Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Dover FL

How to Choose a Physical Therapy College near Dover 33527

Dover FL physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Dover FL is a critical first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the proper training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate those you are considering to make certain they will provide a quality education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be evaluated besides cost and location. But before we discuss 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?

Dover FL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, including Dover FL private practices, hospitals, 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 stated, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Dover FL medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Dover FL physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief summaries of degrees that are available in the Dover FL area:

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often provided by junior or community colleges, and take about 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 prepare candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to finish and often incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order 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 three years to finish, making the total investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal element along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in a number of 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 attainable in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Dover FL While not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees available, even more 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 necessitates that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Dover FL residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition may be somewhat lower than similar on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you probably have made a decision concerning a few of your preliminary questions, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT colleges within the Dover FL area and throughout Florida, you’ll need to research other qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school options. Furthermore, you need to make certain that you pick the college that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier 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 program, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with several Dover FL physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your school options. It might also be prudent to contact the Florida Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Dover FL area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even exceptional. It also confirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you select furnishes both superior training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Florida or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Provided? Ask if the physical therapy colleges you are interested in have associations with Dover FL clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific means to get hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Dover healthcare community and assist with job placement after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will likely prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. 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 several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy school they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Dover FL residence. Those who have decided to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a school 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 commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of 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 see what type of help is offered. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapist program you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Dover FL area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Dover Florida?

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

Dover, Florida

Dover is a Tampa suburb located approximately 24 miles from the Metropolitan Area Business District. According to the United States Census Bureau, the community has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2), of which 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (1.14%) is water.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,798 people, 751 households, and 615 families residing in the community. The population density was 1,070.7 people per square mile (413.9/km²). There were 842 housing units at an average density of 322.2/sq mi (124.6/km²). The racial makeup of the community was 74.12% White, 0.43% African American, 1.04% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.25% Pacific Islander, 19.12% from other races, and 4.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 50.86% of the population.

There were 751 households out of which 45.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.1% were non-families. 10.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.69 and the average family size was 3.89.

Select the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Dover FL

Picking the best physical therapy school is an important first decision you have to make to start a gratifying career in the healthcare profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you select should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy program, bear in mind that many variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may want to go to each of the schools to see their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me achieve my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the best selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Dover FL.