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

How to Pick a Physical Therapy Degree Program near Stoneville 27048

Stoneville NC physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Stoneville NC is a critical first step to launching a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the proper education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate the ones you are thinking about to ensure they will supply a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is choose a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Stoneville NC physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, such as Stoneville NC private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they create a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Stoneville NC health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Stoneville NC physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degree levels that are offered in the Stoneville NC area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are usually made available by community or junior colleges, and take about two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prep students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to finish and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the total commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal element along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not only 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 United States. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Stoneville NC While not as common as the on campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online part of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Stoneville NC home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition might be significantly lower than similar on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you probably have come to decision regarding some of your initial queries, including the type of physical therapist degree you intend to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are so many PT schools within the Stoneville NC area and across North Carolina, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to make sure that you enroll in the school that is right for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask all of the potential schools these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Ask if the programs you are considering have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. 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 enroll in an online program, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy school and program you choose are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with asking for 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. Get in touch with several Stoneville NC physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your school 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 schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might suggest that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Stoneville NC area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or even excellent. It also affirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the college you select provides both exceptional training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for North Carolina or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy schools you are interested in have relationships with Stoneville NC clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent means to obtain hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may assist graduates and students form professional relationships in the Stoneville medical community and help with job placement after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that likes to sit far in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with some of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they choose will have to be within driving distance of their Stoneville NC residence. Individuals who have decided to attend classes online naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? Most DPT colleges provide some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Inquire if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid department and find out what kind of help is available. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapy program you ultimately choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Stoneville NC area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Stoneville North Carolina?

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

Stoneville, North Carolina

Settlers came to the ridge between the Mayo and Dan rivers in the northwest Piedmont region in the early 1800s. In 1827, the Deep Springs Plantation was built for James Madison Scales and his wife Elizabeth Lesuer in what is now Stoneville.[4] In 1843 the R.H. Lewis Tobacco company was established in the south side of the land that was to become the town of Stoneville.[5] In the late 1850s, brothers Thomas and Pinkney Stone bought land in the area. On March 5, 1877, the town was officially incorporated.[6] A natural stop on the Norfolk-Western rail line, Stoneville became the trade hub for the surrounding localities and profited off of tobacco, cotton and grist-milling industries.[7]

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,056 people, 469 households, and 292 families residing in the town. The population density was 820.4 people per square mile (317.1/km²). There were 518 housing units at an average density of 424.1 per square mile (163.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 77.64% White, 19.26% African American, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 2.10% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.59% of the population.[citation needed]

There were 469 households out of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.73.

Select the Right Physical Therapist Degree Program near Stoneville NC

Selecting the ideal physical therapy program is an important initial decision you need to make to start a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you enroll in should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are other critical questions that you should ask regarding your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist school, bear in mind that numerous factors will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You may want to go to each of the campuses to view their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Stoneville NC.