Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Osterville MA

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist College near Osterville 02655

Osterville MA physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Osterville MA is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated as a result of injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the necessary training and education. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to research those you are thinking about to make sure they will provide a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is select a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be considered along with cost and location. But before we discuss 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?

Osterville MA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, including Osterville MA hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Osterville MA health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone thinking about going into 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 long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Osterville MA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degree levels that are available in the Osterville MA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be 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 qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by junior or community colleges, and take about two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to prepare candidates to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally require 4 years to finish and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 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 complete, making the total commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an essential element in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in several states for licensing also.

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 United States. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Osterville MA Although not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Osterville MA residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the best choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning several of your preliminary questions, including the type of physical therapist degree you would like to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Osterville MA area and throughout Massachusetts, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of school options. Also, you need to make sure that you select the program that is best for you. That’s why we have put together a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Ask if the programs you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a national or a regional 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 choose an online program, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy school and program you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT school’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 organizations for their reviews as well. Call a few Osterville MA physical therapy clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might be interested 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 Massachusetts Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two important statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapy programs you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students left due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Osterville MA area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or even exceptional. It also affirms that the college has a broad 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 program you enroll in provides both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Massachusetts or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Provided? Inquire if the physical therapist programs you are assessing have partnerships with Osterville MA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great means to receive hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help students and graduates develop professional connections in the Osterville medical community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they choose will have to be within commuting distance of their Osterville MA 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 area internships will be of concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps 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 typically charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most DPT colleges offer some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are considering have a financial assistance office and see what type of aid is offered. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. Some physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapist school you finally select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Osterville MA area, verify that they are offered. 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 protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Osterville Massachusetts?

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

Osterville, Massachusetts

Osterville is one of seven villages within the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States. The village of Osterville is located on the south side of Barnstable on Nantucket Sound. Osterville is a residential community that includes marshes, bays, ponds, a small lake, beaches, and a small business district.

Osterville was originally named Cotacheset, based on the Native American name for the area. Over time it became a center for "oystering" (harvesting wild oysters) and was renamed Oysterville. Later a map misspelled the name as Osterville and the village became so.[citation needed]

Membership in the Osterville Historical Society is not limited but village-wide and open to all who are making history today, steadily swarming over the pleasant acres that “Paupinanack sold for a copper kettle and some fencing done.” How many years ago? About 1648 The range of “Cotacheset” was along East Bay and the Centerville River, and when a man said he was going down to Kocochoice, he meant where Crosby’s boat shop is now, along West Bay. The part of the David Estate that adjoins Marstons Mills was known as Mystic. The Shawme Indians being neighbors to Roger Goodspeed who was the first to venture into this territory. The Historical Society all began when a small group of three people recalling old tales of older generations. Promptly the group increased and interest as well, in back tracking to the very first, few that planted another firm foothold on Cape Cod sand.

Pick the Right Physical Therapist Degree Program near Osterville MA

Picking the ideal physical therapist college is a necessary first decision you have to make to start a gratifying career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you pick should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that numerous variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may want to visit different colleges to view their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing 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 education and training, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Osterville MA.