Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Badger IA

How to Choose a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Badger 50516

Badger IA physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Badger IA is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated as a result of injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate education and training. A PT must also be licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are considering to make sure they will provide a quality education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is choose a school just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be considered along with cost and location. But before we cover 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 is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Badger IA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, such as Badger IA hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Badger IA medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering entering 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 Therapist Degree Options

Badger IA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees offered for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degrees that are available in the Badger IA area:

Associate Degrees educate students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part 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 a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to complete and often include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program must also be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to finish, making the overall investment of time 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an important element in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in some 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 licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Badger IA While not as common 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 nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online portion of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Badger IA residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition can be somewhat less than comparable on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning several of your initial queries, like the kind of physical therapy degree you would like to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are numerous PT colleges within the Badger IA area and throughout Iowa, you’ll have to research additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of college choices. Furthermore, you need to make sure that you select the college that is ideal for you. That’s why we have put together a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are considering. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the schools you are looking at have received 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 select an online college, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Call some Badger IA physical therapy clinics or other health 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 a good idea to contact the Iowa Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two useful statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapy schools you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Badger IA area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or even outstanding. It also verifies that the program has a wide network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Iowa or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapist programs you are assessing have relationships with Badger IA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent manner to receive hands on training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can help graduates and students form professional relationships in the Badger healthcare community and assist with job placement after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely prefer a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are researching what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they pick will need to be within travelling distance of their Badger IA residence. Students who have chosen 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 college that is out of state or perhaps 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 typically charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT colleges provide some type of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are examining have a financial aid department and see what type of help is offered. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. A number of physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapist program you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Badger IA area, verify that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Badger Iowa?

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

Badger, Iowa

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 561 people, 215 households, and 163 families residing in the city. The population density was 514.7 inhabitants per square mile (198.7/km2). There were 229 housing units at an average density of 210.1 per square mile (81.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.7% White, 0.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.

There were 215 households of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.3% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 24.2% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.03.

The median age in the city was 38.7 years. 26.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.4% were from 25 to 44; 26% were from 45 to 64; and 12.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

Select the Right Physical Therapy Training Program near Badger IA

Deciding on the right physical therapist college is an important first decision you must make to start a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you choose should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are additional critical questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your final decision. You may want to go to different campuses to view their facilities and speak to 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 adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Badger IA.