Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - New Milford NJ

How to Select a Physical Therapy School near New Milford 07646

New Milford NJ physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near New Milford NJ is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated due to illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the proper education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to make sure they will supply a superior education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a school simply because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest 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 the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

New Milford NJ physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, including New Milford 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 touched on, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other New Milford NJ medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone considering going into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

New Milford NJ physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief summaries of degrees that are available in the New Milford NJ area:

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often offered by junior or community colleges, and take about two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the overall investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an important element along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in several states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has taken the place of the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated 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 prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in New Milford NJ Although not as common as the on campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online part of the course of study may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s New Milford NJ home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition can be somewhat less than comparable on-campus alternatives, and expenditures 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 option the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision concerning several of your initial questions, like the kind of physical therapist degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the New Milford NJ area and across New Jersey, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Furthermore, you want to be sure that you pick the program that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. 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 school, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy school and program you select are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with guaranteeing that you obtain 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 college and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT school’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 agencies for their reviews also. Contact some New Milford NJ physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your program options. It might also be prudent to contact the New Jersey Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy schools you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After 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 New Milford NJ area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or even outstanding. It also affirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you enroll in provides both exceptional 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 therapist program. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are evaluating have partnerships with New Milford NJ clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great way to obtain practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist students and graduates develop professional relationships in the New Milford healthcare community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit way in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are looking at what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their New Milford NJ home. Those who have chosen to attend classes online naturally will not have to trouble 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 school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of DPT colleges supply some form of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the schools you are examining have a financial aid department and see what kind of help is available. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. A number of physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapist program you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the New Milford NJ area, verify that they are offered. 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, ask 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 New Milford New Jersey?

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

New Milford, New Jersey

New Milford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 16,341,[9][10][11] reflecting a decline of 59 (-0.4%) from the 16,400 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 410 (+2.6%) from the 15,990 counted in the 1990 Census.[20]

New Milford was incorporated as a borough on March 11, 1922, from what remained of Palisades Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 18, 1922. With the creation of New Milford, Palisades Township (which had been created in 1871) was dissolved.[21][22][23] The borough is believed to have been named for Milford, Pennsylvania.[24]

According to the United States Census Bureau, New Milford had a total area of 2.308 square miles (5.978 km2), including 2.274 square miles (5.890 km2) of land and 0.034 square miles (0.088 km2) of water (1.47%).[2][3]

Pick the Best Physical Therapy Training Program near New Milford NJ

Deciding on the ideal physical therapist college is a necessary initial decision you must make to begin a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you enroll in should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. However there are other important questions that you need to ask regarding your college of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that a number of variables will guide you to your ultimate decision. You might decide to visit different campuses to see their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in New Milford NJ.