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

How to Pick a Physical Therapy College near Springville 52336

Springville IA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Springville IA is an essential first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the proper training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate those you are thinking about to ensure they will supply a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is enroll in a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be evaluated along with cost and location. 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Springville IA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying locations, such as Springville IA private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. 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 frequently pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Springville IA health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to take note of for anyone considering getting into 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 long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

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

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often made available by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to prepare students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally require 4 years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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 overall investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal component in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in a number of states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has taken the place of the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer available in the USA. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Springville IA While not as common as the more traditional options, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online portion of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Springville IA residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat lower than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, such as the type of physical therapist 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 because there are numerous PT schools within the Springville IA area and across Iowa, you’ll have to explore other qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Furthermore, you need to make sure that you pick 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 therapist programs you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential schools these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the programs you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online college, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy school and program you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Contact a few Springville IA physical therapist centers or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your school options. It might also be prudent to contact the Iowa Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two relevant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapist schools you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Springville IA area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care community is good or even outstanding. It also confirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to assist students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you choose provides both excellent training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Iowa or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing have associations with Springville IA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to get hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help graduates and students establish professional connections in the Springville health care community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Springville IA residence. Those who have decided to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need 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 Support Offered? Most DPT schools supply some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are examining have a financial aid department and see what type of aid is offered. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist college you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Springville IA area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Springville Iowa?

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

Springville, Iowa

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,074 people, 442 households, and 313 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,491.7 inhabitants per square mile (575.9/km2). There were 462 housing units at an average density of 641.7 per square mile (247.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.9% White, 0.1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.3% of the population.

There were 442 households of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.3% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.2% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.86.

The median age in the city was 39.3 years. 22% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.3% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 14.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

Select the Ideal Physical Therapy Training Program near Springville IA

Picking the right physical therapist college is an important first decision you need to make to launch a rewarding career in the health care field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you choose should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are other critical questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that numerous factors will guide you to your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit each of the schools to see their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the best choice. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Springville IA.