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

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Training Program near Stanley 28164

Stanley NC physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Stanley NC is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled 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 acquire the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate those you are thinking about to ensure they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is select a school just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be considered along with cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Stanley NC physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, such as Stanley NC hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

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

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

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Stanley NC physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the one 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 preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Stanley NC area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to prep students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to complete and often incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want to become a practicing licensed 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 3 years to complete, making the total commitment seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component in addition to the considerable lab and classroom instruction. Consequently 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 USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Stanley NC While not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online portion of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Stanley NC home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more affordable. Tuition might be significantly lower than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision concerning a few of your preliminary questions, like the kind of physical therapist degree you intend to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT schools within the Stanley NC area and throughout North Carolina, you’ll need to explore other qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of college choices. Also, you need to be sure that you choose 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 colleges you are reviewing. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are reviewing have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As previously 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 school, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school 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. Along with 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 School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Get in touch with some Stanley NC physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your college selections. It might also be a good idea to check with the North Carolina Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapy colleges you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may suggest that students left because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Stanley NC area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or even excellent. It also confirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you select furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for North Carolina or the state where you will be practicing. 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 program. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Ask if the physical therapist schools you are assessing have partnerships with Stanley NC hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to receive hands on training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist graduates and students form professional connections in the Stanley medical community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely prefer a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are reviewing what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to talk with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Stanley NC home. Students who have chosen to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally 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 Aid Provided? The majority of DPT schools supply some form of financial support to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and see what type of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapy college you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Stanley NC area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Stanley North Carolina?

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

Stanley, North Carolina

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2), of which 2.7 square miles (6.9 km2) is land and 0.015 square miles (0.04 km2), or 0.57%, is water.[4] The 28164 zip code for Stanley extends north into unincorporated land as far as the southwest corner of Lake Norman in Lincoln County.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 3,053 people, 1,201 households, and 887 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,327.2 people per square mile (512.5/km²). There were 1,303 housing units at an average density of 566.4 per square mile (218.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.42% White, 8.42% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.66% other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race comprised 0.82% of the population [United States Census, 2000].

There were 1,201 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.99.

Select the Best Physical Therapist Training Program near Stanley NC

Choosing the best physical therapist school is an important initial decision you need to make to begin a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you decide on should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that many variables will guide you toward your final decision. You may decide to visit different schools to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me realize my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the right selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Stanley NC.