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

How to Pick a Physical Therapy College near Mission 57555

Mission KS physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Mission KS is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated as a result of injury or illness gain back 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 become licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate those you are looking at to make sure they will deliver a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is select a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be considered in addition to cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Mission KS physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, such as Mission KS 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 earlier stated, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they create a program of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Mission KS health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Mission KS physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options offered for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degrees that are offered in the Mission KS area:

Associate Degrees educate students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often made available by community or junior colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to prep candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to finish and usually include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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 total investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an essential element in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in several states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer attainable in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Mission KS While not as prevalent as the more traditional alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Due to 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 school campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Mission KS home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition might be somewhat lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision regarding a few of your initial queries, including the type of physical therapist degree you would like to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Mission KS area and throughout Kansas, you’ll have to research other qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Furthermore, you want to make sure that you enroll in the program that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask each of the potential schools these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Find out if the schools you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As earlier mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online college, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Contact a few Mission KS physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your college selections. It might also be a good idea to check with the Kansas Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapy programs you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate 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 support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Mission KS area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or even exceptional. It also verifies that the college 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 college you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that supports 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 college. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapy colleges you are assessing have relationships with Mission KS clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific way to receive hands on training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may assist students and graduates establish professional relationships in the Mission healthcare community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit way in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they select will have to be within driving distance of their Mission KS residence. Individuals who have decided 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 concern. One thing to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? The majority of DPT colleges provide some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department and see what kind of help is available. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist college you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Mission KS area, verify that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Mission Kansas?

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

Mission, Kansas

The site where Mission now sits was once a rest stop for wagons moving westward on the Santa Fe Trail during the 19th Century.[citation needed] The clear spring water rising to the surface in present-day Mission made it an ideal place to collect drinking water for horses and travelers. For years the area was owned as a homestead by the Breyfogel family, who subdivided their land into 245 lots and sold them off in the early 20th Century.[citation needed] The town grew up slowly in the 1920s and 1930s, benefiting from its close proximity to Kansas City, Missouri.[citation needed] After World War II however, the town grew rapidly amid the post-war housing boom, as young families from Kansas City purchased their first homes.[citation needed]

Mission is located at 39°1′32″N 94°39′22″W / 39.02556°N 94.65611°W / 39.02556; -94.65611 (39.025572, -94.656056).[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.68 square miles (6.94 km2), of which, 2.67 square miles (6.92 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.[1]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 9,323 people, 5,000 households, and 2,130 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,491.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,348.2/km2). There were 5,477 housing units at an average density of 2,051.3 per square mile (792.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 84.6% White, 5.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 3.9% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.2% of the population.

Enroll in the Best Physical Therapist College near Mission KS

Deciding on the ideal physical therapist program is an important first decision you must make to start a rewarding career in the health care profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you decide on should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are additional important questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that a number of variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may want to go to each of the colleges to view their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper training and education, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Mission KS.