Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Greenwood LA

How to Choose a Physical Therapy Training Program near Greenwood 71033

Greenwood LA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Greenwood LA is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the proper education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are looking at to make sure they will supply a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered besides 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Greenwood LA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying locations, including Greenwood LA hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Greenwood LA health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Greenwood LA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the single degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short descriptions of degrees that are available in the Greenwood LA area:

Associate Degrees train students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by community colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to complete and often include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want to become a licensed practicing 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 finish, making the overall investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential component in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer available in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Greenwood LA While not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, 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 requires that the student live near the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Greenwood LA home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition might be somewhat lower than similar on campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision concerning some of your initial questions, such as the type of physical therapy degree you want to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT schools within the Greenwood LA area and throughout Louisiana, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of school options. Furthermore, you need to make certain that you select the program that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the programs you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you enroll in an online program, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy school and program you choose are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting 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 some Greenwood LA physical therapist centers or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your college options. It may also be prudent to contact the Louisiana Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After 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 Greenwood LA area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or perhaps excellent. It also affirms that the program has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you select furnishes both superior training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Louisiana or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are assessing have associations with Greenwood LA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great way to obtain practical training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist graduates and students establish professional relationships in the Greenwood health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Greenwood LA residence. Students who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry 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 choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps 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 typically charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? Most DPT colleges offer some type of financial support to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are examining have a financial aid office and find out what type of aid is available. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. Some physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapist college you ultimately choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Greenwood LA area, confirm 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 have to carry. Also, ask what the procedure 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 Greenwood Louisiana?

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

Greenwood, Louisiana

Greenwood is a town in southern Caddo Parish, which is located in the northwest corner of Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,219 at the 2010 census,[3] up from 2,458 in 2000. Part of the Shreveport-Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area, it is located 15 miles west of downtown Shreveport.

Greenwood is approximately 165 miles east of Dallas, Texas, and about 290 miles northwest of New Orleans. In 2006 Earnest Lampkins was elected as the first black mayor of Greenwood; in January 2007 shots were fired into his house and he received threats during his tenure.

During the Civil War Battle of Mansfield in April 1864, Confederate wounded were treated at the historic Dunn House built in the 1840s. It is now located next to the Town Hall on Highway 80. Several other historic houses located in Greenwood, including the Trosper House, have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapy Training Program near Greenwood LA

Selecting the right physical therapist program is a necessary initial decision you need to make to launch a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are additional important questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that many factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to go to different schools to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me realize my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Greenwood LA.