Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Littleton CO

How to Choose a Physical Therapy College near Littleton 80120

Littleton CO physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Littleton CO is a critical first step to starting a fulfilling career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to research those you are looking at to make sure they will deliver a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is choose a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered besides location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Littleton CO physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, including Littleton CO hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Littleton CO medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

Littleton CO physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options available for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the single degree that is available 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. Below are brief summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Littleton CO area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by community or junior colleges, and require two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require 4 years to complete and often incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want 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 total investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential component along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment 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 eliminated and is no longer available in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Littleton CO Although not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs available, more so 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 school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Littleton CO home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition can be significantly less than similar on-campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning a few of your initial queries, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you want to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Littleton CO area and throughout Colorado, you’ll have to look into other qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to make certain that you choose the college that is ideal for you. That’s why we have put together a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the schools you are looking at have received 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 enroll in an online college, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Along with guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT program’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 agencies for their reviews also. Contact a few Littleton CO physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your college options. It might also be prudent to check with the Colorado Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the School’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 considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Littleton CO area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or even exceptional. It also confirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Colorado 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 therapist school. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapy programs you are reviewing have relationships with Littleton CO clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent way to get practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Littleton healthcare community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that likes to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching 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 final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist college they choose will need to be within driving distance of their Littleton CO home. Those who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? Most DPT schools offer some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Inquire if the colleges you are looking at have a financial assistance office and find out what type of aid is obtainable. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. A number of physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapy school you ultimately choose 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 Littleton CO area, verify that they are offered. 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, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Littleton Colorado?

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

Littleton, Colorado

Littleton is the Home Rule Municipality in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties that is the county seat of Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States.[8][9] The city is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city population was 41,737 at the 2010 United States Census, ranking as the 20th most populous municipality in the State of Colorado.

The city of Littleton's history dates back to the 1859 Pike's Peak Gold Rush, which brought not only gold seekers, but merchants and farmers to the community. Richard Sullivan Little was an engineer from New Hampshire who made his way out West to work on irrigation systems. Little soon decided to settle in the area at present day Littleton and brought his wife Angeline out from the East in 1862. The Littles, along with many neighbors, built the Rough and Ready Flour Mill in 1867, which provided a solid economic base in the community. By 1890, the community had grown to 245 people and the residents voted to incorporate the Town of Littleton.[10]

Littleton became widely known in 1999 when the Columbine High School massacre occurred at Columbine High School.[11] News media reported that the incident happened in the city, because the school’s ZIP code is primarily associated with Littleton.[12] The school is actually located in adjacent Columbine, an unincorporated community, which is not a place name accepted by the U.S. Postal Service;[12] by default, locations in ZIP code 80123 use “Littleton” in their mailing addresses.[13] Columbine High School is in the Jefferson County school system and is not one of the Littleton Public Schools.[14][15]

Pick the Best Physical Therapy Training Program near Littleton CO

Selecting the best physical therapy college is a necessary initial decision you need to make to start a rewarding career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you decide on should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are additional important questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, bear in mind that a number of variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may want to visit different schools to view their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal selection. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Littleton CO.