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

How to Choose a Physical Therapist School near King 27021

King NC physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near King NC is a critical first step to launching a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the proper training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research those you are looking at to make sure they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is choose a school just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered in addition to location and cost. 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 the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

King NC physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, such as King NC 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 the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other King NC medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also manage several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

King NC physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degree levels that are offered in the King NC area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are typically made available by community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to prep candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to complete and usually incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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 total investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an important element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in a number of 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 offered in the USA. A number of licensed 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 Therapist Online Schools

woman attending physical therapy school online in King NC While not as prevalent as the on campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online segment of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s King NC home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat lower than comparable on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you most likely have made a decision regarding a few of your initial queries, like the type of physical therapy degree you intend to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT colleges within the King NC area and throughout North Carolina, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of college choices. Moreover, you want to be sure that you choose the college that is best for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering. Ask all of the competing schools these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are reviewing 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 college, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy school and program you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with several King NC physical therapist centers or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your program options. It may also be prudent to check with the North Carolina 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 two significant statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the King NC area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even outstanding. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to assist students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you choose furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for North Carolina or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy schools you are interested in have partnerships with King NC clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent means to receive hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may assist graduates and students develop professional connections in the King health care community and help with job placement once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of student that likes to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are looking at what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to talk with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist college they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their King NC residence. Students who have opted to attend online classes obviously 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 keep 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 typically 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 Offered? The majority of DPT colleges supply some type of financial aid to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial assistance department and see what kind of help is obtainable. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy college you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the King NC area, confirm that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near King North Carolina?

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

NC.A

Im Soeun (born October 7, 1996), well known as NC.A (initialism for New Creative Artist),[2] is a South Korean singer. She debuted in August 2013 with "My Student Teacher". She is currently active as a member of South Korean girl group UNI.T.

Towards her graduation in junior high school, she started going to a music academy. She performed there and someone had it video-taped and uploaded online. The video ended up in the hands of Chae Jong-ju, the CEO of JJHolic Media who later called her in for an audition. Upon passing the auditions, she became a trainee.[2]

On August 11, 2013, NC.A released her debut digital single "My Student Teacher".[3][4] The song, which lyrics talked about high school life, was composed by Park Seung-hwa of Yurisangja, written by Lee Ji-won and edited by Seo Jung-jin, which presented Lee Hye-ri.

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapist School near King NC

Choosing the ideal physical therapist program is an important initial decision you need to make to start a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you choose should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might want to visit different campuses to see their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the best selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in King NC.