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

How to Choose a Physical Therapist College near Westerville 43081

Westerville OH physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Westerville OH is an essential first step to starting a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the necessary training and education. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research the ones you are thinking about to make certain they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated along with cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Westerville OH physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of settings, including Westerville OH 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 suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they develop 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. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Westerville OH medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Westerville OH physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees offered for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Westerville OH 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 obtained a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often provided by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a component of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to ready students to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require 4 years to complete and commonly include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want 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 3 years to complete, making the overall commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an important element along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in a number of states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been phased out and is no longer offered in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Westerville OH Although not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online portion of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Westerville OH residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition might be significantly less than similar on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding several of your preliminary questions, like 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 considering there are so many PT colleges within the Westerville OH area and across Ohio, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Also, you need to be sure that you select the school that is right for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the programs you are considering have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. 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 enroll in an online school, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy program and school you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, beginning 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 agencies for their reviews also. Contact several Westerville OH physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your school options. It may also be a good idea to check with the Ohio Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two important statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapist programs you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students left due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Westerville OH area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also confirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you choose furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for Ohio or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy programs you are interested in have associations with Westerville OH clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific means to obtain hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help graduates and students establish professional connections in the Westerville medical community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are looking at what the average student to teacher 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 a chance to talk with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they pick will need to be within travelling distance of their Westerville OH residence. Those who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. One thing to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT colleges offer some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid office and find out what kind of help is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. Some physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial aid might be available.

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

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Westerville Ohio?

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

Westerville, Ohio

Westerville is a city in Delaware and Franklin counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is a northeastern suburb of Columbus. The population was 36,120 at the 2010 census. Westerville is the home of Otterbein University.

The land that is today Westerville was first settled by Europeans around 1810. In 1818, Matthew, Peter, and William Westervelt, settlers of Dutch extraction, migrated to the area from New York. Matthew Westervelt donated land for the construction of a Methodist church in 1836, and the settlement was subsequently named in the family’s honor.[7] In 1839, the Blendon Young Men’s Seminary was chartered in Westerville;[8] Matthew Westervelt was one of its first trustees.[9] The Church of the United Brethren in Christ bought the seminary in 1846,[10] and the next year the seminary was reformed, and renamed Otterbein College after the church’s founder Philip William Otterbein. It continues today in Westerville as the private Otterbein University.[11]

Throughout the Antebellum era, several homes in Westerville were stations on the Underground Railroad. Among these is the Hanby House, located one block from the college. Benjamin Russell Hanby had moved to Westerville in 1849, at the age of sixteen, to enroll at Otterbein University.[13] Hanby went on to write many familiar hymns and songs, among them "Darling Nelly Gray" (inspired by his sympathy for Southern slaves[14]), "Who is He in Yonder Stall?", and the Christmas favorite "Up On The Housetop". His home in Westerville, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was dedicated as a museum in 1937[15] and is now owned by the Ohio Historical Society and managed locally by the Westerville Historical Society. It is the only state memorial to a composer in the state of Ohio.

Pick the Best Physical Therapy College near Westerville OH

Picking the best physical therapy college is a necessary first decision you must make to begin a gratifying career in the health care field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you choose should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are other critical questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy program, bear in mind that a number of factors will guide you to your final decision. You may want to visit each of the schools to view their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the proper training and education, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Westerville OH.