Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Lexington Park MD

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist Training Program near Lexington Park 20653

Lexington Park MD physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Lexington Park MD is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the necessary education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate those you are looking at to make sure they will deliver a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is choose a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be considered besides location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Lexington Park MD physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, including Lexington Park 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 the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Lexington Park MD medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Lexington Park MD physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options available for students to enroll in 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 target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Lexington Park MD area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are typically offered by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years for completion. 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 ready students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral 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 at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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 three years to complete, making the total investment of time 7 years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an important element along with the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not just 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 United States. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Lexington Park MD While not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Lexington Park MD home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition might be somewhat less than similar on-campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you would like to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are numerous PT schools within the Lexington Park MD area and throughout Maryland, you’ll have to explore other qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you need to make sure that you enroll in the program that is right for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are considering. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Ask if the schools you are reviewing 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 choose an online college, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, beginning 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 organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with some Lexington Park MD physical therapist centers or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your program 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 Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two useful statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Lexington Park MD area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the school has a large network of contacts to assist students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you select furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that supports 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 therapist school. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Provided? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are evaluating have partnerships with Lexington Park MD clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to get practical training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist graduates and students form professional relationships in the Lexington Park health care community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

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

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they decide on will need to be within driving distance of their Lexington Park MD residence. Those who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to consider is that if you choose 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 often charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

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

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy program you ultimately select can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Lexington Park MD area, make sure that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Lexington Park Maryland?

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

Lexington Park, Maryland

Lexington Park is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States, and the principal community of the Lexington Park, Maryland Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,626 at the 2010 census.

Archeological research in the county has shown that Native American peoples inhabited the area for at least 10,000 years. At the time of the arrival of the first colonists, the area was inhabited by the Yaocomico branch of the Piscataway Indian Nation. The Piscataway Nation, although fragmented, still exists today, and has small communities and cultural centers in other parts of the county.

The area was expanded into by "planters" (mostly tobacco farmers) who moved into the area as the original settlement in St. Mary's City grew. Early plantations were first farmed by indentured and free labor, but in the late 1600s slavery began to establish itself in Maryland and the character of farming changed due to this. Wealth was concentrated in very few hands and small free farmers and laborers were pushed out or "down" (into poverty) due to competition with slave labor.

Choose the Right Physical Therapy College near Lexington Park MD

Choosing the ideal physical therapy school is an important first decision you must make to begin a gratifying career in the healthcare profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you select should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. But there are other important questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy college, keep in mind that a number of factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might want to visit each of the campuses to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Lexington Park MD.