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

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist Program near Oberlin 70655

Oberlin LA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Oberlin LA is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated as a result of 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 necessary training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to research those you are considering to ensure they will furnish a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered in addition to location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Oberlin LA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse settings, such as Oberlin LA private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Oberlin LA health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

Oberlin LA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degree levels that are available in the Oberlin LA 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 earned a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often made available by junior or community colleges, and require two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to prep candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to complete and commonly include an internship program of at least 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). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the total investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential element along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in several states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has taken the place of the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer available in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Oberlin LA Although not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Oberlin LA residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition may be significantly lower than comparable on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you most likely have come to decision concerning a few of your initial queries, including the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Oberlin LA area and across Louisiana, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of college choices. Moreover, you want to make sure that you pick the school that is ideal for you. That’s why we have put together a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering. Ask all of the potential schools these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously 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 program, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy school and program you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are several ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Call some Oberlin LA 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 might also be prudent to check with the Louisiana Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Oberlin LA area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Louisiana or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Offered? Inquire if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have associations with Oberlin LA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to receive practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may assist students and graduates establish professional connections in the Oberlin health care community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are researching what the average teacher to student 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 a chance to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their Oberlin LA home. Those who have decided to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT colleges provide some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Inquire if the colleges you are considering have a financial assistance office and see what type of help is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapy college you ultimately select can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Oberlin LA area, verify that they are available. 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 carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Oberlin Louisiana?

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

Oberlin College

Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio. Founded as the Oberlin Collegiate Institute in 1833 by John Jay Shipherd and Philo Stewart, it is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second oldest continuously operating coeducational institute of higher learning in the world.[citation needed] The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the United States.[3] In 1835 Oberlin became the first college in the United States to admit African-Americans, and the first to admit women in 1837.[4]

Both the college and the town of Oberlin were founded in northern Ohio in 1833 by a pair of Presbyterian ministers, John Jay Shipherd and Philo Stewart.[5] The College was built on 500 acres (2.0 km2) of land specifically donated by the previous owners, Titus Street, founder of Streetsboro, Ohio, and Samuel Hughes,[6] who lived in Connecticut. Shipherd and Stewert named their project after Jean-Frédéric Oberlin, an Alsatian minister whom they both admired. The ministers' vision was for both a religious community and school. Oberlin's founders bragged that "Oberlin is peculiar in that which is good," and the college has long been associated with progressive causes.

Asa Mahan (1799–1889) accepted the position as first President of the Oberlin Collegiate Institute in 1835, simultaneously serving as the chair of intellectual and moral philosophy and a professor of theology. Mahan's liberal views towards abolitionism and anti-slavery greatly influenced the philosophy of the newly founded college; likewise, only two years after its founding, the school began admitting students of all races, becoming the first college in the United States to do so.[7] The college had some difficult beginnings, and Rev. John Keep and William Dawes were sent to England to raise funds for the college in 1839–40.[8] A nondenominational seminary,[9] Oberlin's Graduate School of Theology (first called the Theological Department), was established alongside the college in 1833.[10] In 1965, the board of trustees voted to discontinue graduate instruction in theology at Oberlin, and in September 1966, six faculty members and 22 students merged with the Divinity School of Vanderbilt University.[10][11] Oberlin's role as an educator of African-American students prior to the Civil War and thereafter is historically significant.[12] In 1844, Oberlin College graduated its first black student, George Boyer Vashon,[13] who became one of the founding professors at Howard University[14] and the first black lawyer admitted to the Bar in New York State.

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Oberlin LA

Deciding on the right physical therapist college is a necessary initial decision you must make to start a gratifying career in the health care field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you decide on should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are additional relevant questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that numerous variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit each of the schools to see their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important 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 options so you can make the right selection. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Oberlin LA.