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

How to Choose a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Ramseur 27316

Ramseur NC physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Ramseur NC is a critical first step to starting a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated due to injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the proper training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate those you are thinking about to ensure they will provide a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is select a school simply because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered in addition to cost and location. But before we cover 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’s Job Description?

Ramseur NC physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, including Ramseur NC private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they create a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Ramseur NC health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Ramseur NC physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options available for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is attainable to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are brief explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Ramseur NC area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually offered by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to ready 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. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want 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 overall commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in a number of states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced 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 holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Ramseur NC Although not as prevalent as the on campus 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 necessitates that the student live near the school campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Ramseur NC residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition might be significantly less than comparable on-campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning a few of your preliminary questions, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you want to attain, where you prefer 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 Ramseur NC area and across North Carolina, you’ll need to look into other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of school options. Also, you want to make sure that you enroll in the college that is best for you. That’s why we have put together a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask each of the potential schools these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Find out if the schools you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier mentioned, 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 school, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy school and program you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy community. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT school’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 organizations for their reviews also. Contact some Ramseur NC physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your college selections. It may also be prudent to contact the North Carolina Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Ramseur NC area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even outstanding. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements 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) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. 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 Offered? Inquire if the physical therapist schools you are assessing have relationships with Ramseur NC hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent manner to get hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help students and graduates establish professional connections in the Ramseur healthcare community and help with job placement after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely prefer a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they decide on will have to be within commuting distance of their Ramseur NC home. Students who have opted to attend online classes 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 choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most DPT colleges supply some type of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the schools you are examining have a financial aid office and see what kind of aid is offered. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. A number of physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapist program you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Ramseur NC area, verify that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, 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 because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Ramseur North Carolina?

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

Ramseur, North Carolina

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.3 km²), of which, 1.6 square miles (4.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.80%) is water.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 1,588 people, 652 households, and 444 families residing in the town. The population density was 968.0 people per square mile (373.9/km²). There were 697 housing units at an average density of 424.9 per square mile (164.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 80.67% White, 10.96% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 5.04% from other races, and 2.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.25% of the population.

There were 652 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.95.

Select the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Ramseur NC

Picking the best physical therapy college is a necessary initial decision you must make to launch a gratifying career in the health care field. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you select should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are other important questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapist program, keep in mind that a number of factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might decide to visit each of the campuses to see their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Ramseur NC.