Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Colon MI

How to Select a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Colon 49040

Colon MI physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Colon MI is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled due to illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the necessary education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to research those you are considering to ensure they will deliver a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is choose 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 considered in addition to location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Colon MI physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of locations, such as Colon MI 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 touched on, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they develop a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Colon MI medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

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

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually provided by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to ready candidates to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to complete and usually include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement in order to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program also must 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 commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential element along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in a number of 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 eliminated and is no longer attainable in the United States. Some practicing 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 Therapist Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Colon MI Although not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated 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 can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Colon MI residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat lower than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you probably have come to decision regarding some of your initial questions, like the type of physical therapy degree you intend to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the Colon MI area and across Michigan, you’ll need to explore other qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of college options. Moreover, you want to make sure that you enroll in the college that is best for you. That’s why we have collected 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 prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional 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 choose an online program, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Call some Colon MI physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your school selections. It may also be prudent to check with the Michigan Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of important statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapist colleges you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students left because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Colon MI area? If a program 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 verifies that the school has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the college you enroll in provides both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for Michigan or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Offered? Find out if the physical therapy schools you are assessing have partnerships with Colon MI clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent manner to receive hands on training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help students and graduates form professional relationships in the Colon medical community and assist with job placement after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are reviewing what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. 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 converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Colon MI residence. Those who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to keep 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 be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT colleges supply some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial assistance department and see what type of assistance is available. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapy school you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you choose to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Colon MI area, make sure that they are offered. 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 carry. Also, ask what the protocol 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 Colon Michigan?

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

Colon, Michigan

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.73 square miles (4.48 km2), of which 1.37 square miles (3.55 km2) is land and 0.36 square miles (0.93 km2) is water.[1] The town is flanked by Long Lake and Palmer Lake, which are connected by a narrow channel.

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,173 people, 485 households, and 299 families residing in the village. The population density was 856.2 inhabitants per square mile (330.6/km2). There were 650 housing units at an average density of 474.5 per square mile (183.2/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.3% White, 0.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 485 households of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.4% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.04.

Pick the Right Physical Therapist School near Colon MI

Choosing the right physical therapist college is an important first decision you have to make to launch a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you select should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that numerous factors will guide you to your final decision. You may want to visit different campuses to see their facilities and talk with active 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 be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right selection. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Colon MI.