Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Sayreville NJ

How to Pick a Physical Therapy School near Sayreville 08871

Sayreville NJ physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Sayreville NJ is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the appropriate education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate those you are considering to make sure they will deliver a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is choose a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered along with 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 what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Sayreville NJ physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, including Sayreville NJ private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop 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
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Sayreville NJ health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Sayreville NJ physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options available for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is attainable to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short descriptions of degree levels that are offered in the Sayreville NJ area:

Associate Degrees train students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often provided by community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to prepare students to progress 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. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to finish and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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 overall commitment 7 years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component in addition to the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in a number of 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 eliminated and is no longer offered in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Sayreville NJ While not as common as the on campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature 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. However, the online segment of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Sayreville NJ home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition can be significantly lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you most likely have made a decision regarding some of your preliminary queries, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Sayreville NJ area and across New Jersey, you’ll need to research additional qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school options. Moreover, you need to make certain that you pick the school that is best for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Ask if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national 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 may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple 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 organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with several Sayreville NJ physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your college selections. It might also be a good idea to check with the New Jersey Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of significant statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Sayreville 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 perhaps excellent. It also verifies that the program has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the college you select furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for New Jersey or the state where you will be working. 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 PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapist schools you are interested in have associations with Sayreville NJ clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent way to receive hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help students and graduates form professional relationships in the Sayreville health care community and help with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit way in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the typical 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 an opportunity to talk with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Sayreville NJ home. Individuals who have opted to attend classes online naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. Something to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most DPT colleges provide some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office and see what type of help is available. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. Some physical therapy schools provide 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 School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapy school you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Sayreville NJ area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Sayreville New Jersey?

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

Sayreville, New Jersey

Sayreville is a borough located on the Raritan River, near Raritan Bay in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 42,704,[9][10][11] reflecting an increase of 2,327 (+5.8%) from the 40,377 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 5,391 (+15.4%) from the 34,986 counted in the 1990 Census.[20]

Sayreville was originally incorporated as a township on April 6, 1876, from portions of South Amboy Township. On April 2, 1919, the borough was reincorporated as the Borough of Sayreville and ratified by a referendum held on April 29, 1919.[21]

Native Americans were the first settlers of Sayreville. Tribes of the Navesink lived along the South River where Jernee Mill Road is located today. This was noted on a 1656 New Netherland map by Adriaen van der Donck, a Dutch surveyor and map maker. During the 20th century, amateur archaeologists found thousands of Indian artifacts at the location shown on the map.[22]

Select the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Sayreville NJ

Choosing the ideal physical therapist school is an important initial decision you must make to start a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you enroll in should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that many variables will lead you to your final decision. You might decide to go to each of the schools to see their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the right choice. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Sayreville NJ.