Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Jenks OK

How to Pick a Physical Therapy School near Jenks 74037

Jenks OK physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Jenks OK is a critical first step to launching a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled due to illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate the ones you are thinking about to ensure they will provide a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is choose a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered along with location and cost. 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Jenks OK physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, including Jenks OK 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 stated, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Jenks OK health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Jenks OK physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees offered for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degree levels that are offered in the Jenks OK area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually provided by community colleges, and require two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy training to ready candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 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 practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the total investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an important component in addition to the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in several states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer attainable in the USA. A number of licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Jenks OK While not as prevalent as the more traditional options, there are some accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online segment of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Jenks OK home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition can be significantly less than comparable on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the best choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you most likely have come to decision concerning some of your preliminary queries, such as the type of physical therapy degree you would like to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are numerous PT schools within the Jenks OK area and throughout Oklahoma, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you need to be sure that you pick the school that is right for you. That’s why we have put together a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are looking at have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As earlier stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you choose an online college, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not simply 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 might be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact some Jenks OK physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your college selections. It may also be a good idea to check with the Oklahoma Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may suggest that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Jenks OK area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the school has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you enroll in provides both excellent training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for Oklahoma or the state where you will be working. 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 program. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Offered? Ask if the physical therapy colleges you are assessing have associations with Jenks OK clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great way to get hands on training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help students and graduates form professional relationships in the Jenks medical community and assist with job placement after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering 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 determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they decide on will need to be within commuting distance of their Jenks OK home. Individuals who have decided to attend classes online 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 consider is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most DPT colleges provide some type of financial support to their prospective students. Inquire if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid department and see what kind of help is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapist program you ultimately pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you choose to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Jenks OK area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Jenks Oklahoma?

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

Jenks, Oklahoma

Jenks is a city in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States, and a suburb of Tulsa, in the northeastern part of the state. It is situated between the Arkansas River and U.S. Route 75. Jenks is one of the fastest growing cities in Oklahoma. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,557, but by 2010, the population was 16,924, an increase of 77.1 percent.[3]

Jenks began in 1904 as a community site established by the Midland Valley Railroad between Tulsa and Muskogee, alongside the Arkansas River. Though the river could only be utilized by shallow draft steamboats while the water level was up, these two transportation routes proved vital to Jenks' early development.

Jenks was named after William Henry Jenks the owner and director of the Midland Valley Railroad. According to a 1957 article in the Tulsa Tribune, an agent for the townsite company was told by the railroad home office to name a town for the director.[4]

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapist Degree Program near Jenks OK

Picking the ideal physical therapist college is an important first decision you need to make to begin a rewarding career in the health care field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you pick should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are additional important questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that many factors will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You might want to go to each of the colleges to view their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school 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 options so you can make the best choice. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Jenks OK.