Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - o Fallon MO

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Degree Program near o Fallon 63366

o Fallon MO physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near o Fallon MO is an important first step to launching a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire 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 the ones you are looking at to make certain they will furnish a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is choose a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be considered along with cost and location. But before we cover 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

o Fallon MO physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, including o Fallon MO hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes 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 touched on, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they develop a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other o Fallon MO medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

o Fallon MO physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is offered to become 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. Following are brief descriptions of degrees that are available in the o Fallon MO area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are typically made available by community colleges, and require two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 4 years to complete and usually incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an important component along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in several states for licensing also.

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 attainable 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 current licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in o Fallon MO Although not as common as the on-campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s o Fallon MO home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition can be somewhat lower than similar on campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you most likely have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the o Fallon MO area and across Missouri, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of school choices. Furthermore, you need to make certain that you choose the school that is right for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the schools you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier stated, 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 program, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact several o Fallon MO physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your school options. It might also be prudent to contact the Missouri Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students left because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the o Fallon MO area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even exceptional. It also verifies that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you select furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Missouri or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. Although licensing requirements differ 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 Internship Programs Offered? Ask if the physical therapist programs you are assessing have relationships with o Fallon MO clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific manner to obtain practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist students and graduates develop professional connections in the o Fallon healthcare community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a smaller class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy school they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their o Fallon MO home. Individuals who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern 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 choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most DPT colleges provide some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the colleges you are considering have a financial aid office and find out what kind of help is offered. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapist program you ultimately choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the o Fallon MO 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 have to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near o Fallon Missouri?

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

O'Fallon, Missouri

O'Fallon /oʊˈfælən/ is a city along Interstate 70 and Interstate 64 between Lake St. Louis and St. Peters in St. Charles County, Missouri. It is part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census O'Fallon had a population of 79,329, making it the largest municipality in St. Charles County and seventh largest in the state of Missouri.[7] In 2006 Money Magazine named O'Fallon 39th in its "Best 100 Places to Live."[8]Money Magazine also ranked O'Fallon 68th out of 100 in 2008,[9] 26th out of 100 in 2010,[10] and 42nd out of 100 in 2017.[11]

O'Fallon's namesake in St. Clair County, Illinois is also part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area. The two O'Fallons are one of the few pairs of same-named municipalities to be part of the same MSA.

O'Fallon was founded in 1856 by Nicholas Krekel.[12] The community was named after John O'Fallon the President of the North Missouri Railroad.[13] A post office called O'Fallon has been in operation since 1859.[14]

Select the Ideal Physical Therapist College near o Fallon MO

Deciding on the best physical therapist school is a necessary first decision you must make to begin a gratifying career in the healthcare profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you decide on should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. But there are other relevant questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that a number of variables will guide you to your final decision. You might decide to visit each of the schools to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in o Fallon MO.