Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Brackenridge PA

How to Select a Physical Therapist Program near Brackenridge 15014

Brackenridge PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Brackenridge PA is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate those you are thinking about to make sure they will furnish a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be evaluated along with cost and location. But before we discuss 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Brackenridge PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, including Brackenridge PA hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Brackenridge PA health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Brackenridge PA 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 alternatives, the only degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training 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 available in the Brackenridge PA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as 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 colleges, and require 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist training to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require 4 years to complete and usually incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order 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 overall commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an important component in addition to the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in a number of 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 offered in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Brackenridge PA While not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist programs available, more so 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 close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Brackenridge PA residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision concerning several of your initial queries, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you would like to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the Brackenridge PA area and throughout Pennsylvania, you’ll need to research other qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school options. Furthermore, you need to make certain that you enroll in the college that is right for you. That’s why we have put together a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the schools you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier mentioned, 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 can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Contact some Brackenridge PA physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your program selections. It may also be prudent to contact the Pennsylvania Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two relevant statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapy colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, 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 Brackenridge PA area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or even excellent. It also affirms that the college has a large network of contacts to assist students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you choose furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Pennsylvania or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. Although 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 supplemental tests.

Are Internships Offered? Inquire if the physical therapist schools you are reviewing have relationships with Brackenridge PA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great means to obtain practical training 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 students and graduates develop professional connections in the Brackenridge health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of student that likes to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they select will have to be within commuting distance of their Brackenridge PA residence. Those who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT schools provide some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial assistance department and find out what kind of help is available. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapy college you ultimately select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Brackenridge PA area, make certain 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 enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Brackenridge Pennsylvania?

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

Brackenridge, Pennsylvania

The town is named for Henry Marie Brackenridge.[3] The borough once had glass factories. An Allegheny Technologies steel mill, Allegheny Ludlum Brackenridge Works,[4] plays a prominent role in the community, although most of the facility is located in Harrison Township. The population stood at 3,421 in 1910 and at 6,400 in 1940. The population was 3,260 at the 2010 census.[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2), of which 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2), or 7.27%, is water.

As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 3,543 people, 1,507 households, and 931 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,924.2 people per square mile (2,682.3/km²). There were 1,700 housing units at an average density of 3,322.4 per square mile (1,287.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.03% White, 3.44% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.54% of the population.

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapist College near Brackenridge PA

Deciding on the ideal physical therapist program is an important first decision you must make to launch a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you select should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are additional critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that numerous factors will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You might decide to go to different campuses to view their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me reach 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 options so you can make the right choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Brackenridge PA.