Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Gwynedd Valley PA

How to Select a Physical Therapy School near Gwynedd Valley 19437

Gwynedd Valley PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Gwynedd Valley PA is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the appropriate education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to research the ones you are looking at to make sure they will furnish a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be evaluated along with location and cost. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Gwynedd Valley PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, including Gwynedd Valley PA private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Gwynedd Valley PA health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Gwynedd Valley PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the single degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degrees that are available in the Gwynedd Valley PA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by community or junior colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to prep candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While 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 generally require four years to finish and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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 finish, making the overall investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an important component along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion 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 replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer offered 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 existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Gwynedd Valley PA Although not as prevalent as the on campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist programs available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Gwynedd Valley PA home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be significantly lower than comparable on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you probably have come to decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, such as the type of physical therapist degree you would like to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT colleges within the Gwynedd Valley PA area and across Pennsylvania, you’ll need to look into other qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of college choices. Moreover, you want to make sure that you choose the program that is right for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Ask if the programs you are looking at have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As previously mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online school, 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 simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are several ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Call some Gwynedd Valley PA physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your program selections. It might also be prudent to check with the Pennsylvania Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two important statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist colleges 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, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Gwynedd Valley PA area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to help students obtain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you choose provides both excellent training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Pennsylvania or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are assessing have associations with Gwynedd Valley PA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great means to obtain hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may assist students and graduates develop professional connections in the Gwynedd Valley medical community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of student that likes to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are looking at what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they pick will have to be within travelling distance of their Gwynedd Valley PA residence. Students who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps 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 commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most DPT colleges supply some form of financial support to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid department and see what kind of aid is offered. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships 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, learn what financial aid might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapist school you ultimately choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Gwynedd Valley PA area, verify that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Gwynedd Valley Pennsylvania?

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

Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Mercy University is a Catholic university in Lower Gwynedd Township, Pennsylvania. It occupies a 25 miles (40 km) campus in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. In addition to the Gwynedd Valley campus, Gwynedd Mercy also has locations in Philadelphia and Bensalem, Pennsylvania.[1]

Gwynedd Mercy University was founded in 1948, as Gwynedd-Mercy College, by the Sisters of Mercy as a junior college. In 1963 the college was rechartered as a baccalaureate institution. The school later renamed itself Gwynedd Mercy University.[2] GMercyU offers more than 40 undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing, education, business, and the arts & sciences.

Dating to the early 1900s the grounds were originally owned by Frances Bond, an investment banker, and were known as Willowbrook Farm. The farm hosted a large Gregorian mansion, formal gardens and outbuildings that were designed by renowned Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer, the acclaimed architect of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.[3] The mansion which the Bonds lived in and is now over one-hundred years old, is still in use by the University today as Assumption Hall.

Choose the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Gwynedd Valley PA

Choosing the right physical therapist school is a necessary first decision you have to make to launch a fulfilling career in the medical profession. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you pick should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are other relevant questions that you need to ask concerning your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that many factors will guide you toward your final decision. You might decide to visit different campuses to see their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed 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 proper training and education, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Gwynedd Valley PA.