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

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy College near East Quogue 11942

East Quogue NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near East Quogue NY is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated due to illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the necessary training and education. A PT must also be licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate those you are thinking about to make sure they will provide a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is enroll in a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered besides cost and location. But before we discuss 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?

East Quogue NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, such as East Quogue NY hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier 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 design a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other East Quogue NY medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

East Quogue NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short descriptions of degree levels that are offered in the East Quogue NY 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 earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often made available by community colleges, and require two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy education to prepare candidates to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 4 years to complete and often incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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 finish, making the total commitment seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component in addition to the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in some 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 available in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in East Quogue NY While 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, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s East Quogue NY residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat less than comparable on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you probably have made a decision concerning a few of your initial queries, such as the type of physical therapist degree you intend to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the East Quogue NY area and throughout New York, you’ll have to research additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you need to be sure that you enroll in the college that is right for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the programs you are reviewing have received 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 select an online program, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy school and program you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Get in touch with several East Quogue NY physical therapist centers or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your college options. It may also be prudent to contact the New York Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two important statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might 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 college’s job placement program, particularly in the East Quogue NY area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also verifies that the program has a large network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the college you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for New York or the state where you will be practicing. 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 school. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapy colleges you are assessing have associations with East Quogue NY clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great way to receive hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can help students and graduates establish professional connections in the East Quogue health care community and help with job placement after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely prefer a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are reviewing what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they pick will have to be within driving distance of their East Quogue NY residence. Individuals who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing 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 might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? The majority of DPT schools supply some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial assistance office and find out what type of help is offered. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapy school you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the East Quogue NY area, check 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, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near East Quogue New York?

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

East Quogue, New York

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 11.5 square miles (29.9 km2), of which 8.9 square miles (23.0 km2) is land and 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2), or 23.23%, is water.[1]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 4,265 people, 1,660 households, and 1,133 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 414.2 per square mile (159.9/km²). There were 2,465 housing units at an average density of 239.4/sq mi (92.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.26% White, 0.70% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.96% from other races, and 2.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.39% of the population.

There were 1,660 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.08.

Pick the Right Physical Therapy College near East Quogue NY

Selecting the best physical therapist program is a necessary initial decision you need to make to start a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you select should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. But there are additional important questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your final decision. You might decide to visit different schools to view their facilities and speak with 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 following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in East Quogue NY.