Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Lake Park MN

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist Degree Program near Lake Park 56554

Lake Park MN physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Lake Park MN is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate training and education. A PT must also become licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate those you are thinking about to make certain they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered in addition to cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Lake Park MN physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, including Lake Park MN hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they create a program of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Lake Park MN health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Lake Park MN physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees offered for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is attainable to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short explanations of degrees that are offered in the Lake Park MN area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to complete and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program must also 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 overall commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not just 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 eliminated and is no longer offered in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Lake Park MN Although not as prevalent as the on campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist programs available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Lake Park MN residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than comparable on-campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

At this point you most likely have made a decision regarding several of your preliminary queries, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Lake Park MN area and throughout Minnesota, you’ll need to explore other qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of school options. Moreover, you want to make sure that you choose 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 schools you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously 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 may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is from 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 and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call some Lake Park MN physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your school selections. 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 filed against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two important statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapist programs you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might suggest that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Lake Park MN area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you select provides both excellent training and a course of study that supports 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 therapy program. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Inquire if the physical therapist programs you are interested in have partnerships with Lake Park MN clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to receive hands on training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help students and graduates form professional relationships in the Lake Park health care community and assist with job placement once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will likely prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the average teacher to student 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 speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their Lake Park MN home. Those who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or even 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 usually charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? The majority of DPT colleges provide some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are considering have a financial assistance department and see what type of aid is offered. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. Some physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist college you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Lake Park MN area, make sure that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Lake Park Minnesota?

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

Spring Lake Park, Minnesota

Spring Lake Park is a city in Anoka and Ramsey counties in the state of Minnesota. The population was 6,412 at the 2010 census.[5] The city is located mainly within Anoka County. Minnesota State Highways 47 and 65 and County Highway 10 are three of the main routes in the city.

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 6,412 people, 2,672 households, and 1,694 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,238.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,250.4/km2). There were 2,795 housing units at an average density of 1,411.6 per square mile (545.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 83.7% White, 3.8% African American, 0.9% Native American, 5.1% Asian, 2.9% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.9% of the population.

There were 2,672 households of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.6% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.95.

Pick the Right Physical Therapist Training Program near Lake Park MN

Selecting the ideal physical therapist program is an important initial decision you need to make to begin a fulfilling career in the health care field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are additional critical questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist program, bear in mind that a number of variables will guide you toward your final decision. You may want to go to different colleges to view their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal selection. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Lake Park MN.