supports a diversity of plants and animals. The park has an elevation range from 2,127 to 13,114 feet (648 to 3,997 m) and contains five major vegetation zones: chaparral and oak woodland, lower montane forest, upper montane forest, subalpine zone, and alpine. Of California's 7,000 plant species, about 50% occur in the Sierra Nevada and more than 20% within Yosemite. There is suitable habitat for more than 160 rare plants in the park, with rare local geologic formations and unique soils characterizing the restricted ranges many of these plants occupy.[7]

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapist College near Yosemite National Park CA

Picking the right physical therapy college is a necessary first decision you need to make to begin a fulfilling career in the health care field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you pick should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. However there are other important questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your final decision. You may decide to go to different colleges to see their facilities and talk to 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 supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Yosemite National Park CA.