Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Bloomfield CT

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist School near Bloomfield 06002

Bloomfield CT physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Bloomfield CT is an important first step to launching a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the proper training and education. A PT must also be licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to research the ones you are looking at to make certain they will furnish a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered besides cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Bloomfield CT physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, including Bloomfield CT private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers 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 earlier stated, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though 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.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Bloomfield CT medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Bloomfield CT physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options available for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the one degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degrees that are available in the Bloomfield CT area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often made available by community colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to complete and usually incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want 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 three years to finish, making the overall investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal element along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in some 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 available in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Bloomfield CT While not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy programs offered, even more 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 course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Bloomfield CT residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be somewhat less than similar on-campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning several of your initial questions, such as the type of physical therapy degree you would like to attain, where you want 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 Bloomfield CT area and across Connecticut, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Also, you need to make certain that you enroll in the college that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the colleges 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 school, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing 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 College’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Call a few Bloomfield CT physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your school selections. It might also be a good idea to contact the Connecticut 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 significant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Bloomfield CT area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also verifies that the school has a broad network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you select furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for Connecticut 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 therapy program. While licensing requirements fluctuate 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 tests.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing have relationships with Bloomfield CT clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific manner to get practical training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help students and graduates form professional relationships in the Bloomfield health care community and help with job placement after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit way in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are researching what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they decide on will have to be within commuting distance of their Bloomfield CT residence. Individuals who have opted to attend classes online naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something 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 have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

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

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapist college you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you choose to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Bloomfield CT area, confirm that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Bloomfield Connecticut?

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

Bloomfield, Connecticut

Originally land of the Poquonocks, the area was first settled in 1660 as part of Windsor, organized as the Parish of Wintonbury in 1736. Wintonbury comes from three names from neighboring towns Windsor, Farmington , and Simsbury. It was finally incorporated as the town of Bloomfield in May 1835.[2] Initially, the town's local economy was agriculturally based, mostly in shade tobacco, remaining as such until it developed as a postwar suburb of Hartford starting in the 1950s. Today, Bloomfield's local character varies. While the town's southern and eastern fringes are more densely populated and developed, the northern and western sections maintain a more rural feel with meadows, woods, and some remaining farmland.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 26.3 square miles (68.0 km2), of which 26.1 square miles (67.6 km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), or 0.63%, is water.[1]

The northern border of Bloomfield is formed by the Farmington River. The west side of the town is flanked by Talcott Mountain, part of the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. Notable features of the Metacomet Ridge in Bloomfield include Penwood State Park and the Tariffville Gorge of the Farmington River, on the borders of East Granby, Simsbury, and Bloomfield. The 51-mile (82 km) Metacomet Trail traverses the ridge.

Select the Best Physical Therapy College near Bloomfield CT

Choosing the ideal physical therapist program is a necessary first decision you have to make to begin a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you select should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are other relevant questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that a number of factors will guide you to your ultimate decision. You may want to go to each of the colleges to view their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me achieve my goal of becoming a licensed practicing 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 proper education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Bloomfield CT.