How to Select a Physical Therapist Training Program near Dollar Bay 49922

Getting a physical therapy degree near Dollar Bay MI is an essential first step to starting a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the necessary education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate the ones you are looking at to ensure they will provide a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is enroll in a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated along with cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, including Dollar Bay MI private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

• Arthritis or Osteoporosis
• Car or motor cycle accidents
• Strokes.
• Heart attacks.
• Sports injuries.
• Burn injuries.
• Knee Replacement.
• Fibromyalgia.
• Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Dollar Bay MI medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone considering 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 Degrees Offered

There are 3 physical therapist degrees available for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degrees that are offered in the Dollar Bay MI area:

• Associate Degrees educate students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are typically provided by junior or community colleges, and take about two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically part of the course of study.
• Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to finish and often include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
• Doctorate Degrees are required if you want 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 finish, making the total investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal component along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in some 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 USA. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

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 nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Dollar Bay MI residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be somewhat less 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 benefits can make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you probably have made a decision concerning some of your initial questions, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you want to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the Dollar Bay MI area and across Michigan, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of college choices. Furthermore, you need to make certain that you choose the program that is best for you. That’s why we have put together a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited?  Ask if the schools you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier 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 enroll in an online school, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT program’s reputation, starting 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 a few Dollar Bay MI physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your program selections. It may also be a good idea to check with the Michigan Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students left because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Dollar Bay MI area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or even excellent. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Michigan or the state where you will be working. 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 school. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing have partnerships with Dollar Bay MI hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great means to get practical training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help graduates and students form professional connections in the Dollar Bay medical community and help with job placement once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that likes to sit way in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing 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 talk with some of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they choose will have to be within commuting distance of their Dollar Bay MI home. Those who have decided to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT schools offer some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are examining have a financial aid department and see what type of help is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist program you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Dollar Bay MI area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an option 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 might miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Dollar Bay Michigan?

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

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapy Training Program near Dollar Bay MI

Choosing the best physical therapy college is a necessary initial decision you have to make to start a gratifying career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you decide on should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. But there are other relevant questions that you should ask regarding your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist program, bear in mind that many variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might want to visit different schools to see their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper training and education, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Dollar Bay MI.

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