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

How to Find the Right Physical Therapy School near Newmanstown 17073

Newmanstown PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Newmanstown PA is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated due to illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate those you are considering to make certain they will deliver a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be evaluated besides cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Newmanstown PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, including Newmanstown PA hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

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

Physical Therapist Degrees Available

Newmanstown PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options offered for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the single 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 readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degree levels that are available in the Newmanstown PA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often provided by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to finish and often include an internship program of a minimum of 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). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the overall investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an essential component in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in a number of 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 offered in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Newmanstown PA While not as prevalent as the on-campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist programs offered, 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 near the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online portion of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Newmanstown PA home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding several of your preliminary queries, including the type of physical therapist degree you want to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Newmanstown PA area and throughout Pennsylvania, you’ll have to look into other qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to be sure that you pick the college that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As earlier mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree 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 essential that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact several Newmanstown PA physical therapy centers or other medical care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your program options. It may also be a good idea to check with the Pennsylvania Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two relevant statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy schools you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Newmanstown PA area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the college you enroll in provides both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements 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) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are reviewing have relationships with Newmanstown PA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent manner to obtain practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help graduates and students form professional connections in the Newmanstown healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are looking at what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Newmanstown PA residence. Students who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to bear in mind 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 typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? The majority of DPT colleges provide some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Ask if the schools you are examining have a financial aid department and find out what kind of assistance is obtainable. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapy program you ultimately pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Newmanstown PA area, confirm that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Newmanstown Pennsylvania?

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

Newmanstown, Pennsylvania

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2), all of it land. Route 419 runs through Newmanstown. A creek, which drains northward into the Tulpehocken Creek, a tributary of the Schuylkill River, runs along the west side of the town.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,536 people, 603 households, and 417 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 702.3 people per square mile (270.8/km²). There were 635 housing units at an average density of 290.3/sq mi (112.0/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.05% White, 0.52% African American, 0.26% Asian, 0.52% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.56% of the population.

There were 603 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.05.

Pick the Right Physical Therapist Training Program near Newmanstown PA

Picking the right physical therapy school is an important initial decision you must make to begin a gratifying career in the health care field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you decide on should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. But there are additional relevant questions that you should ask regarding your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that numerous variables will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may decide to go to different colleges to see their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me reach 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 options so you can make the right selection. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Newmanstown PA.