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

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Degree Program near Davidsonville 21035

Davidsonville MD physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Davidsonville MD is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the proper training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate the ones you are considering to make sure they will furnish a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be evaluated 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Davidsonville MD physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying locations, such as Davidsonville MD hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Davidsonville MD medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Davidsonville MD physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options available for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short explanations of degrees that are available in the Davidsonville MD area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often provided by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to complete and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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 three years to finish, making the total investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an important element along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in several 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 offered in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Davidsonville MD While not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Davidsonville MD home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat lower than comparable on campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you probably have made a decision concerning some of your initial queries, including the type of physical therapist 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 Davidsonville MD area and across Maryland, you’ll need to research additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of school options. Furthermore, you need to be sure that you select the program that is right for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy schools you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential schools these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. 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 select an online college, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact some Davidsonville MD physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your school selections. It may also be a good idea to check with the Maryland Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy schools you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Davidsonville MD area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or even excellent. It also affirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you select furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Maryland or the state where you will be practicing. 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 differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Offered? Inquire if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have relationships with Davidsonville MD hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to obtain hands on training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may assist graduates and students develop professional connections in the Davidsonville health care community and help with job placement once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are looking at what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with some of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their Davidsonville MD residence. Students who have decided to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble 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 college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? The majority of DPT schools supply some type of financial support to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and find out what kind of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. Some physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist program you ultimately choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Davidsonville MD area, confirm that they are offered. 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 enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Davidsonville Maryland?

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

Davidsonville, Maryland

Davidsonville is an unincorporated community in central Anne Arundel County, Maryland, USA. It is a semi-rural community composed mostly of farms and suburban-like developments and is a good example of an "exurb." Davidsonville has relatively little commercial development and no high-density housing. The community is generally not served by public water, sewer or natural gas utilities, so homes generally employ well-and-septic systems. The nominal, if not geographic, center of Davidsonville is the intersection of Maryland routes 424 (Davidsonville Rd.) and 214 (Central Ave.), located at 38°55′22″N 76°37′42″W / 38.9229°N 76.6284°W / 38.9229; -76.6284. The Davidsonville Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

As of the 2010 U.S. census, the Davidsonville ZIP code (21035) had a population of 7,815 and a median annual household income of US$141,011; 1.5 percent of families had incomes below the poverty line. Ethnically, 92 percent of the population was white, four percent was black or African American, two percent was Asian, with the rest other ethnicities. Ninety-four percent of homes were owner-occupied.[1] As of the 2007 United States Census Bureau's Economic Census, 13 year-round retail business establishments and three retail food establishments were located in Davidsonville.[2]

Before European colonists settled in what is now Davidsonville, the area was the home to Algonquian-speaking Native American tribes. By the time Europeans began to arrive in central Anne Arundel County in numbers, the Algonquians may have vacated the area due to persistent raids by more battle-hearty members of the Susquehannock tribe.[clarification needed][citation needed]

Select the Best Physical Therapy School near Davidsonville MD

Choosing the best physical therapist college is a necessary first decision you need to make to begin a rewarding career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you enroll in should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are other relevant questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist school, bear in mind that many factors will guide you to your ultimate decision. You might decide to go to each of the colleges to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Davidsonville MD.