Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Sylvester GA

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist Training Program near Sylvester 31791

Sylvester GA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Sylvester GA is an essential first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the proper education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to research those you are considering to ensure they will supply a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered in addition to location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Sylvester GA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, including Sylvester GA hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try 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.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Sylvester GA health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is rather 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 Degrees Available

Sylvester GA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options available for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degree levels that are available in the Sylvester GA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants 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 require two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prepare students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to complete and commonly include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program also must 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 commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an important element in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in some states for licensing as well.

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 attainable in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Sylvester GA While not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined 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 part of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Sylvester GA residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat less than similar on campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning several of your initial queries, including the kind of physical therapy degree you want to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Sylvester GA area and throughout Georgia, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you need to be sure that you pick the school that is ideal for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy schools you are considering. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the programs you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously 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 college, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting 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 as well. Contact several Sylvester GA physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your school options. It may also be a good idea to check with the Georgia Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of significant statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might suggest that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once 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 Sylvester GA area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the college has a large network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you choose provides both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Georgia or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are assessing have associations with Sylvester GA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific way to get hands on training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can help graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Sylvester medical community and assist with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with some of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they decide on will need to be within driving distance of their Sylvester GA residence. Individuals who have decided to attend online classes 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 consider is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? The majority of DPT colleges offer some form of financial support to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are examining have a financial assistance department and find out what type of assistance is available. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. Some physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy college you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you opt to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Sylvester GA area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Sylvester Georgia?

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

Sylvester, Georgia

Sylvester is the county seat of Worth County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,990 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat[6] and business center of Worth County[7] and is claimed to be the Peanut Capital of the World due to its peanut production.[1]

Before being well known as a speed trap town, Sylvester started as a "beautiful nowhere" in 1893 and was first called "Isabella Station". When the Brunswick and Albany Railroad came through southwest Georgia, the county seat was Isabella, which is located three miles north of the railroad. Slowly, however, the center of trade and commerce shifted south along the railroad. Two other towns, Poulan and Sumner, sprang up along the railroad in Worth County, but it was Isabella Station that grew and prospered the fastest. In 1894, the citizens voted to change the name to "Sylvester". In 1898, Sylvester voted to incorporate and on December 21 of that year the Georgia Legislature agreed to incorporate it as a city.

There have been four courthouses since Worth County was created in 1853. The first was a two-story frame structure on the public square in Isabella, which was then Worth's county seat. This building burned down in 1879, and a schoolhouse was used as a temporary courthouse until a new one could be built in 1893 — but that structure soon burned also. A new courthouse was constructed the following year, but in 1904 the legislature changed the county seat from Isabella to Sylvester.

Choose the Right Physical Therapy School near Sylvester GA

Deciding on the right physical therapist program is a necessary initial decision you need to make to launch a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you decide on should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are other relevant questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy college, keep in mind that many factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might decide to visit different campuses to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Sylvester GA.