Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Flat Lick KY

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Training Program near Flat Lick 40935

Flat Lick KY physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Flat Lick KY is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated due to illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate training and education. A PT must also be licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to research those you are considering to make certain they will deliver a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is choose a school simply because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be evaluated besides location and cost. But before we talk about 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?

Flat Lick KY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying locations, such as Flat Lick KY hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they develop a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Flat Lick KY medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Flat Lick KY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees offered for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is attainable to practice as 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 short summaries of degree levels that are available in the Flat Lick KY area:

Associate Degrees train students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are usually provided by junior or community colleges, and require two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require 4 years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the total investment of time seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal component along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely 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 available in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Flat Lick KY While not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the program may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Flat Lick KY residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition might be somewhat lower than similar on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the best choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you most likely have come to decision regarding a few of your preliminary questions, like the kind of physical therapy degree you want to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT schools within the Flat Lick KY area and throughout Kentucky, you’ll have to research additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you want to be sure that you choose the school that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are considering. Ask each of the competing schools these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Ask if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. 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 choose an online program, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, starting 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 agencies for their reviews also. Contact a few Flat Lick KY physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your program options. It might also be a good idea to check with the Kentucky Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two relevant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Flat Lick KY area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even exceptional. It also verifies that the program has a large network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you choose provides both exceptional training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Kentucky or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapist colleges you are interested in have associations with Flat Lick KY hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific manner to obtain practical training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can help students and graduates develop professional connections in the Flat Lick healthcare community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

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 want a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are looking at 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 speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they select will have to be within commuting distance of their Flat Lick KY residence. Those who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something 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 be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? Most DPT schools offer some type 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 offered. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapist college you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Flat Lick KY area, make sure 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 have to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Flat Lick Kentucky?

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

List of Kentucky supplemental roads and rural secondary highways (500–999)

Kentucky supplemental roads and rural secondary highways are the lesser two of the four functional classes of highways constructed and maintained by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the state-level agency that constructs and maintains highways in Kentucky. The agency splits its inventory of state highway mileage into four categories[1]:

The same-numbered highway can comprise sections of road under different categories. This list contains descriptions of Supplemental Roads and highways in the Rural Secondary System numbered 500 to 999 that do not have portions within the State Primary and State Secondary systems.

Kentucky Route 505 is a 18.993-mile-long (30.566 km) rural secondary highway in eastern Ohio County. The highway extends from US 231 near Cromwell north to KY 878 at Olaton. KY 505 begins at US 231 () southeast of Cromwell. The highway heads northeast, bridges the West Prong of Indian Camp Creek, and crosses over the William H. Natcher Parkway. The highway gradually curves east as it crosses three branches of Indian Camp Creek and passes through Oak Grove and Select. At Baizetown, KY 505 meets the northern end of KY 1118 and turns north. The highway crosses the Western Kentucky Parkway on its way to Windy Hill, where the route meets the western end of KY 2713. KY 505 crosses over the Paducah and Louisville Railway shortly before its junction with US 62 east of Rosine. The two highway run concurrently east until KY 505 splits north near Horse Branch. KY 505 continues along Dan Road, which crosses Muddy Creek and a branch of Caney Creek before reaching its northern terminus at KY 878 at Olaton.[1][2][3]

Select the Right Physical Therapy School near Flat Lick KY

Picking the best physical therapy college is an important initial decision you have to make to start a fulfilling career in the medical profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you select should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. But there are additional critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that numerous variables will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to go to each of the schools to view their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Flat Lick KY.