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

How to Choose a Physical Therapist College near Minturn 81645

Minturn CO physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Minturn CO is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the proper training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research those you are looking at to make sure they will provide a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is enroll in a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be evaluated along with cost and location. But before we cover 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?

Minturn CO physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of locations, such as Minturn CO hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Minturn CO medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering going into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Minturn CO physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degree levels that are available in the Minturn CO area:

Associate Degrees train students to practice as 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 be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are typically made available by community or junior colleges, and take about two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to finish and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the overall investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component in addition to the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in some 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 available in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Minturn CO While not as prevalent as the more traditional alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online portion of the program may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Minturn CO home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition can be significantly less than comparable on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you probably have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, including the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Minturn CO area and throughout Colorado, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of school choices. Also, you want to make certain that you select the program that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are reviewing 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 enroll in an online school, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy community. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call a few Minturn CO 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 program selections. It might also be a good idea to contact the Colorado Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapy colleges you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Minturn CO area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also affirms that the college has a large network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you choose provides both excellent training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for Colorado or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapy programs you are assessing have associations with Minturn CO clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific means to obtain hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist graduates and students form professional connections in the Minturn medical community and help with job placement after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are looking at what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. 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 converse with a few of the students and instructors 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 decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Minturn CO residence. Those who have decided to attend classes online 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 bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT schools provide some type of financial support to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid office and see what type of help is available. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy college you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Minturn CO area, verify that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out 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 may miss due to work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Minturn Colorado?

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

Minturn, Colorado

Minturn is located in southeastern Eagle County on the Eagle River between the resort communities of Vail and Beaver Creek. The town limits extend 2 miles (3 km) northwest along U.S. Route 24 to Interstate 70 at Exit 171, from which point it is 5 miles (8 km) east to Vail and 5 miles west to Avon at the base of Beaver Creek Resort. Eagle, the county seat, is 25 miles (40 km) to the west, and Denver is 101 miles (163 km) to the east. US 24 leads south 30 miles (48 km) over the Continental Divide at Tennessee Pass to Leadville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 7.8 square miles (20.1 km2), of which 7.6 square miles (19.6 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km2), or 2.32%, is water.[8]

Minturn is surrounded on three sides by White River National Forest, with the Holy Cross Wilderness bordering the southwest side of the town. The national forest offers hiking, biking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and other recreational opportunities. Five huts operated by the Tenth Mountain Hut Association along with their associated trail systems are found in the local Eagle-Holy Cross ranger district. Camp Hale, a World War II winter training site now on the National Register of Historic Places, is situated toward the south end of the district.[9]

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist College near Minturn CO

Deciding on the best physical therapy program is a necessary initial decision you need to make to start a fulfilling career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you choose should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may want to go to different campuses to view their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following 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 proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Minturn CO.