Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Hinckley MN

How to Choose a Physical Therapy College near Hinckley 55037

Hinckley MN physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Hinckley MN is an important first step to starting a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the proper education and training. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are considering to ensure they will supply a superior education and meet your state’s licensing standards. 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 important qualifications that must be considered in addition to 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 is a Physical Therapist?

Hinckley MN physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, such as Hinckley MN hospitals, health clinics, 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 earlier mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Hinckley MN medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

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

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are usually offered by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prep students to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to complete and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order 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 commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential element in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in some 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 available in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Hinckley MN While not as common as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online segment of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Hinckley MN home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition might be significantly less than similar 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 advantages may make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision concerning several of your initial queries, like the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Hinckley MN area and throughout Minnesota, you’ll have to research additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Moreover, you need to make certain that you pick the college that is best for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are considering. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the programs you are looking at have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. 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 choose an online program, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy school and program you select are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT program’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Call some Hinckley MN physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your college options. It might also be a good idea to check with the Minnesota Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist schools you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may suggest that students left due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Hinckley MN area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or even excellent. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the college you choose provides both exceptional training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for Minnesota or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are reviewing have partnerships with Hinckley MN clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to obtain practical experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help graduates and students form professional relationships in the Hinckley healthcare community and help with job placement after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician 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 Hinckley MN residence. 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 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 perhaps out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? Most DPT colleges supply some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have a financial assistance office and find out what kind of assistance is available. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapist college you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Hinckley MN area, make certain that they are available. 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 enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Hinckley Minnesota?

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

Hinckley, Minnesota

Hinckley's name in the Ojibwe language is Gaa-zhiigwanaabikokaag,[9][10] meaning "the place abundant with grindstones" due to being located along the Grindstone River. Portions of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation are located within and adjacent to Hinckley.

Interstate Highway 35 and Minnesota Highway 23 (co-signed); and Minnesota Highway 48 are two of the main routes in Hinckley. Interstate 35 runs north–south; and Highway 48 (Fire Monument Road) runs east–west. Pine County 61 passes through downtown Hinckley.

When European settlers came to the Hinckley area, it was a heavily forested area with thick forests of white pine, some of the largest in the state. The first railroad arrived in Hinckley in 1869; and so began a logging and railroad expansion.

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapist Degree Program near Hinckley MN

Selecting the ideal physical therapist college is an important initial decision you must make to launch a gratifying career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you pick should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are additional important questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that many factors will lead you to your final decision. You may decide to visit each of the schools to see their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the best selection. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Hinckley MN.