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

How to Pick a Physical Therapist College near Douglas 49406

Douglas MI physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Douglas MI is an important first step to starting a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the proper education and training. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate those you are considering to ensure they will provide a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be considered besides location and cost. But before we talk about 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’s Job Description?

Douglas MI physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, such as Douglas MI private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they design a program of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Douglas MI medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Douglas MI 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 choices, the only degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief summaries of degrees that are offered in the Douglas MI area:

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually offered by junior or community colleges, and require two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy training to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to finish and usually include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the total commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an important element along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer attainable 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 current licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Douglas MI Although not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Douglas MI residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition might be significantly lower than comparable on-campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

By now you most likely have come to decision concerning some of your preliminary questions, like the type of physical therapy degree you intend to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT schools within the Douglas MI area and across Michigan, you’ll have to explore other qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school options. Also, you need to make sure that you pick the program that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the schools you are considering have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. 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 college, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Contact several Douglas MI physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your college selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Michigan Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two relevant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Douglas MI area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care community is good or even excellent. It also confirms that the school has a large network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Michigan or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Provided? Inquire if the physical therapist colleges you are evaluating have relationships with Douglas MI clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great means to obtain practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help students and graduates establish professional connections in the Douglas health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit way in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they choose will have to be within driving distance of their Douglas MI home. Those who have chosen to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of DPT schools provide some type of financial support to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are examining have a financial assistance office and see what kind of aid 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 colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy program you ultimately choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Douglas MI area, make sure that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an option 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 may miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Douglas Michigan?

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

Douglas, Michigan

Douglas (officially known as the City of the Village of Douglas) is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,232 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by Saugatuck Township and the city of Saugatuck is adjacent on the north.

On December 13, 2004, residents voted to adopt a charter changing the status of the village into a city form of government.[1] Under Michigan law, cities are independent entities whereas villages are part of the township. The official name is City of the Village of Douglas.

Douglas, originally known as Dudleyville, was first settled by European-Americans in 1851 as a lumber mill town. In 1861, residents changed the name to Douglas. Reportedly the name was chosen to honor the American statesman Stephen A. Douglas,[8] but other reports indicate that a relative of the original owner of the land also suggested the name because he came from Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man. Douglas was incorporated as a village in 1870.

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapy Degree Program near Douglas MI

Choosing the ideal physical therapist school is a necessary first decision you have to make to launch a rewarding career in the healthcare field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you pick should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are other relevant questions that you need to ask concerning your college of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy program, bear in mind that a number of variables will guide you toward your final decision. You may decide to visit each of the schools to view their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing 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 choice. And with the proper training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Douglas MI.