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

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy College near Huntingtown 20639

Huntingtown MD physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Huntingtown MD is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated due to illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate those you are considering to make sure they will supply a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is select a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be evaluated in addition to location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Huntingtown MD physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, including Huntingtown 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 previously mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Huntingtown MD medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

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

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to ready students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require 4 years to finish and usually incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order to become a practicing licensed 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 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an intregal component in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in a number of states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer attainable in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Huntingtown MD Although not as common as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist programs offered, more so 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 nearby an available internship. However, the online part of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Huntingtown MD home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition may be significantly lower than comparable on campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you most likely have made a decision regarding a few of your initial queries, such as the type of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Huntingtown MD area and across Maryland, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of college options. Moreover, you want to make certain that you enroll in the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are considering have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As earlier mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you enroll in an online program, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might 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 college and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are several ways you can look into a PT program’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact a few Huntingtown MD physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your school selections. It might 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 schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two significant statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may suggest that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Huntingtown MD area? If a school 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 college has a wide network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria 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) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapist schools you are assessing have relationships with Huntingtown MD clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent manner to obtain hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help graduates and students establish professional relationships in the Huntingtown health care community and assist with job placement once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at 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 ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with some of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their Huntingtown MD home. Those who have chosen 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 importance. Something to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? The majority of DPT colleges provide some form of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid office and find out what kind of assistance is offered. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. Some physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapist school you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Huntingtown MD area, confirm that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Huntingtown Maryland?

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

Huntingtown, Maryland

Huntingtown is a census-designated place (CDP) in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,311 at the 2010 census,[1] up from 2,436 at the 2000 census. Many large estate homes have recently been built in small developments off Maryland Route 2/4. It has a public high school called Huntingtown High. The Calverton School is located just south of the town center. State-operated commuter buses and private vanpools carry residents to Washington, D.C.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 2,436 people, 768 households, and 668 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 296.3 people per square mile (114.4/km²). There were 784 housing units at an average density of 95.4/sq mi (36.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 79.84% White, 17.04% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.86% of the population.

There were 768 households out of which 48.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.0% were non-families. 10.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.17 and the average family size was 3.42.

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Huntingtown MD

Choosing the right physical therapist program is an important first decision you must make to start a gratifying career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you decide on should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are other relevant questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist school, bear in mind that a number of variables will lead you toward your final decision. You may decide to go to each of the colleges to view their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me achieve my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the right selection. And with the proper training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Huntingtown MD.