Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Holyrood KS

How to Pick a Physical Therapy Program near Holyrood 67450

Holyrood KS physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Holyrood KS is a critical first step to starting a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled due to injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research those you are looking at to make sure they will deliver a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be evaluated besides location and cost. But before we discuss 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Holyrood KS physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, such as Holyrood KS private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Holyrood KS medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Holyrood KS physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degrees that are available in the Holyrood KS area:

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are typically offered by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally take four years to complete and usually 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 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 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an essential element in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in several 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 attainable in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists having 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 Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Holyrood KS While not as common as the on-campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature 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 an available internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Holyrood KS residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be significantly less than similar on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

By now you probably have come to decision regarding several of your preliminary questions, including the kind of physical therapy degree you want to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are numerous PT schools within the Holyrood KS area and throughout Kansas, you’ll need to research additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Also, you want to make sure that you select the program that is right for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. 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 school, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not just the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact several Holyrood KS physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer 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 schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two relevant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Holyrood KS area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or even excellent. It also confirms that the program has a large network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you choose furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Kansas or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Provided? Ask if the physical therapy colleges you are interested in have partnerships with Holyrood 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 assist graduates and students develop professional connections in the Holyrood medical community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit way in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will likely prefer a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching 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 talk with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they choose will have to be within travelling distance of their Holyrood KS residence. Individuals who have chosen to attend online classes naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to keep in mind is that if you choose 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 often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? The majority of DPT schools offer some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office and find out what kind of assistance is available. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapist college you ultimately select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Holyrood KS area, verify that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Holyrood Kansas?

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

Holyrood, Kansas

Holyrood was founded in 1874 [8] and was established as a city in 1886.[9] The original site of Holyrood was a half-mile south of Holyrood's present site.[8] When settlers first moved into the area, dugout houses were the home of choice.[8] The first settlers of Holyrood were Irish, but they were soon followed by people of German and Czech Origin. Some of the first names to appear in the area were Phelan, Corrigan, Schepmann, and Siemsen as noted in the St. Peter Lutheran Church's earliest records.[8]

The first post office in Holyrood was established in June 1874, but the name of the post office was spelled Hollyrood. The name was changed on July 26, 1898. The first postmaster was John Corrigan who served for over four years. Corrigan hailed from Holyrood, Ontario, Canada. The name of Holyrood originally comes from Holyrood Abbey, today known as the Abbey and Palace of Holyroodhouse, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Through Corrigan, the town can directly trace its name to the town of Holyrood, Ontario, Canada, a town settled by Scottish people.[8]

During the first several decades of Holyrood's existence, church worship was held in the homes of local farmers, funerals were at the home of the deceased, and marriages were performed in the home of the bride's parents. In 1883, the first church of Holyrood was organized: the St. Peter's Lutheran Church. The first building for the Lutheran congregation was built one mile southeast of Holyrood. In 1908, the parsonage was moved into town.[8]

Choose the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Holyrood KS

Deciding on the ideal physical therapy school is an important first decision you have to make to launch a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you enroll in should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. But there are other critical questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that numerous variables will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You may want to go to each of the colleges to view their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program 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 field so you can make the best selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Holyrood KS.