Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Hurleyville NY

How to Pick a Physical Therapist College near Hurleyville 12747

Hurleyville NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Hurleyville NY is an important first step to launching a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled due to injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to research the ones you are looking at to make sure they will deliver a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is select 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 evaluated along with location and cost. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Hurleyville NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, such as Hurleyville NY private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to 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 try to stop any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Hurleyville NY medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

Hurleyville NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees offered for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize 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 Hurleyville NY area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often made available by community colleges, and take about two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy training to prepare students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require 4 years to finish and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program must also be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the overall commitment seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal component in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only 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 available in the United States. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Hurleyville NY Although not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy programs available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the curriculum may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Hurleyville NY home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you probably have made a decision regarding several of your initial questions, like the type of physical therapist degree you intend to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Hurleyville NY area and across New York, you’ll need to explore other qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you need to make certain that you select the college that is ideal for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist programs you are considering. Ask all of the potential schools these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. 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 enroll in an online school, it may 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. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting 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 some Hurleyville NY physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your school selections. It might also be prudent to contact the New York Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two useful statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist colleges you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might mean that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Hurleyville NY area? If a program has a high 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 college has a wide network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you select provides both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria 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) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Offered? Ask if the physical therapist programs you are reviewing have partnerships with Hurleyville NY hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent means to obtain hands on training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Hurleyville medical community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy school they choose will need to be within driving distance of their Hurleyville NY residence. Those who have chosen 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 concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may 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 to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? Most DPT schools provide some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are examining have a financial assistance department and see what type of aid is available. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapist college you ultimately choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Hurleyville NY area, check that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Hurleyville New York?

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

Fallsburg, New York

Fallsburg takes its name from a waterfall on the Neversink River and was established in 1826.[3] The town is in the heart of a once popular predominately Jewish summer resort area known as the Catskills Borscht Belt.[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 79.0 square miles (205 km2), of which, 77.6 square miles (201 km2) of it is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) of it (1.73%) is water.

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 12,234 people, 3,761 households, and 2,478 families residing in the town. The population density was 157.6 people per square mile (60.9/km²). There were 6,661 housing units at an average density of 85.8 per square mile (33.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 75.19% White, 15.56% African American, 0.43% Native American, 1.17% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.04% from other races, and 2.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.53% of the population.

Pick the Right Physical Therapy Training Program near Hurleyville NY

Choosing the ideal physical therapy college is an important initial decision you need to make to start a gratifying career in the medical field. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you select should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that many variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit different campuses to see their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college 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 field so you can make the right choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Hurleyville NY.