Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Laurelville OH

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Degree Program near Laurelville 43135

Laurelville OH physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Laurelville OH is an important first step to starting a rewarding career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the proper training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate the ones you are thinking about to ensure they will furnish a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is choose a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be evaluated besides cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Laurelville OH physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, such as Laurelville OH private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Laurelville OH health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is quite 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 Offered

Laurelville OH physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the single degree that is attainable 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 short descriptions of degrees that are available in the Laurelville OH area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as 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 be accepted for enrollment. The programs are typically offered by community colleges, and require two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training to ready candidates to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to becoming a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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 commitment 7 years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not just for graduation but in several 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 phased out and is no longer available in the United States. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Laurelville OH While not as common as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Laurelville OH residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition might be significantly lower than similar on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you most likely have come to decision concerning some of your initial queries, like the type of physical therapy degree you would like to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT colleges within the Laurelville OH area and across Ohio, you’ll need to research additional qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of college choices. Furthermore, you want to make sure that you pick the college that is right for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the schools you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously 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. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Call some Laurelville OH physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your program selections. It might also be prudent to contact the Ohio Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of important statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapist schools you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Laurelville OH area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even outstanding. It also affirms that the school has a large network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the college you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Ohio or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to 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 number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy colleges you are evaluating have relationships with Laurelville OH hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great way to obtain practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist students and graduates form professional connections in the Laurelville medical community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they pick will need to be within driving distance of their Laurelville OH home. Those who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. 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 commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Provided? Most DPT colleges offer some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial assistance department and see what type of aid is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapy college you finally choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Laurelville OH area, make sure that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Laurelville Ohio?

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

Laurelville, Ohio

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 527 people, 252 households, and 120 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,509.5 inhabitants per square mile (968.9/km2). There were 282 housing units at an average density of 1,342.9 per square mile (518.5/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.3% White, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population.

There were 252 households, of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.7% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 52.4% were non-families. 47.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 24.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 3.04.

The median age in the village was 39.5 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.7% were from 25 to 44; 22.3% were from 45 to 64; and 20.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 44.6% male and 55.4% female.

Enroll in the Best Physical Therapist Degree Program near Laurelville OH

Deciding on the ideal physical therapy school is an important initial decision you have to make to begin a fulfilling career in the health care field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are other important questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, keep in mind that numerous variables will lead you toward your final decision. You might want to go to different colleges to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the best selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Laurelville OH.