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

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist College near Seaford 11783

Seaford NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Seaford NY is an essential first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the proper education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to research those you are looking at to make sure they will provide a quality education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is select 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 must be evaluated along with location and cost. But before we talk about 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Seaford NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, such as Seaford 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 individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Seaford NY medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering going into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Seaford NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Seaford NY area:

Associate Degrees train 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 equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are typically offered by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to prepare students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require 4 years to finish and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want to become a practicing licensed 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 total investment of time seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal component along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in several states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer attainable in the United States. A number of practicing physical therapists having 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 Seaford NY While not as common as the more traditional options, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature 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 in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Seaford NY residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition can be significantly lower than comparable on-campus options, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning some of your preliminary queries, including the kind of physical therapy degree you intend to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT schools within the Seaford NY area and throughout New York, you’ll have to research other qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of college options. Moreover, you need to be sure that you pick the college that is right for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are reviewing have received 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 college, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not just the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with ensuring 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 School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Get in touch with some Seaford NY physical therapy clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your college options. It may also be a good idea to check with the New York Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Seaford NY area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even exceptional. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for New York or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapist colleges you are assessing have partnerships with Seaford NY hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific manner to get hands on training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may assist graduates and students establish professional relationships in the Seaford medical community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they select will need to be within travelling distance of their Seaford NY home. Students who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT schools provide some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are examining have a financial aid office and find out what kind of aid is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy school you finally pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Seaford NY area, make sure that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Seaford New York?

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

Seaford, New York

European settlement began with the arrival of Captain John Seaman, a native of Seaford, East Sussex, in England. After obtaining the patent for the area, Seaman oversaw the creation of Jerusalem South, the first European name given to the town which was to become Seaford. It was also widely referred to as Seaman's Neck.

During the 19th century, as villages across Long Island started to grow (due to the creation of the Long Island Rail Road), the town of Jerusalem South seemed to be unaffected. In 1868 the town was renamed to the current name of "Seaford", to honor Captain Seaman's hometown in England. During this time, Seaford remained an agriculturally developed area. Over time, the town gained a post office, a church, and a one-room school, established in what would many years later become the first Seaford Fire Department building and today serves as the home of the Seaford Historical Museum. Although the town itself was practically unchanged, many New York City residents had discovered that the area was attractive as a summer retreat.

Cash crops such as corn and wheat were some of the earliest farmed within the Seaford area. Due to easy access to various waterfronts the attempts to fish and recover oysters were widely seen. At first this was a hard task considering the layers of land beneath the water. In the mid-19th century, baymen from the Seaford area created a type of small, round-bottomed boat called the "Seaford Skiff" that was used for fishing and market gunning (commercial waterfowl hunting).[4]

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Seaford NY

Choosing the right physical therapist school is an important first decision you need to make to launch a rewarding career in the healthcare field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you pick should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are other critical questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that a number of variables will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You might want to go to each of the campuses to view their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me realize 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 selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Seaford NY.