Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Harrington Park NJ

How to Choose a Physical Therapist School near Harrington Park 07640

Harrington Park NJ physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Harrington Park NJ is an essential first step to starting a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the necessary education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate those you are considering to make certain they will furnish a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be considered along with location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Harrington Park NJ physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, including Harrington Park NJ private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Harrington Park NJ medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee several 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 field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

Harrington Park NJ physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options available for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the one degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Harrington Park NJ area:

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often provided by community or junior colleges, and take about two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to complete and commonly include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want 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 finish, making the overall commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in a number of states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer attainable in the United States. Some licensed 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 Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Harrington Park NJ While not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Harrington Park NJ home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be somewhat lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision regarding some of your initial queries, such as the type of physical therapist degree you intend to attain, 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 schools within the Harrington Park NJ area and throughout New Jersey, you’ll need to research other qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of college options. Also, you want to make certain that you enroll in the program that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out 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 doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online school, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy school and program you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the school and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Get in touch with a few Harrington Park NJ physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your school options. It may also be prudent to contact the New Jersey Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two relevant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students dropped out 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 school’s job placement program, particularly in the Harrington Park NJ area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or perhaps excellent. It also affirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to assist students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you select furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for New Jersey or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapist colleges you are interested in have relationships with Harrington Park NJ hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific way to receive hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may assist graduates and students form professional connections in the Harrington Park healthcare community and assist with job placement after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are looking at 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 ultimate determination. 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 also.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they select will have to be within commuting distance of their Harrington Park NJ residence. Students 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. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? Most DPT schools provide some type of financial support to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office and see what type of assistance is offered. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. A number of physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapist school you finally choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Harrington Park 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 need to carry. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Harrington Park New Jersey?

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

Harrington Park, New Jersey

Harrington Park is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,664,[9][10][11] reflecting a decrease of 76 (-1.6%) from the 4,740 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 117 (+2.5%) from the 4,623 counted in the 1990 Census.[20]

According to the United States Census Bureau, Harrington Park borough had a total area of 2.059 square miles (5.333 km2), including 1.832 square miles (4.745 km2) of land and 0.227 square miles (0.589 km2) of water (11.04%).[1][2]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 4,664 people, 1,592 households, and 1,328 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,545.9 per square mile (983.0/km2). There were 1,624 housing units at an average density of 886.5 per square mile (342.3/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 79.76% (3,720) White, 0.69% (32) Black or African American, 0.02% (1) Native American, 17.43% (813) Asian, 0.19% (9) Pacific Islander, 0.51% (24) from other races, and 1.39% (65) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.49% (163) of the population.[9]Korean Americans accounted for 13.0% of the population.[9]

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Harrington Park NJ

Choosing the right physical therapist program is an important initial decision you must make to launch a rewarding career in the healthcare profession. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you choose should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that a number of factors will guide you to your ultimate decision. You might decide to visit different schools to view their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me realize 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 appropriate selection. And with the proper training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Harrington Park NJ.