Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Thief River Falls MN

How to Pick a Physical Therapist College near Thief River Falls 56701

Thief River Falls MN physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Thief River Falls MN is an essential first step to starting a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the necessary training and education. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate the ones you are looking at to make sure they will furnish a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is choose a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be evaluated along with cost and location. But before we discuss 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Thief River Falls MN physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, including Thief River Falls MN private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Thief River Falls MN medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Thief River Falls MN physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the one degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degree levels that are available in the Thief River Falls MN area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by junior or community colleges, and require two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a practicing licensed 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 3 years to complete, making the overall investment of time 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an essential element in addition to the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in several states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated 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 before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in Thief River Falls MN Although not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Thief River Falls MN home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition may be somewhat less than similar on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you probably have made a decision regarding some of your preliminary queries, including the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT colleges within the Thief River Falls MN area and across Minnesota, you’ll need to research other qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Moreover, you need to be sure that you select the school that is right for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the programs you are considering have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As previously stated, 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 school, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy school and program you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Contact several Thief River Falls MN physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your school options. It may 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 schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Thief River Falls MN area? If a school 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 affirms that the school has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you choose furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Minnesota or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT 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 reviewing have associations with Thief River Falls MN clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent means to receive hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Thief River Falls healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with some of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they choose will need to be within travelling distance of their Thief River Falls MN residence. Those who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something to keep 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 generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of DPT schools offer some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are considering have a financial aid department and find out what kind of assistance is available. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. A number of physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial assistance may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapy college you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Thief River Falls MN area, check that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option 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 might miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Thief River Falls Minnesota?

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

Thief River Falls, Minnesota

Thief River Falls takes its name from a geographic feature, the falls of the Red Lake River at its confluence with the Thief River. The name of the river is a loose translation of the Ojibwe phrase Gimood-akiwi ziibi, literally, the "Stolen-land river" or "Thieving-land river", which originated when a band of Dakota Indians occupied a secret encampment along the river, hence "stealing" the land, before being discovered and routed by the neighboring Ojibwe.[7] In the Treaty of Old Crossing of 1863, the Moose Dung's Indian Reservation was established on the west bank of the Thief River, at its confluence with Red Lake River. This Indian Reservation was dissolved in 1904 and their population incorporated as part of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa.

Thief River Falls marked the limit of navigation on the Red Lake River. The eponymous town site was established in 1887 and later incorporated as a city in 1896.[8] Thief River Falls first developed as a lumber-milling town. It is located in a major agriculture area because of the rich soil left by ancient Glacial Lake Agassiz. The Great Northern and the Soo Line railroads brought prosperity when Thief River Falls became a center for shipping wheat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.21 square miles (13.49 km2), of which 5.02 square miles (13.00 km2) is land and 0.19 square miles (0.49 km2) is water.[1]

Select the Best Physical Therapist Training Program near Thief River Falls MN

Picking the right physical therapy college is an important first decision you have to make to begin a gratifying career in the medical field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you pick should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are other relevant questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, bear in mind that numerous variables will lead you toward your final decision. You might decide to go to each of the campuses to see their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program 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 options so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Thief River Falls MN.