Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - New Hope PA

How to Choose a Physical Therapy Training Program near New Hope 18938

New Hope PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near New Hope PA is an essential first step to starting a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the necessary education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate those you are considering to make sure they will provide a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be evaluated besides location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

New Hope PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, such as New Hope PA private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other New Hope PA medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

New Hope PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees available for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short explanations of degree levels that are available in the New Hope PA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually offered by community or junior colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to ready students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to finish and usually include an internship program of a minimum of 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 3 years to finish, making the total commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an important component in addition to the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in several states for licensing also.

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. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in New Hope PA Although not as prevalent as the on-campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s New Hope PA residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat lower than similar on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you most likely have come to decision concerning a few of your initial questions, including the type of physical therapy degree you intend to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the New Hope PA area and across Pennsylvania, you’ll have to research other qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of school options. Also, you want to make sure that you pick the school that is right for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are considering. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are looking at have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As previously stated, 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 program, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with several New Hope PA physical therapy clinics or other healthcare facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your school 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 submitted against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two relevant statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapy colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the New Hope PA area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also verifies that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you choose provides both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for Pennsylvania 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 college. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapist colleges you are interested in have associations with New Hope PA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great way to obtain practical experience in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist graduates and students form professional connections in the New Hope healthcare community and assist with job placement after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they select will need to be within driving distance of their New Hope PA residence. Those who have decided 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. Something 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 need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? The majority of DPT colleges supply some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and see what type of assistance is offered. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any grants you might be eligible 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 last you must confirm that the physical therapist school you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the New Hope PA area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours 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 emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near New Hope Pennsylvania?

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

New Hope, Pennsylvania

New Hope is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,528 at the 2010 census. New Hope is located approximately 30 mi (48 km) north of Philadelphia, and lies on the west bank of the Delaware River at its confluence with Aquetong Creek. The two-lane New Hope – Lambertville Bridge carries automobile and foot traffic across the Delaware to Lambertville, New Jersey on the east bank.

New Hope is located along the route of the Old York Road, the former main highway between Philadelphia and New York City. It was generally regarded as the halfway point, where travelers would stay overnight and be ferried across the Delaware River the next morning. The section of U.S. Route 202 that passes just north of New Hope is still named York Road, and the original route is now known as Bridge Street (PA 179).

New Hope was first called "Coryell's Ferry", after the owner of the ferry business. The current name came into use following a fire in 1790 that destroyed several mills in the area; their reconstruction was considered a "new hope".

Pick the Ideal Physical Therapy College near New Hope PA

Picking the right physical therapy college is a necessary initial decision you must make to launch a gratifying career in the healthcare field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you select should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are additional critical questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that many variables will guide you to your final decision. You may want to go to different schools to view their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me reach my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in New Hope PA.