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

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Program near Myersville 21773

Myersville MD physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Myersville MD is an important first step to launching a fulfilling career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated due to injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the appropriate education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate those you are looking at to make certain they will provide a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is choose a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered along with location and cost. But before we talk about 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Myersville MD physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying locations, including Myersville MD hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Myersville MD medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

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

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are typically made available by community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. While 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 require 4 years to complete and commonly incorporate 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 complete, making the total investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an important component in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in some 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 licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Myersville MD While not as prevalent as the more traditional alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Myersville MD residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat lower than comparable on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the best choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you probably have made a decision concerning several of your initial queries, including the type of physical therapy degree you would like 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 Myersville MD area and across Maryland, you’ll need to explore other qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of college options. Furthermore, you need to be sure that you enroll in the school that is right for you. That’s why we have collected a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing schools these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online program, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist school and program you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact a few Myersville MD physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your college selections. It might 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 couple of useful statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapist schools you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Myersville MD area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care community is good or even outstanding. It also confirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you select furnishes both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Maryland or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapist programs you are reviewing have associations with Myersville MD hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent means to receive hands on training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Myersville healthcare community and assist with job placement after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they select will need to be within driving distance of their Myersville MD residence. Students who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble 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 decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT schools supply some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office and find out what kind of aid is offered. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others provide 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 last you need to verify that the physical therapist school you ultimately choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Myersville MD area, verify that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Myersville Maryland?

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

Myersville, Maryland

In October 2002, the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area snipers John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo who terrorized the region were apprehended at a rest stop along westbound I-70 in Myersville. The two were discovered when a truck driver recognized their car from police reports. The trucker used his rig to block the exit from the stop while he alerted police.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.02 square miles (2.64 km2), all of it land.[2] The Myersville area is the source of Catoctin Creek (Maryland) which roughly flows in a "C" loop pattern (northside to eastside to southside) just outside the city limits.

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 1,626 people, 531 households, and 437 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,594.1 inhabitants per square mile (615.5/km2). There were 553 housing units at an average density of 542.2 per square mile (209.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.1% White, 2.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population.

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapist School near Myersville MD

Deciding on the ideal physical therapist program is a necessary initial decision you have to make to launch a fulfilling 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 outstanding reputations and accreditation. But there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that many variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to go to each of the colleges to view their facilities and speak with 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 additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Myersville MD.