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

How to Pick a Physical Therapy College near Kalona 52247

Kalona IA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Kalona IA is an important first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated as a result of injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate the ones you are looking at to ensure they will deliver a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered in addition to location and cost. But before we talk about 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?

Kalona IA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying locations, such as Kalona IA private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Kalona IA health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Kalona IA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the single 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 short summaries of degree levels that are available in the Kalona IA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to complete and often include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement in order to become a practicing licensed 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 3 years to complete, making the total commitment seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently 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 available in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Kalona IA While not as prevalent as the on campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Kalona IA residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

By now you probably have made a decision regarding some of your preliminary questions, including the type of physical therapy degree you would like to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT colleges within the Kalona IA area and throughout Iowa, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you need to be sure that you select the college that is right for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the schools you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier 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 choose an online program, 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. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. In addition to ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, starting with asking for 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. Call a few Kalona IA physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your program selections. It might also be a good idea to check with the Iowa Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean 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 hired with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Kalona IA area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also verifies that the program has a wide network of contacts to assist students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you select furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Iowa or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with 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 performed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are assessing have associations with Kalona IA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent way to receive practical experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help students and graduates establish professional relationships in the Kalona medical community and assist with job placement after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit way in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are researching 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 determination. This will also give you a chance 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 many students, the physical therapy college they choose will need to be within driving distance of their Kalona IA home. Those who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing 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 may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? Most DPT colleges offer some form of financial support to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are examining have a financial assistance office and find out what type of aid is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapy school you finally pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while you attend classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Kalona IA area, make sure that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Kalona Iowa?

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

Kalona, Iowa

Kalona is a city in Washington County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,363 at the 2010 census. Kalona is the second largest city in Washington County.[4]

Amish settlement in what is now the Kalona area began in the 1840s, placing the Amish among the very first European settlers in the area. The split between Old Order Amish and Amish Mennonites occurred in the 1860s in most places, but it was not until the 1880s that the formal split occurred in Iowa, even though a process of sorting out between conservatives and change-minded Amish had begun a decade earlier or so in Iowa.[5] Most Amish Mennonites later assimilated and lost their Amish identity. The Beachy Amish broke away from the Old Orders in the 1920s.[6]

Kalona is home to a burgeoning craft, antiques and local products industry. Its proximity to both Iowa City, Iowa and a large Amish settlement have allowed growth in population and industry in recent years. The town is home to a variety of locally owned shops and restaurants. This quaint city centers around the historic old town business section of Kalona, which features many local businesses that are popular with tourists.

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist Degree Program near Kalona IA

Choosing the right physical therapy program is a necessary initial decision you need to make to begin a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you enroll in should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are additional critical questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that many variables will lead you toward your final decision. You might want to visit different colleges to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me realize my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Kalona IA.