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

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy School near Lucama 27851

Lucama NC physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Lucama NC is an important first step to starting a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled 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 receive the proper education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to make sure they will provide a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be considered besides cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Lucama NC physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, such as Lucama NC hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Lucama NC health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone considering entering the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Lucama NC physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options offered for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degrees that are offered in the Lucama NC area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become 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 usually provided by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to complete and often include an internship program of a minimum of 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). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to finish, making the total commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal element along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in some 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 practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Colleges Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Lucama NC While not as prevalent as the on campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist programs available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the program may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Lucama NC home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding some of your initial questions, including the type of physical therapy degree you intend to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are numerous PT schools within the Lucama NC area and throughout North Carolina, you’ll have to research other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Furthermore, you want 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 need to ask the physical therapist schools you are considering. Ask each of the competing schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional 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 school, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy school and program you choose are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Call some Lucama NC physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your program selections. It may also be a good idea 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 couple of important statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Lucama NC area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or even exceptional. It also verifies that the college has a wide network of contacts to assist students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you select furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for North Carolina 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 therapist college. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapist colleges you are evaluating have associations with Lucama NC hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific means to obtain hands on training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Lucama medical community and help with job placement once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit far in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Lucama NC residence. Individuals who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry 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 may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT schools provide some type of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the schools you are reviewing have a financial assistance department and see what type of assistance is available. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapy college you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Lucama NC area, make certain that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative 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 might miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Lucama North Carolina?

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

Lucama, North Carolina

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 847 people, 387 households, and 229 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,429.8 people per square mile (554.3/km²). There were 415 housing units at an average density of 700.5 per square mile (271.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 78.16% White, 16.17% African American, 0.47% Asian, 4.13% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.49% of the population.

There were 387 households out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the town, the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.

Choose the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Lucama NC

Choosing the right physical therapist school is a necessary initial decision you need to make to begin a rewarding career in the health care profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you decide on should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. But there are additional critical questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy program, bear in mind that a number of variables will guide you to your ultimate decision. You may want to visit each of the schools to view their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me reach 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 achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Lucama NC.