How to Select a Physical Therapist School near Kingfield 04947

Receiving a physical therapist degree near Kingfield ME is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the necessary training and education. A PT must also be licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are considering to ensure they will supply a quality education and comply with 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 important qualifications that must be evaluated besides cost and location. 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?

Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, such as Kingfield ME private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they develop a program of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

• Osteoporosis and Arthritis
• Car or motor cycle accidents
• Head injuries.
• Cardiac arrest.
• Sports injuries.
• Fire injuries.
• Hip Replacement.
• Sciatica.
• Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Kingfield ME medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

There are three physical therapy degree options available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are brief summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Kingfield ME area:

• Associate Degrees prepare 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 GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are typically offered by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a component of the program.
• Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy training to prep students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take four years to complete and often incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
• Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program must also 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 seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential element along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor 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 replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer available in the USA. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

Although not as prevalent as the more traditional alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Kingfield ME residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition can be significantly lower than comparable on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning a few of your initial questions, including the kind of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Kingfield ME area and across Maine, you’ll need to explore other qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Also, you need to be sure that you enroll in the program that is ideal for you. That’s why we have collected a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. Ask all of the potential schools these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited?  Ask if the programs you are considering have received accreditation from a regional or a national 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 choose an online program, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist school and program you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Get in touch with a few Kingfield ME physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your school selections. It might also be a good idea to contact the Maine Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapist programs you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might mean 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 support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Kingfield ME area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also confirms that the school has a large network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you choose provides both superior training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Maine or the state where you will be practicing. In every 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 fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some 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 programs you are evaluating have relationships with Kingfield ME clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great way to receive practical training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may assist graduates and students establish professional relationships in the Kingfield healthcare community and assist with job placement after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they choose will have to be within travelling distance of their Kingfield ME residence. Students who have opted to attend classes online naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most DPT colleges provide some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial assistance office and find out what type of assistance is offered. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. Some physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapy program you ultimately select can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Kingfield ME area, make sure that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, find out 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 Kingfield Maine?

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

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Kingfield ME

Deciding on the ideal physical therapist college is a necessary first decision you must make to launch a rewarding career in the health care field. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you enroll in should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are other critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy college, keep in mind that a number of factors will lead you to your final decision. You may decide to go to each of the schools to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me reach 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 right choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Kingfield ME.

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