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

How to Select a Physical Therapy Program near Mayodan 27027

Mayodan NC physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Mayodan NC is an essential first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the necessary training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate the ones you are considering to ensure they will deliver a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be evaluated along with location and cost. But before we discuss 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?

Mayodan NC physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, including Mayodan NC hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Mayodan NC health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather 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 Degrees Available

Mayodan NC physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees available for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing 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 available in the Mayodan NC area:

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually provided by community or junior colleges, and take about two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training to ready candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary 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 a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement in order 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 three years to complete, making the overall investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an important element along with the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, 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 USA. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Mayodan NC Although not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Due to 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 in proximity of an available internship. However, the online part of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Mayodan NC home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat lower than similar on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision concerning some of your preliminary questions, like the kind of physical therapy degree you want to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Mayodan NC area and across North Carolina, you’ll have to research additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Furthermore, you want to be sure that you select the school that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are thinking about. Ask each of the potential schools these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the schools you are looking at 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 select an online school, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact several Mayodan NC physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your program options. It may also be prudent to contact the North Carolina Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, 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 Mayodan NC area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even outstanding. It also confirms that the college has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you choose provides both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing criteria for North Carolina or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are interested in have partnerships with Mayodan NC clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific means to receive practical training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may assist students and graduates establish professional connections in the Mayodan health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit way in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are looking at what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to speak with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they pick will have to be within driving distance of their Mayodan NC home. Students who have chosen to attend classes online naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most DPT schools offer some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Ask if the schools you are examining have a financial aid office and see what kind of assistance is available. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist college you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Mayodan NC area, verify that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Mayodan North Carolina?

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

Mayodan, North Carolina

Mayodan is a town in Rockingham County, North Carolina, in the United States. It is a manufacturing site for Sturm, Ruger & Co., Bridgestone Aircraft Tire, and General Tobacco (ceased operations 2010). Washington Mills Company, later Tultex, operated a textile mill in Mayodan until 1999.[4]

Mayodan started as a mill town when a cotton mill was built in 1892. Operations began in April 1896.[5] The Washington Mills-Mayodan Plant was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.[6]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 2,478 people, 1,173 households, and 651 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,608.8 people per square mile (622.1/km²). There were 1,268 housing units at an average density of 844.0 per square mile (326.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.85% White, 10.38% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 2.57% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.01% of the population.

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Mayodan NC

Deciding on the right physical therapy school is an important initial decision you must make to launch a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are other critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You might want to go to different schools 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 have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Mayodan NC.