Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Burtonsville MD

How to Choose a Physical Therapy School near Burtonsville 20866

Burtonsville MD physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Burtonsville MD is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the proper education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate the ones you are looking at to make sure they will provide a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is choose a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered along with 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 is a Physical Therapist?

Burtonsville MD physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, such as Burtonsville MD hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Burtonsville MD health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Burtonsville MD physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degrees that are offered in the Burtonsville MD 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 usually provided by community or junior colleges, and require two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training to prepare students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program must also be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential element in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only 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 United States. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Burtonsville MD Although not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college 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 Burtonsville MD home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition can be significantly less than comparable on-campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you most likely have made a decision concerning several of your initial queries, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you intend to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are so many PT schools within the Burtonsville MD area and throughout Maryland, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of college choices. Also, you want to make sure that you pick the college that is right for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential schools these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the programs you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. 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 enroll in an online school, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may 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 school and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Call some Burtonsville MD physical therapy centers or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your school options. It might also be a good idea to contact the Maryland Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two useful statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist schools you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Burtonsville MD area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the school has a wide network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for Maryland or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Offered? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have relationships with Burtonsville MD hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent way to get practical training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may help graduates and students form professional relationships in the Burtonsville healthcare community and assist with job placement after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are researching what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they pick will have to be within travelling distance of their Burtonsville MD residence. Students who have chosen to attend online classes 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 bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? The majority of DPT colleges provide some form of financial support to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department and find out what kind of aid is obtainable. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist school you finally choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Burtonsville MD area, confirm that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Burtonsville Maryland?

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

Burtonsville, Maryland

In colonial times, the area was referred to as the Patuxent Hundred and later the Eastern Branch Hundred, a community comprising about 100 inhabitants. Prince George's County Court recorded that on September 27, 1699, Thomas Wells and Thomas Pindell were appointed to be the overseers of Patuxant Hundred.[1]

Among some of the earliest land grants are Maiden's Fancy, a 580-acre (2.3 km2) tract surveyed for Neal Clark in 1700, and Bear Bacon nearby, a 600-acre (2.4 km2) tract of land surveyed in 1703 for a Mark Richardson. Another prominent land holder was Richard Snowden, an iron master, who held various land patents in the area, including Snowdens Manor (surveyed 1715) consisting of an impressive 9,265 acres (37.49 km2) and Snowdens Mill (surveyed 1723) occupying an additional 546 acres (2.21 km2). From these larger tracts, among others, were carved smaller tracts of land which were either rented or sold off to planters and the like.[citation needed]

The community of Burtonsville, originally called Burton's, takes its name from Isaac Burton, who in 1825 bought out his siblings' shares of his father's land and became the major landowner in the area. He and his wife Keturah had 17 children, many of whom stayed in the area as adults. The community itself grew around the intersection of Old Columbia Pike and the road to Sandy Spring. In the 1850s Isaac Burton became the first postmaster of the newly established post office in the vicinity, which operated out of his store at the intersection. Burtonsville's core area today continues to center around the intersection of Maryland Route 198 and US Route 29.[2]

Pick the Right Physical Therapist School near Burtonsville MD

Picking the right physical therapist school is an important first decision you need to make to start a gratifying career in the health care field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you pick should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are additional critical 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 a number of factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may want to visit different colleges to see their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Burtonsville MD.