Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Mohegan Lake NY

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy Training Program near Mohegan Lake 10547

Mohegan Lake NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Mohegan Lake NY is a critical first step to launching a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the appropriate education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are looking at to make sure they will provide a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is choose a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be evaluated along with 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 the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Mohegan Lake NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, including Mohegan Lake NY hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Mohegan Lake NY medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering going into the physical therapy profession, 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 Therapy Degrees Offered

Mohegan Lake NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degree levels that are offered in the Mohegan Lake NY area:

Associate Degrees educate students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often offered by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a portion of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to prep candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to finish and usually incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement in order 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 three years to finish, making the overall investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an important element along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in several 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 licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Mohegan Lake NY While not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online part of the course of study may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Mohegan Lake NY residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition might be significantly lower than similar on-campus options, 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 learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning several of your initial queries, including the type of physical therapist degree you would like to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the Mohegan Lake NY area and across New York, you’ll have to explore other qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of college choices. Also, you want to be sure that you pick the college that is right for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Ask if the programs you are reviewing have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier 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 choose an online program, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call a few Mohegan Lake NY physical therapy centers or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your school selections. 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 colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Mohegan Lake NY area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the school has a large network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for New York or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapist schools you are reviewing have relationships with Mohegan Lake NY hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great way to obtain practical experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may assist students and graduates develop professional connections in the Mohegan Lake medical community and help with job placement after licensing.

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

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Mohegan Lake NY residence. Those who have opted to attend online classes obviously 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 college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of DPT schools supply some form of financial support to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance office and find out what kind of assistance is obtainable. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapist school you ultimately select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Mohegan Lake NY area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Mohegan Lake New York?

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

Mohegan Lake, New York

Mohegan Lake, or, rarely, Lake Mohegan,[1][2][3][4] is a census-designated place (CDP) located in the Town of Cortlandt and partially in the Town of Yorktown, both in Westchester County, New York. Mohegan Lake was named "Lake Mohegan" in 1859 by William Jones, who owned the Mount Pleasant Hotel on the East side of the lake.[5] The change dates back to the early 1970s before which residents commonly referred to it as "Lake Mohegan", the name still used by the United States Census Bureau for the CDP.[6] The population in the 2010 Census was 6,010. There is a private[7][8] lake, Mohegan Lake[9] with beaches[10] which are occasionally closed for swimming due to harmful algal blooms.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Mohegan Lake is located at 41°19′7″N 73°50′53″W / 41.31861°N 73.84806°W / 41.31861; -73.84806 (41.318568, -73.848029). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2), of which 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2), or 5.52%, is water.[19]

As of the census[20] of 2000, there were 5,979 people, 1,975 households, and 1,520 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,058.4 per square mile (796.0/km²). There were 2,052 housing units at an average density of 706.5/sq mi (273.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 84.75% White, 6.89% African American, 0.33% Native American, 2.91% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.78% from other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or, Latino of any race were 9.70% of the population.

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapy School near Mohegan Lake NY

Choosing the ideal physical therapy program is an important first decision you need to make to start a fulfilling career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you decide on should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are additional important questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist program, bear in mind that many factors will guide you toward your final decision. You may decide to visit each of the campuses to view their facilities and talk to active 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 adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Mohegan Lake NY.