Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Berkeley Heights NJ

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist College near Berkeley Heights 07922

Berkeley Heights NJ physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Berkeley Heights NJ is an important first step to launching a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated due to illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the proper training and education. A PT must also become licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research those you are thinking about to ensure they will supply a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing requirements. 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 cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be evaluated besides cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Berkeley Heights NJ physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying locations, including Berkeley Heights NJ hospitals, health clinics, 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 patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Berkeley Heights NJ health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Berkeley Heights NJ 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 offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degrees that are offered in the Berkeley Heights NJ area:

Associate Degrees train 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 qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often made available by junior or community colleges, and require two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready candidates to progress 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. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to finish and commonly include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order 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 finish, making the total investment of time seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an important element in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in some 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 available in the USA. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Berkeley Heights NJ While not as common as the more traditional options, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships 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 segment of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Berkeley Heights NJ home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition might be significantly less than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision concerning some 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 spend for your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the Berkeley Heights NJ area and throughout New Jersey, you’ll have to research additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college options. Moreover, you need to make sure that you choose the program that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are looking at have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As previously mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you enroll in an online program, it may 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, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Get in touch with a few Berkeley Heights NJ physical therapist centers or other healthcare facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your school options. It may also be a good idea to contact the New Jersey Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two important statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students left due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Berkeley Heights NJ area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to assist students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you select furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for New Jersey or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are interested in have associations with Berkeley Heights NJ hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific means to obtain hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help graduates and students develop professional connections in the Berkeley Heights health care community and help with job placement once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to converse with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they select will need to be within driving distance of their Berkeley Heights NJ residence. Individuals who have chosen to attend online classes 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 consider is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically 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 Aid Provided? Most DPT colleges provide some form of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the schools you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and find out what type of aid is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist college you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Berkeley Heights NJ area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Berkeley Heights New Jersey?

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

Berkeley Heights, New Jersey

Berkeley Heights is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 13,183,[10][11][12] reflecting a decline of 224 (-1.7%) from the 13,407 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,427 (+11.9%) from the 11,980 counted in the 1990 Census.[22]

Berkeley Heights was originally incorporated as New Providence Township by the New Jersey Legislature on November 8, 1809, from portions of Springfield Township, while the area was still part of Essex County. New Providence Township became part of the newly formed Union County at its creation on March 19, 1857. Portions of the township were taken on March 23, 1869, to create Summit, and on March 14, 1899, to form the borough of New Providence. On November 6, 1951, the name of the township was changed to Berkeley Heights, based on the results of a referendum held that day.[23] The township was named for John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, one of the founders of the Province of New Jersey.[24]

In Money magazine's 2013 Best Places to Live rankings, Berkeley Heights was ranked 6th in the nation, the highest among the three places in New Jersey included in the top 50 list.[25][26] The magazine's 2007 list had the township ranked 45th out of a potential 2,800 places in the United States with populations above 7,500 and under 50,000.[27]

Select the Best Physical Therapist Training Program near Berkeley Heights NJ

Selecting the best physical therapist college is a necessary first decision you must make to begin a rewarding career in the health care profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you select should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are additional important questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist school, bear in mind that numerous factors will guide you to your final decision. You may want to go to different colleges to see their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Berkeley Heights NJ.