Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - North Canton CT

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Training Program near North Canton 06059

North Canton CT physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near North Canton CT is an important first step to launching a fulfilling career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the necessary training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to research the ones you are considering to make sure they will furnish a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. 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 relevant qualifications that must be considered along with cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist?

North Canton CT physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, including North Canton CT hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also try 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
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other North Canton CT health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

North Canton CT physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees available for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short descriptions of degree levels that are offered in the North Canton CT area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to prep candidates to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to complete and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the overall commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an important component along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not just 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 phased out 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 present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in North Canton CT While not as common as the on campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the course of study may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s North Canton CT home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat lower than comparable on campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you probably have come to decision regarding some of your initial queries, such as the type of physical therapist degree you want to obtain, 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 North Canton CT area and across Connecticut, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of school options. Moreover, you want to make sure that you pick 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 programs you are thinking about. Ask each of the potential schools these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As previously mentioned, 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 college, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting 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. Get in touch with some North Canton CT physical therapist centers or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your program selections. It might also be a good idea to contact the Connecticut Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the North Canton CT area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or perhaps excellent. It also confirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you select provides both exceptional 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 needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapy programs you are evaluating have associations with North Canton CT hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent means to receive practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help students and graduates form professional connections in the North Canton healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are researching what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. 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 also.

Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they select will have to be within driving distance of their North Canton CT residence. Students who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to concern 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 program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? The majority of DPT schools provide some type of financial support to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have a financial assistance department and find out what kind of help is offered. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges offer 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 finally you need to verify that the physical therapy school you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the North Canton CT area, verify that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol 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 North Canton Connecticut?

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

Canton, Connecticut

Canton is a town, incorporated in 1806, in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,840 at the 2000 census and 10,292 as of the 2010 census.[1] It is bordered by Granby on the north, Simsbury on the east, Avon and Burlington on the south, New Hartford on the west, and Barkhamsted on the northwest. Running through it is the Farmington River. The town includes the villages of North Canton, Canton Center, Canton (Canton Valley), and Collinsville. In September 2007, Collinsville was ranked in Budget Travel magazine as one of the "Ten Coolest Small Towns In America".[citation needed]

The name was taken from Canton, China.[2] Other towns such as Canton, Massachusetts and Canton, Ohio have used the name for the town. It separated from Simsbury in 1806. At the Collins ax factory in Collinsville, Elisha Root invented the important industrial technique of die casting.

The Canton Historical Museum in Collinsville is located in a building of the former Collins Axe Company, founded by Samuel W. Collins and one of the first ax factories in the world. It displays a 19th-century general store, a post office, a printing press and blacksmith and barber shops. Vehicles, tools and farm implements are also exhibited, as well as a working railroad diorama, Victorian fashions, toys and dolls.[3]

Choose the Right Physical Therapist College near North Canton CT

Choosing the right physical therapy school is a necessary first decision you must make to begin a fulfilling career in the health care profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you pick should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are additional critical questions that you need to ask regarding your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that a number of factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might decide to go to different schools to see their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program 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 field so you can make the right selection. And with the proper training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in North Canton CT.