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

How to Choose a Physical Therapist College near Franklin 48025

Franklin MI physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Franklin MI is a critical first step to launching a fulfilling career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the proper education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to make certain they will furnish a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is choose a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has cheapest 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 what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Franklin MI physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, including Franklin MI hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Franklin MI health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering going into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Franklin MI physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degrees that are available in the Franklin MI area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are typically provided by community or junior colleges, and take about two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to ready students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require 4 years to finish and commonly include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement in order to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program must also 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 or practical training is an essential component along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Therefor 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 taken the place of the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer offered in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Colleges Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Franklin MI While not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online part of the program may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Franklin MI residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition might be significantly lower than similar on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, including the type of physical therapist degree you want to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT schools within the Franklin MI area and throughout Michigan, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Moreover, you need to be sure that you choose the school that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are considering. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Find out if the programs you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier stated, 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 earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not just 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 receive a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact a few Franklin MI physical therapy clinics or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your program options. It may also be prudent to check with the Michigan Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may suggest that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Franklin 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 even excellent. It also confirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you select provides both excellent 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 needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have associations with Franklin MI clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great way to obtain hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help students and graduates establish professional relationships in the Franklin health care community and help with job placement after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they pick will have to be within driving distance of their Franklin MI home. Those who have decided to attend classes online naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. Something to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly 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 Support Offered? Most DPT colleges supply some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial assistance department and find out what type of assistance is offered. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapist college you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Franklin MI area, check that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Franklin Michigan?

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

Franklin, Michigan

Franklin is a village in Southfield Township, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,150 at the 2010 census.[7] The community is known for large, estate-style homes situated on ravines, as well as its vintage downtown and a nearby cider mill.

The community was founded in 1825 by Elijah Bullock and other settlers, and was named after Benjamin Franklin in 1831.[8] By 1830, a business district formed. The village's collection of essentially original-condition structures is quite unusual in suburban Detroit. The village was incorporated in 1953.[9]

In 1960 a historical marker was erected that reads: "FRANKLIN VILLAGE Founded in 1824-1825, Franklin received its present name in 1828. First postmaster was Dr. Ebenezer Raynale, state legislator and physician. The William Huston store, opened in 1830, was the forerunner of a business center that later included the famous Broughton Wagon Shop, the Van Every Mills, now Ye Olde Cider Mill, several taverns, two distilleries, and two churches. The village also was a station on the Underground Railroad. Franklin still has the appearance and atmosphere of an early Michigan village."

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapist School near Franklin MI

Selecting the best physical therapy college is a necessary initial decision you need to make to start a fulfilling career in the medical profession. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are additional critical questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may decide to go to different schools to see their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the best choice. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Franklin MI.