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

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy Program near Hartland 48353

Hartland MI physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Hartland MI is an essential first step to starting a fulfilling career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the appropriate education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to research the ones you are thinking about to ensure they will provide a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered along with cost and location. But before we discuss 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Hartland MI physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse locations, such as Hartland MI private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Hartland MI health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep 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 kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Hartland 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 choices, the only degree that is offered to become 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. Following are brief explanations of degree levels that are available in the Hartland MI area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are typically made available by community colleges, and require two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to prep candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral initial step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require 4 years to finish and often 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 complete, making the overall investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an important element along with the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not only 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 phased out and is no longer offered in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Hartland MI While not as prevalent as the more traditional options, there are many accredited online physical therapy programs 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 a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Hartland MI home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you probably have come to decision regarding several of your initial queries, such as the type of physical therapist degree you want to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Hartland MI area and across Michigan, you’ll have to explore other qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to make certain that you enroll in the school that is right for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapy colleges you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are reviewing have earned 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 enroll in an online school, 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, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact some Hartland MI physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your school selections. It might 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 schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two important statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might suggest that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Hartland MI area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the college has a large network of contacts to assist students get internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in provides both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Michigan or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. While 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 Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are evaluating have relationships with Hartland MI clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to get practical training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist students and graduates form professional connections in the Hartland medical community and assist with job placement after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that likes to sit way in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist college they choose will need to be within driving distance of their Hartland MI home. Students who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

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

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist program you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Hartland MI area, confirm that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, learn 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 Hartland Michigan?

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

Hartland Township, Michigan

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 37.7 square miles (98 km2), of which 36.3 square miles (94 km2) is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2) (3.48%) is water.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 10,996 people, 3,696 households, and 3,108 families residing in the township. The population density was 302.5 per square mile (116.8/km²). There were 3,908 housing units at an average density of 107.5 per square mile (41.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.94% White, 0.27% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.11% of the population.

There were 3,696 households out of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.1% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.9% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.24.

Pick the Best Physical Therapist College near Hartland MI

Choosing the right physical therapist program is a necessary first decision you must make to launch a fulfilling career in the health care profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you select should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. But there are additional important questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy program, bear in mind that many variables will guide you toward your final decision. You may want to visit each of the schools to view their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me accomplish 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 right selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Hartland MI.