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

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist Program near Sartell 56377

Sartell MN physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Sartell MN is an important first step to launching a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate 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 prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to research the ones you are thinking about to make sure they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is select a college just 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 evaluated along with 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 is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Sartell MN physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, including Sartell MN hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to address the mobility problems 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 abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Sartell MN medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Sartell MN physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options offered for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Sartell 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 GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually provided by junior or community colleges, and take about two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take four years to complete and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an important element along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in several 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 USA. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Sartell MN Although not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online portion of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Sartell MN home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition might be significantly lower than similar on campus options, and costs 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 learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you most likely have come to decision regarding some of your preliminary questions, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Sartell MN area and throughout Minnesota, you’ll need to explore other qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of college choices. Furthermore, you want to make certain that you choose the college that is right for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential schools these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Find out if the programs you are looking at have earned accreditation from a regional or a national 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 enroll in an online school, 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. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with some Sartell MN physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your school selections. It might also be prudent to check with the Minnesota Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two significant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapy schools you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Sartell MN area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even excellent. It also confirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the college you select furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Minnesota or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Offered? Inquire if the physical therapist schools you are evaluating have partnerships with Sartell MN clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent way to obtain practical training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist graduates and students form professional connections in the Sartell health care community and assist with job placement after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of student that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering what the average teacher to student 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 speak with some of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they select will have to be within travelling distance of their Sartell MN home. Individuals who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT schools supply some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are examining have a financial assistance office and see what type of aid is available. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist school you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Sartell MN area, make sure that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Sartell Minnesota?

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

Sartell, Minnesota

Sartell is a city in Benton and Stearns counties in the state of Minnesota that straddles both sides of the Mississippi River. It is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 15,876 at the 2010 census and 17,752 according to 2017 estimates,[8] making it St. Cloud's most populous suburb and the largest city in the central Minnesota region after St. Cloud.

The first known Native American tribe in the area were the Dakota. Greysolon du Luht ('Duluth') visited the large Mdewakantonwan village Izatys up on Mille Lacs Lake in 1679. As the Anishinaabe people moved westward around Lake Superior and into the interior away from the Europeans in the 18th century (1736 to about 1780),[9] they pushed the neighboring Sioux/Dakota people to their west—in present-day Minnesota—farther south and west away from them. By 1820 the Chippewa/Anishinaabe controlled all of northern Minnesota, but raids between them and the Dakota to the south continued. This area later named Sartell was an intertribal no man's land when European French fur-traders and British geographers first descended the Mississippi River from the Anishinaabe north (Jean-Baptiste Perrault 1789,[10]David Thompson 1798), and American explorers ascended the river from the Sioux south (Zebulon Pike 1805, Lewis Cass 1820, Henry Schoolcraft 1832, Joseph Nicollet 1836).

The Watab Creek in Sartell marked part of the border line between the Anishinaabe to the north and the Dakota to the south who had lived farther north and east prior to the westward migrations of the Anishinaabe. This border was legally established by the USA in its 1825 Treaty with the tribes at Prairie du Chien which established a demarcation line between "the Sioux and the Chippewas' "the mouth of the first river which enters the Mississippi on its west side above the mouth of Sac (Sauk) river; thence ascending the said river (above the mouth of Sac river)".[11]

Select the Best Physical Therapy College near Sartell MN

Deciding on the ideal physical therapist school is an important initial decision you have to make to start a gratifying 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 outstanding reputations and be accredited. However there are additional critical questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might decide to visit different schools to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me realize my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Sartell MN.