Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Oak Ridge PA

How to Choose a Physical Therapy Program near Oak Ridge 16245

Oak Ridge PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Oak Ridge PA is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated due to injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are considering to ensure they will supply a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be evaluated in addition to location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Oak Ridge PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, including Oak Ridge PA private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Oak Ridge PA medical specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Oak Ridge PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees available for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Oak Ridge PA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy education to prep candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require 4 years to finish and often incorporate 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 also must 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 overall commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential component along with the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely 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 phased out and is no longer offered in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Oak Ridge PA Although not as common as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapist degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Oak Ridge PA home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition can be significantly lower than similar on campus alternatives, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number 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.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

At this point you probably have made a decision regarding a few of your preliminary queries, such as the type of physical therapist degree you would like to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Oak Ridge PA area and across Pennsylvania, you’ll need to research additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of school options. Also, you need to make certain that you enroll in the school that is best for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. 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 enroll in an online program, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can research a PT college’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call a few Oak Ridge PA physical therapy centers or other healthcare facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your college options. It may 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 College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two significant statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapist schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students left because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Oak Ridge PA area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also confirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the college you choose furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Pennsylvania or the state where you will be practicing. 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 school. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapist colleges you are assessing have partnerships with Oak Ridge PA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific means to receive practical experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may help students and graduates establish professional connections in the Oak Ridge health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit way 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 colleges you are reviewing what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapist school they decide on will have to be within driving distance of their Oak Ridge PA residence. Individuals who have decided to attend classes online naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? The majority of DPT schools supply some form of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the schools you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and find out what type of aid is obtainable. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapist school you finally pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Oak Ridge PA area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Oak Ridge Pennsylvania?

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

Oak Ridge, Pennsylvania

Select the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Oak Ridge PA

Picking the right physical therapy college is an important initial decision you need to make to start a gratifying career in the medical profession. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you pick should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your final decision. You may decide to visit different schools to see their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the best selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Oak Ridge PA.