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

How to Choose a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Ivoryton 06442

Ivoryton CT physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Ivoryton CT is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated as a result of injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the proper education and training. A PT must also be licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate the ones you are considering to ensure they will deliver a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be considered in addition to cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Ivoryton CT physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, such as Ivoryton CT 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 touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Ivoryton CT medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Ivoryton CT physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is offered 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 advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degrees that are available in the Ivoryton CT area:

Associate Degrees train students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are typically made available by community colleges, and take about two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy education to prepare candidates to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take four years to finish and usually incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the overall commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an intregal component along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in several states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer offered in the USA. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Ivoryton CT While not as common as the on-campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online segment of the program may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Ivoryton CT home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat lower than comparable on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding several of your preliminary questions, like the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Ivoryton CT area and across Connecticut, you’ll need to look into other qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of college choices. Moreover, you want to make certain that you enroll in the program that is ideal for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the schools you are looking at have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As earlier mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online school, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with some Ivoryton CT physical therapist centers or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your college selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Connecticut Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two significant statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapist programs you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might mean that students left because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Ivoryton CT area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or even outstanding. It also affirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for Connecticut or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Find out if the physical therapist schools you are assessing have partnerships with Ivoryton CT clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific 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 an ancillary benefit, they can help students and graduates form professional connections in the Ivoryton healthcare community and assist with job placement after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with some of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist college they decide on will need to be within commuting distance of their Ivoryton CT residence. Students who have decided to attend classes online naturally will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? The majority of DPT colleges supply some type of financial aid to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid department and find out what type of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. Some physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapy program you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Ivoryton CT area, make certain 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 have to carry. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Ivoryton Connecticut?

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

Frog Bridge

The Frog Bridge (Officially the Thread City Crossing) is a bridge located in Willimantic, Connecticut which carries South Street (CT 661) across the Willimantic River. It is known as the Frog Bridge because it has 4 copper frogs located on each end of the bridge, sitting on top of concrete thread spools. They were designed and created by artist Leo Jensen of Ivoryton CT[1][2][3]

It is designed and named this way because of a story called "The Battle of the Frogs" which in 1754, a large-scale death of frogs in a pond called Frog Pond, about a mile east of Windham Center. In turn of the widespread deaths of frogs, many people thought it was the French and Indians coming to the town and killing residents of the small town.[4][5][6][7]

The bridge was built to replace an 1857 stone arch bridge located in the middle of the mill complex. The original bridge was planned to be replaced as early as 1872. Another effort to replace the old bridge was made at the turn of the 20th century, but ended up with a compromise resulting in the Willimantic Footbridge. The bridge was closed shortly after the opening of the Frog Bridge, remaining closed until October 2006 when it reopened as the Windham Garden on the Bridge, a pedestrian bridge.[8]

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist College near Ivoryton CT

Picking the ideal physical therapist school is an important first decision you need to make to begin a rewarding career in the health care field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you enroll in should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are other important questions that you need to ask concerning your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, keep in mind that a number of variables will guide you to your ultimate decision. You might want to go to each of the colleges to see their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Ivoryton CT.