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

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Staatsburg 12580

Staatsburg NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Staatsburg NY is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the appropriate education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate those you are considering to ensure they will furnish a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is enroll in a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered along with cost and location. But before we talk about 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Staatsburg NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, including Staatsburg NY private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Staatsburg NY health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Staatsburg NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short descriptions of degrees that are offered in the Staatsburg NY area:

Associate Degrees educate students to practice as 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 provided by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to prep students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral initial step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they generally take four years to complete and commonly include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order 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 finish, making the total commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an important element in addition to the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not just 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 practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Staatsburg NY Although not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Staatsburg NY residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat less 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 benefits may make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you probably have made a decision concerning some of your preliminary questions, like the type of physical therapist degree you intend to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are numerous PT schools within the Staatsburg NY area and across New York, you’ll have to research additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Furthermore, you need to make sure that you enroll in the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are looking at have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you enroll in an online school, it can 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 simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact a few Staatsburg NY physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your college selections. It might 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 schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist programs you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students left because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Staatsburg NY area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also confirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for New York or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing have relationships with Staatsburg NY hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific manner to get practical experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist graduates and students form professional relationships in the Staatsburg health care community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Staatsburg NY residence. Students who have decided to attend classes online naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT colleges offer some form of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid department and find out what type of assistance is offered. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapy program you ultimately pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Staatsburg NY area, make certain that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Staatsburg New York?

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

Staatsburg, New York

Staatsburg is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Hyde Park, a town in Dutchess County, New York. The population was 377 at the 2010 census.[1] It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area.

Staatsburg was part of the Pawling-Staats land patent, one of many granted by the English colonial government in the 1690s with the intention of encouraging more colonials to settle in the sparsely populated Hudson Valley. The original patent was made to Henry Pawling.[2] Subsequently, a large portion of the patent was purchased by Dr. Samuel Staats, a surgeon of Dutch origins who resided in New York City.[3] He and Dirck Vanderburgh bought it for 130 pounds from Pawling's widow. As a result of the combination of their names the area came to be known as "Staatsburgh".[4] The concluding "h" in the name appears to have been dropped in 1890 as part of the United States Board on Geographic Names' standardization efforts.[5]

Staatsburg is located at 41°51′10″N 73°55′20″W / 41.852772°N 73.922102°W / 41.852772; -73.922102.[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), all land.[1]

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapy Training Program near Staatsburg NY

Choosing the best physical therapist program is a necessary initial decision you must make to launch a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you pick should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. But there are other important questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapist program, bear in mind that numerous factors will guide you to your ultimate decision. You might want to visit each of the campuses to view their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important 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 have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the right choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Staatsburg NY.