Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Capitol Heights MD

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy Training Program near Capitol Heights 20731

Capitol Heights MD physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Capitol Heights MD is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate education and training. A PT must also be licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate the ones you are looking at to make sure they will provide a quality education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is select a school just because it happens to be the nearest 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 the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Capitol Heights MD physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of locations, such as Capitol Heights MD 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 touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Capitol Heights MD medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with 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 regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Capitol Heights MD physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the one degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short descriptions of degree levels that are available in the Capitol Heights MD area:

Associate Degrees train students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually offered by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prep students to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take four years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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 three years to finish, making the total investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an important element along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only 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 attainable in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Capitol Heights MD While not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy programs available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school 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 Capitol Heights MD residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be significantly lower than comparable on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning several of your preliminary questions, including the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Capitol Heights MD area and across Maryland, you’ll have to research other qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of college choices. Furthermore, you need to make certain that you choose the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist programs you are considering. Ask each of the competing schools these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the schools you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier stated, 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 college, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call some Capitol Heights MD physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your college selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Maryland Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two useful statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapy colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Capitol Heights MD area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps exceptional. It also verifies that the program has a broad network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Maryland or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy colleges you are interested in have relationships with Capitol Heights MD hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to get practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may help students and graduates establish professional relationships in the Capitol Heights medical community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that likes to sit way in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they pick will need to be within driving distance of their Capitol Heights MD 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 local internships will be of concern. Something to keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT schools provide some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid office and see what type of help is available. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial assistance may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist program you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Capitol Heights MD area, check that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have 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 Capitol Heights Maryland?

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

Capitol Heights, Maryland

Capitol Heights is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States.[5] The population was 4,337 at the 2010 census.[6] Development around the Capitol Heights Metro station has medical facilities and eateries to support the community. The Washington Redskins football stadium is just to the east of Capitol Heights, near the Capital Beltway (I-95/495) and Kingdom Square (formerly Hampton Mall) shopping center which features a hotel and eateries.

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 4,337 people, 1,482 households, and 1,040 families residing in the town. The population density was 5,421.3 inhabitants per square mile (2,093.2/km2). There were 1,622 housing units at an average density of 2,027.5 per square mile (782.8/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 3.3% White, 91.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 3.1% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.4% of the population.

There were 1,482 households of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.0% were married couples living together, 28.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.8% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.48.

Pick the Best Physical Therapy School near Capitol Heights MD

Selecting the best physical therapist college is an important initial decision you must make to launch a fulfilling career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you pick should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are additional important questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy college, keep in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your final decision. You may want to visit different colleges to see their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal selection. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Capitol Heights MD.