Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Alton Bay NH

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist College near Alton Bay 03810

Alton Bay NH physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Alton Bay NH is a critical first step to starting a fulfilling career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients 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 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 enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are looking at to make sure they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is select a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be evaluated in addition to location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Alton Bay NH physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, including Alton Bay NH private practices, hospitals, 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 earlier mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they design a program of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and reduce 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
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Alton Bay NH medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Alton Bay NH physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the single degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief descriptions of degrees that are offered in the Alton Bay NH area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually provided by community or junior colleges, and take about two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy training to prepare students to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to finish and often 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 also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the overall commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential element along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in several states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer attainable in the USA. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Alton Bay NH While not as common as the on-campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist programs available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Alton Bay NH home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition can be somewhat lower than similar on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning several of your initial queries, including the kind of physical therapy degree you intend to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Alton Bay NH area and across New Hampshire, you’ll have to explore other qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of college options. Moreover, you want to make sure that you select the school that is right for you. That’s why we have collected a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapy schools you are considering. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have received accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online college, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call a few Alton Bay NH physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your school options. It might also be prudent to check with the New Hampshire Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy schools you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, 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 Alton Bay NH area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the college has a large network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the college you select provides both superior training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for New Hampshire 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 college. While 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 Provided? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are evaluating have relationships with Alton Bay NH hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to get practical training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help students and graduates form professional connections in the Alton Bay medical community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that likes to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are looking at 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 final determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy school they decide on will have to be within commuting distance of their Alton Bay NH residence. Students who have chosen to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? Most DPT colleges provide some type of financial support to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid department and see what kind of help is available. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapy program you ultimately select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Alton Bay NH area, make certain that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Alton Bay New Hampshire?

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

Alton Bay, New Hampshire

Alton Bay is an unincorporated community in the town of Alton, New Hampshire, United States, and is located on Alton Bay, a 4-mile-long (6 km) cove of Lake Winnipesaukee which forms the southernmost point on the lake. The village is part of the Lakes Region, a popular resort area of New Hampshire.

Alton Bay is located at the intersection of New Hampshire Route 11 and Route 28A, 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the center of Alton. Route 11 is an east-west highway that crosses the entire state of New Hampshire, connecting Laconia to the west and Rochester to the east. Route 28A is a local highway that joins Route 28 4 miles (6 km) north of Alton Bay.

In 1851 the village became the terminus of the Cochecho Railroad from Dover, New Hampshire.[2] The rail line became the Lake Shore Railroad in 1890, continuing west to Lakeport in Laconia. It was in operation until 1935. The MS Mount Washington and its predecessor ships on Lake Winnipesaukee have made Alton Bay a stop since 1872.

Select the Ideal Physical Therapist Degree Program near Alton Bay NH

Deciding on the ideal physical therapy school is an important initial decision you have to make to begin a gratifying career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you select should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are additional important questions that you need to ask concerning your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that a number of factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may want to visit different colleges to view their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the right choice. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Alton Bay NH.