Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Everetts NC

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist School near Everetts 27825

Everetts NC physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Everetts NC is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate those you are considering to make sure they will furnish a quality education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be considered along with cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Everetts NC physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, such as Everetts NC 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 stated, physical therapists help individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Everetts NC medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering 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 extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degree Options

Everetts NC physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, 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 prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief descriptions of degrees that are offered in the Everetts NC area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by community or junior colleges, and require two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 4 years to complete and usually incorporate 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 also must 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 overall commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal element in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, 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 phased out and is no longer attainable in the United States. A number of licensed 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 instituted.

Physical Therapy Colleges Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Everetts NC Although not as prevalent as the more traditional options, there are many 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 college campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online portion of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Everetts NC home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat less than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you most likely have made a decision concerning several of your preliminary questions, including the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Everetts NC area and throughout North Carolina, you’ll have to research additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you need to make certain that you enroll in the college that is right for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy schools you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential schools these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier stated, 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 college, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you pick have outstanding 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 check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact some Everetts NC physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your program selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the North Carolina Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of important statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might suggest that students left because of 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 Everetts NC area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even exceptional. It also verifies that the school has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you choose provides both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for North Carolina 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 school. Although 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 additional tests.

Are Internships Offered? Inquire if the physical therapist schools you are reviewing have relationships with Everetts NC clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great way to get practical experience in a clinical environment, they are also 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 Everetts healthcare community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of student that likes to sit way in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to converse with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they choose will need to be within driving distance of their Everetts NC residence. Those who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Provided? Most DPT schools supply some form of financial aid to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance department and see what kind of aid is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others provide 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 confirm that the physical therapy school you ultimately pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Everetts NC area, verify that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure 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 Everetts North Carolina?

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

Everetts, North Carolina

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 179 people, 80 households, and 58 families residing in the town. The population density was 390.1 people per square mile (150.2/km²). There were 85 housing units at an average density of 185.2 per square mile (71.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 67.04% White, 30.17% African American, 2.23% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.79% of the population.

There were 80 households out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.62.

In the town, the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapist School near Everetts NC

Selecting the ideal physical therapy college is a necessary initial decision you have to make to start a gratifying career in the healthcare field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you choose should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. But there are additional important questions that you should ask regarding your college of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that numerous variables will guide you to your ultimate decision. You might decide to go to each of the schools to see 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 licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Everetts NC.