Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Lake Mills IA

How to Select a Physical Therapy College near Lake Mills 50450

Lake Mills IA physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Lake Mills IA is an essential first step to launching a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated due to illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the proper education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate those you are thinking about to ensure they will provide a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a school just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered in addition to cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Lake Mills IA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, including Lake Mills IA private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Lake Mills IA medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Lake Mills IA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees available for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degrees that are available in the Lake Mills IA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by community colleges, and take about two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy training to prep students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to finish and usually 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 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 overall investment of time 7 years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal component in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in some states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer attainable in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Lake Mills IA Although not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Lake Mills IA home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition may be somewhat lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you most likely 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 because there are so many PT schools within the Lake Mills IA area and throughout Iowa, you’ll need to research additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Also, you want to be sure that you choose the college that is best for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the schools you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier 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 program, 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 acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact a few Lake Mills IA physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your program options. It may also be a good idea to contact the Iowa Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Lake Mills IA area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for Iowa or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. While licensing requirements differ 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 tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Inquire if the physical therapist programs you are interested in have partnerships with Lake Mills IA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific means to receive hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help graduates and students establish professional connections in the Lake Mills medical community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are looking at 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 determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their Lake Mills IA home. Students who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble 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 decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? Most DPT colleges provide some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Inquire if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid department and find out what kind of aid is offered. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapist school you ultimately pick can offer 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 Lake Mills IA area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Lake Mills Iowa?

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

Lake Mills, Iowa

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 2,100 people, 944 households, and 552 families residing in the city. The population density was 777.8 inhabitants per square mile (300.3/km2). There were 1,055 housing units at an average density of 390.7 per square mile (150.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.7% White, 0.3% African American, 1.0% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.6% of the population.

There were 944 households of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.80.

The median age in the city was 45.3 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 23.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Lake Mills IA

Choosing the ideal physical therapy school is a necessary initial decision you have to make to start a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you pick should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are other relevant questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, bear in mind that a number of variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit each of the campuses to view their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Lake Mills IA.