Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - East Elmhurst NY

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy Training Program near East Elmhurst 11369

East Elmhurst NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near East Elmhurst NY is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the necessary education and training. A PT must also be licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate the ones you are considering to ensure they will provide a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is choose a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered besides location and cost. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

East Elmhurst NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, such as East Elmhurst NY 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 previously stated, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other East Elmhurst NY health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is rather 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 Offered

East Elmhurst NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the single degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degree levels that are offered in the East Elmhurst NY area:

Associate Degrees educate students to practice as 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 degrees are most often provided by community colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist training to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally require 4 years to finish and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program must also be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the total investment of time 7 years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal component in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion 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 even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in East Elmhurst NY Although not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s East Elmhurst NY residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition can be somewhat lower than comparable on-campus options, and costs 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 alternative the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you most likely have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, including the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the East Elmhurst NY area and across New York, you’ll need to look into other qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you need to make certain that you pick the college that is ideal for you. That’s why we have put together a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. 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 choose an online college, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important 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 acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Get in touch with several East Elmhurst NY physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your college selections. It may also be prudent to check with the New York Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students left because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the East Elmhurst NY area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or even exceptional. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you choose provides both excellent training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for New York or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have associations with East Elmhurst NY hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to obtain hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can assist students and graduates establish professional relationships in the East Elmhurst healthcare community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with some of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their East Elmhurst NY home. Those who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college 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 typically charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT colleges offer some type of financial support to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance department and see what type of help is obtainable. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapy college you finally select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the East Elmhurst NY area, verify that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near East Elmhurst New York?

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

Elmhurst, Queens

Elmhurst (formerly Newtown) is a working/middle class neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bounded by Roosevelt Avenue on the north; the Long Island Expressway on the south; Junction Boulevard on the east; and the New York Connecting Railroad on the west.[4] The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 4.

The village was established in 1652 by the Dutch as Middenburgh (Middleburgh) and was a suburb of New Amsterdam (Nieuw Amsterdam) in New Netherland (Nieuw Nederland). The original European settlers of Elmhurst were from the nearby colony of Maspat (now called Maspeth), following threats and attacks by local Native Americans.[4][5] When the British took over New Netherland in 1664, they renamed Middleburgh as New Town (Nieuwe Stad) to maintain a connection to the Dutch heritage.[5] This was eventually simplified to Newtown.

Among the English settlers in the present Elmhurst section of Newtown was Gershom Moore, who lived at what is now the intersection of Broadway, 45th Avenue, and Elmhurst Avenue. A chance seedling eventually produced the Newtown Pippin, Colonial America's most famous apple.[6] The village of Newtown was established as the town seat for the township in 1683,[4] when Queens County was reorganized as a "one county, five towns" model. The Town of Newtown, which had a town hall, jail, tax office, and town clerk's office, was the center of a municipality that comprised the villages that were located north of present-day Forest Park and west of Flushing Meadows.[5]

Select the Ideal Physical Therapy College near East Elmhurst NY

Choosing the ideal physical therapy school is an important first decision you need to make to start a gratifying career in the health care field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you decide on should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. However there are additional relevant questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that a number of factors will guide you to your ultimate decision. You might decide to visit each of the colleges to see their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me realize my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the best selection. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in East Elmhurst NY.