Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Nokomis IL

How to Select a Physical Therapist College near Nokomis 62075

Nokomis IL physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Nokomis IL is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated due to illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain 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 enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to ensure they will deliver a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is choose a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be considered besides cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Nokomis IL physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse settings, such as Nokomis IL hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they create a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Nokomis IL medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Nokomis IL physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degree levels that are available in the Nokomis IL area:

Associate Degrees educate 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 degrees are most often offered by community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want to become a licensed practicing 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 total investment of time 7 years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, 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 eliminated and is no longer attainable in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Nokomis IL Although not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, more so 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 school campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Nokomis IL home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition might be significantly lower than similar on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

At this point you probably have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are numerous PT schools within the Nokomis IL area and across Illinois, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of college options. Also, you need to make certain that you select the school that is ideal for you. That’s why we have put together a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously 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 can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Call some Nokomis IL physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your program options. It might also be prudent to check with the Illinois Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two important statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students left because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Nokomis IL area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even exceptional. It also verifies that the college has a wide network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for Illinois or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have associations with Nokomis IL hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific means to receive practical experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can assist graduates and students establish professional connections in the Nokomis health care community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Nokomis IL home. Students who have chosen to attend classes online naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to consider is that if you choose 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 normally 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? Most DPT colleges offer some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial assistance department and find out what type of aid is offered. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist college you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Nokomis IL area, check that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses 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 work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Nokomis Illinois?

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

Nokomis, Illinois

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 2,389 people, 1,031 households, and 630 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,837.3 people per square mile (709.5/km²). There were 1,130 housing units at an average density of 869.0 per square mile (335.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.46% White, 0.25% Native American, 0.04% Asian, and 0.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.

There were 1,031 households out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 22.8% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapist Degree Program near Nokomis IL

Deciding on the right physical therapy college is a necessary initial decision you need to make to launch a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you select should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are additional critical questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that numerous variables will guide you to your final decision. You may decide to go to different schools to see their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me realize 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 options so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Nokomis IL.