Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Shady Grove PA

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist College near Shady Grove 17256

Shady Grove PA physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Shady Grove PA is an important first step to launching a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated as a result of illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the proper education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate those you are thinking about to make certain they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered besides cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Shady Grove PA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, including Shady Grove PA private practices, hospitals, 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 suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Shady Grove PA medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Shady Grove PA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options available for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single 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 prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short explanations of degrees that are available in the Shady Grove PA area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are usually offered by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to ready candidates to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral initial step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take 4 years to finish and commonly incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order 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 training is an important element along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in a number of states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has taken the place of the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer offered in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists having 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 Therapist Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Shady Grove 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. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Shady Grove PA residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat lower than comparable on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision regarding several of your preliminary questions, like the type of physical therapy degree you want to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Shady Grove PA area and across Pennsylvania, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of college choices. 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 must ask the physical therapy programs you are considering. Ask each of the competing schools these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Ask if the schools you are considering have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously 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 choose an online school, 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 simply the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Call several Shady Grove PA physical therapist centers or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your program selections. It may also be prudent to contact the Pennsylvania Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out 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 need to know about all of the physical therapist schools you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Shady Grove PA area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or even outstanding. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that supports 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 therapy school. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapy colleges you are assessing have partnerships with Shady Grove PA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific manner to receive practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Shady Grove medical community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are researching what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy school they select will have to be within commuting distance of their Shady Grove PA home. Students who have chosen to attend online classes naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly 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 Aid Provided? The majority of DPT schools provide some form of financial aid to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial assistance office and find out what type of assistance is available. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. Some physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist program you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Shady Grove PA area, make sure that they are available. 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 procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Shady Grove Pennsylvania?

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

The Manitowoc Company

The Manitowoc Company, Inc. is an American Fortune 1000 manufacturer of cranes and, until 2016, food service equipment. The company was founded in 1902, and is headquartered in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. On March 4, 2016, the company announced that it had completed the spin-off of its food service equipment operations into a new publicly traded company, Manitowoc Foodservices.[3]

Manitowoc Company, Inc. was founded by Charles West and Elias Gunnell in the lakeshore community of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, in 1902. It was known as a shipbuilding and ship-repair company under the name Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company. Since that time, the company has grown and diversified, entering the lattice-boom crane business in the mid-1920s and branching into commercial refrigeration equipment shortly after World War II. During World War II, the Department of the Navy contracted Manitowoc to build a total of 28 submarines, plus the canceled USS Chicolar (SS-464).[4] Before they built the submarines for the Department of the Navy, the company built car ferries.[citation needed] In November 2002, the company acquired the Grove Crane company for approximately $271 million.

Manitowoc produces several lines of cranes to serve the construction industries. The company produces high-capacity lattice-boom crawler cranes, tower cranes, and mobile telescopic cranes for heavy construction, commercial construction, energy-related, wind farm,[5] infrastructure, duty-cycle and crane-rental applications. It is also a producer of boom trucks.

Enroll in the Best Physical Therapy Degree Program near Shady Grove PA

Choosing the right physical therapist school is an important initial decision you have to make to launch a fulfilling career in the medical profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you select should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are other important questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that many factors will lead you to your final decision. You might want to visit different campuses to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me accomplish 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 options so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Shady Grove PA.