Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Jones Mills PA

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy Training Program near Jones Mills 15646

Jones Mills PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Jones Mills PA is an essential first step to starting a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the appropriate training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate those you are considering to make certain they will deliver a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is select a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be considered along with cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Jones Mills PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse locations, including Jones Mills PA private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Jones Mills PA medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, 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 Therapist Degrees

Jones Mills PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degrees that are offered in the Jones Mills PA area:

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by community or junior colleges, and take about two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 4 years to finish and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program must also be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to finish, making the overall investment of time seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal component in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in some 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 available in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Jones Mills PA Although not as common as the on campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online portion of the program can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Jones Mills PA home. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition can be significantly less than similar on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

At this point you most likely have made a decision regarding a few of your initial questions, including the type of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are numerous PT colleges within the Jones Mills PA area and throughout Pennsylvania, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Furthermore, you need to make certain that you choose the program 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 colleges you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. 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 enroll in an online program, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist school and program you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning 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 Jones Mills PA physical therapy centers or other healthcare facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your school selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Pennsylvania Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapy schools you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students left due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Jones Mills PA area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even excellent. It also confirms that the program has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria 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 therapist program. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Ask if the physical therapy schools you are evaluating have associations with Jones Mills PA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a great manner to get hands on training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they can help graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Jones Mills medical community and assist with job placement once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that prefers to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are researching 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 ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to talk with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy college they pick will have to be within travelling distance of their Jones Mills PA residence. Students 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 concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose 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 normally 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 Support Offered? Most DPT colleges supply some form of financial support to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department and find out what type of help is offered. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. A number of physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapy school you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Jones Mills PA area, verify that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Jones Mills Pennsylvania?

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

Pennsylvania Route 31

Pennsylvania Route 31 (PA 31) is a 74-mile-long (119 km) state highway located in Western Pennsylvania, paralleling U.S. Route 30 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike for most of its length. The designation begins at PA 136 near West Newton and ends at US 30 near Bedford.

PA 31's designation begins at Pennsylvania Route 136 near West Newton.[3] It travels east, interchanging with Interstate 70.[4] After that interchange, PA 31 does not intersect any more numbered roads until it interchanges U.S. Route 119 in the western part of Mount Pleasant.[5] When PA 31 interchanges US 119, it turns from a two-lane surface road into first a four-lane road, and then into a city street as it goes through Mount Pleasant.[6][7]

As PA 31 progresses through Mount Pleasant, it forms a concurrency with Pennsylvania Route 981.[8] After that, it intersects Pennsylvania Route 819 before leaving the borough and entering the township.[8]

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapy Training Program near Jones Mills PA

Choosing the right physical therapist college is a necessary first decision you must make to start a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are other relevant questions that you should ask regarding your college of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your final decision. You might decide to go to each of the schools to see their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional 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 of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Jones Mills PA.