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

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Decatur 49045

Decatur MI physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Decatur MI is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career in the health 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 obtain the necessary education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate the ones you are looking at to ensure they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered in addition to 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?

Decatur MI physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, such as Decatur MI private practices, hospitals, 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 individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Decatur MI medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

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

Associate Degrees train 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 made available by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to finish and often 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 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 seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an intregal component in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in a number of 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 eliminated and is no longer available in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Decatur MI While not as common as the on campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Decatur MI home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition may be significantly less than comparable on-campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning some of your initial queries, like the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Decatur MI area and throughout Michigan, you’ll need to research other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Moreover, you need to make sure that you pick the college that is right for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are considering. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously 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 can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Get in touch with several Decatur MI physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your program options. It might also be prudent to contact the Michigan Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of important statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out 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 help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Decatur MI area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also verifies that the college has a large network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you choose furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Michigan or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are assessing have associations with Decatur MI hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great means to get hands on training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist graduates and students form professional relationships in the Decatur healthcare community and help with job placement after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering 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 ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with some of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they select will have to be within driving distance of their Decatur MI home. Those who have decided to attend classes online naturally 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 bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a program 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 for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? Most DPT colleges supply some type of financial support to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial assistance office and find out what type of assistance is available. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. Some physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapy school you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Decatur MI area, make certain that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Decatur Michigan?

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

Decatur, Michigan

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.43 square miles (3.70 km2), of which 1.35 square miles (3.50 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) is water.[1]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,819 people, 701 households, and 448 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,347.4 inhabitants per square mile (520.2/km2). There were 781 housing units at an average density of 578.5 per square mile (223.4/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 87.6% White, 2.7% African American, 1.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.1% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.4% of the population.

There were 701 households of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.10.

Pick the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Decatur MI

Picking the right physical therapist program is an important initial decision you need to make to begin a gratifying career in the healthcare field. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you choose should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are additional critical questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy college, keep in mind that numerous factors will guide you to your final decision. You may decide to go to each of the campuses to view their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school 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 ideal selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Decatur MI.