Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Beaver Dam KY

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy College near Beaver Dam 42320

Beaver Dam KY physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Beaver Dam KY is a critical first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the appropriate training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate the ones you are looking at to ensure they will supply a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is choose a school simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be evaluated along with location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Beaver Dam KY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, including Beaver Dam KY hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Beaver Dam KY medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, 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 Therapy Degree Options

Beaver Dam KY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options offered for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is offered 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. Following are short explanations of degrees that are offered in the Beaver Dam KY area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to prep students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 4 years to finish and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want 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 three years to complete, making the total investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an important component along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in some 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. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Beaver Dam KY While not as prevalent as the more traditional options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Beaver Dam KY residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition may be significantly less than comparable on campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision concerning a few of your preliminary questions, like the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Beaver Dam KY area and across Kentucky, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to make certain that you select 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 schools you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential schools these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the schools 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 college, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with several Beaver Dam KY physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your school selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Kentucky Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two relevant statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy programs you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students dropped out because of displeasure 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 Beaver Dam KY area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even exceptional. It also verifies that the school has a broad network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Kentucky or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapist colleges you are interested in have associations with Beaver Dam KY clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific way to obtain practical experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may help graduates and students develop professional connections in the Beaver Dam medical community and assist with job placement after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit far in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they pick will have to be within commuting distance of their Beaver Dam KY residence. Those who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something to keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? The majority of DPT schools supply some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Inquire if the colleges you are examining have a financial assistance department and find out what type of aid is available. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. Some physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapist college you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Beaver Dam KY area, confirm that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Beaver Dam Kentucky?

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

Beaver Dam, Kentucky

Beaver Dam is a home rule-class city[2] in Ohio County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 3,515 at the 2010 census. It is named for the Beaver Dam Baptist Church which predates the town by several decades.[3] The city was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1873.[4]

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Beaver Dam has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[6]

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 3,033 people, 1,297 households, and 889 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,200.9 people per square mile (462.9/km²). There were 1,411 housing units at an average density of 558.7 per square mile (215.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.11% White, 3.43% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.71% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.57% of the population.

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapist College near Beaver Dam KY

Choosing the ideal physical therapist college is a necessary initial decision you have to make to begin a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you choose should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. However there are additional relevant questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your final decision. You might want to visit each of the campuses to see their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the best selection. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Beaver Dam KY.