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

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Degree Program near Pleasantville 50225

Pleasantville IA physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Pleasantville IA is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the necessary education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research the ones you are looking at to make certain they will provide a quality education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is enroll in a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be considered in addition to location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Pleasantville IA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, such as Pleasantville IA hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and lessen 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.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Pleasantville IA medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Pleasantville IA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options offered for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief descriptions of degrees that are offered in the Pleasantville IA area:

Associate Degrees train students to become physical therapy assistants, or can 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 typically made available by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education 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 integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to complete and usually include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an important component along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not just 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 practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Colleges Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Pleasantville IA Although not as common as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online portion of the course of study may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Pleasantville IA home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition can be somewhat less than comparable on-campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the best choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you most likely have made a decision regarding some of your initial queries, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Pleasantville IA area and throughout Iowa, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of college choices. Moreover, you need to make certain that you enroll in the college that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential schools these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the schools 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 choose an online program, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, starting 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. Get in touch with a few Pleasantville IA physical therapy centers 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 may also be prudent to check with the Iowa Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two relevant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students left because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Pleasantville IA area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the program has a broad network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you select provides both exceptional training and a curriculum that supports 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) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing have associations with Pleasantville IA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent means to get hands on training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Pleasantville healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that likes to sit way in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Pleasantville IA home. Those who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something 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 may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? Most DPT colleges provide some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are considering have a financial assistance department and find out what type of assistance is available. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapy college you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Pleasantville IA area, verify that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Pleasantville Iowa?

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

Pleasantville, Iowa

Pleasantville was surveyed and established as a town on August 1, 1849 on land then owned by William Wesley Jordan. Previous to the ownership of Mr. Jordan, the land comprising the original town plot of Pleasantville changed hands for one horse and $30.

The completion of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad Line through Pleasantville in 1879 caused an increase in development and Pleasantville became one of the active business centers in Marion County and the principal shipping point between Knoxville and Des Moines.

The first school was built in the fall of 1847, and in 1868, the school district joined with the Masonic Lodge in building a three story brick building that remained a school facility until 1992. Today, the Pleasantville School district consists of three buildings, an elementary, a middle school, and a high school.

Select the Ideal Physical Therapy College near Pleasantville IA

Selecting the right physical therapist program is an important initial decision you need to make to launch a rewarding career in the health care profession. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you pick should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are additional critical questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that numerous variables will guide you to your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit each of the campuses to see their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the right choice. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Pleasantville IA.