Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree – Cheney KS

How to Choose a Physical Therapy School near Cheney 67025

Cheney KS physical therapy school student with volunteerEarning a physical therapy degree near Cheney KS is an essential first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled as a result of illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the appropriate training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate those you are looking at to ensure they will deliver a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered besides 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 what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Cheney KS physical therapist helping patient walkPhysical therapists practice in diverse settings, such as Cheney KS hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

  • Osteoporosis and Arthritis
  • Car or motor cycle accidents
  • Strokes.
  • Cardiac arrest.
  • Sports injuries.
  • Burn injuries.
  • Knee Replacement.
  • Fibromyalgia.
  • Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Cheney KS medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone considering going into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Cheney KS physical therapist applying acupuncture to patientThere are three physical therapist degrees available for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief descriptions of degrees that are offered in the Cheney KS area:

  • Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often provided by community colleges, and require two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally part of the course of study.
  • Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to ready candidates to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require 4 years to finish and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
  • Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want 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 the majority of cases. Clinical training is an essential component in addition to the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in several 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 having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Cheney KSWhile not as prevalent as the more traditional options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist programs 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 necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the curriculum may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Cheney KS residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition might be significantly less than comparable on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you probably have made a decision concerning several of your preliminary questions, like the kind of physical therapist degree you intend 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 Cheney KS area and throughout Kansas, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of school choices. Furthermore, you want to be sure that you pick the college that is best for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing schools these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited?  Find out if the schools you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier 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 program, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Get in touch with several Cheney KS physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your program selections. It may also be prudent to check with the Kansas Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two significant statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Cheney KS area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even excellent. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to assist students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you choose provides both superior training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Kansas or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Offered? Inquire if the physical therapy colleges you are evaluating have associations with Cheney KS hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent way to obtain practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can help graduates and students form professional connections in the Cheney health care community and assist with job placement after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit way in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a smaller class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they pick will need to be within driving distance of their Cheney KS home. Those who have chosen to attend classes online naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? Most DPT colleges supply some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are looking at have a financial assistance office and find out what kind of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapy school you ultimately select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Cheney KS area, check that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Cheney Kansas?

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

Cheney, Kansas

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Cheney has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[11]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 2,094 people, 773 households, and 563 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,052.3 inhabitants per square mile (406.3/km2). There were 830 housing units at an average density of 417.1 per square mile (161.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.3% White, 0.3% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.5% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the population.

There were 773 households of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.2% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.12.

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Cheney KS

Selecting the best physical therapist program is an important first decision you must make to launch a fulfilling career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you decide on should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are other critical questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that many variables will lead you to your final decision. You may want to go to each of the schools 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 adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Cheney KS.

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