Category Archives: Maryland

Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree – Valley Lee MD

How to Pick a Physical Therapist School near Valley Lee 20692

Valley Lee MD physical therapy school student with volunteerGetting a physical therapy degree near Valley Lee MD is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been debilitated as a result of injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate those you are thinking about to ensure they will provide a quality education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is enroll in a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be evaluated in addition to cost and location. But before we discuss 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 is a Physical Therapist?

Valley Lee MD physical therapist helping patient walkPhysical therapists practice in a variety of locations, including Valley Lee MD private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

  • Osteoporosis and Arthritis
  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Strokes.
  • Heart attacks.
  • Sports injuries.
  • Fire injuries.
  • Hip Replacement.
  • Fibromyalgia.
  • Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Valley Lee MD health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Valley Lee MD physical therapist applying acupuncture to patientThere are three physical therapist degrees available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degrees that are available in the Valley Lee MD area:

  • Associate Degrees train students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually provided by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a portion of the course of study.
  • Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to prep students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require 4 years to complete and usually incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
  • Doctorate Degrees are required if you want to become a licensed practicing 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 complete, making the total commitment seven years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal element along with the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in some states for licensing as well.

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 available in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Valley Lee MDAlthough not as prevalent as the more traditional options, there are many accredited online physical therapist degrees available, 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 necessitates that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Valley Lee MD home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition can be significantly less than similar on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you probably have come to decision concerning several of your preliminary questions, including the type of physical therapist degree you want to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are numerous PT schools within the Valley Lee MD area and throughout Maryland, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of school options. Moreover, you need to be sure that you enroll in the school that is right for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited?  Ask if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As earlier mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you choose an online college, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist school and program you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Along with guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can look into a PT school’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. Contact several Valley Lee MD physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your program selections. It might also be prudent to contact the Maryland Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapist schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once 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 Valley Lee MD area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps excellent. It also verifies that the program has a broad network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you choose provides both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Maryland or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are assessing have associations with Valley Lee MD hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent means to get hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are also 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 Valley Lee healthcare community and assist with job placement once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering what the typical teacher to student 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 an opportunity to speak with some of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they pick will have to be within driving distance of their Valley Lee MD residence. Students 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 importance. Something to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Provided? Most DPT schools supply some type of financial aid to their potential students. Inquire if the schools you are examining have a financial assistance office and find out what type of assistance is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. A number of physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy school you ultimately pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you choose to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Valley Lee MD area, verify 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 have to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Valley Lee Maryland?

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

Maryland Route 244

Maryland Route 244 (MD 244) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Medleys Neck Road, the state highway runs 10.48 miles (16.87 km) from MD 5 near Leonardtown east to MD 249 in Valley Lee. MD 244 parallels MD 5 in central St. Mary's County, serving several communities on Medleys Neck between Breton Bay and the St. Mary's River, including Beauvue. The state highway was constructed as part of three different state highways—MD 244 from Leonardtown, MD 250 from Valley Lee, and MD 251 through Drayden—between the late 1920s and late 1930s. MD 244 assumed the courses of MD 250 and MD 251 in the mid-1940s. The portion of MD 244 east of MD 249 was removed from the state highway system in the mid-1980s.

MD 244 begins at an intersection with MD 5 adjacent to Leonardtown High School, Leonardtown Middle School, and the St. Mary's County Fairgrounds. The state highway heads south from the Leonardtown area as two-lane road Medleys Neck Road through a forested area. After crossing Moldier Run, MD 244 passes by Foxes Point Lane, which leads to the Indian Village Archaeological Park. In the hamlet of Beauvue, the state highway intersects Breton Beach Road, which leads to a series of small beach resorts on Breton Bay and the Potomac River. MD 244 curves to the southeast and passes White Beach Beach Road, which leads to the namesake community. The state highway continues east, crossing Poplar Hill Creek before passing Mulberry Fields Road, which serves the namesake historic home. At Chingville Road, MD 244 curves to the south toward Valley Lee. In Valley Lee, the state highway turns east onto Blake Creek Road. MD 244 passes St. George's Episcopal Church before reaching its eastern terminus at MD 249 (Piney Point Road). A former section of MD 244, Drayden Road, heads east from MD 249 a short distance south of the MD 244 intersection. The county highway heads east toward the hamlet of Drayden and the historic homes Porto Bello and West St. Mary's Manor on the St. Mary's River.[1][2]

MD 244 was constructed as part of three highways: MD 244 from the Leonardtown end, MD 250 from the Valley Lee end, and MD 251 along Drayden Road.[3] MD 244 was constructed from MD 5 to Beauvue in 1925 and 1926.[4][5] The state highway was extended east in 1-mile (1.6 km) segments in 1930, 1933, and 1934.[6][7][8][9] MD 244 was completed to near Chingville Road in 1939.[3][10] The first section of MD 250 was Blake Creek Road from MD 249 to the present right-angle turn onto Medleys Neck Road.[4][5] MD 250 was extended to near Chingville Road in two sections beginning in 1930 and completed in 1935.[6][7][8][9] MD 251 was constructed from MD 249 east to Cherryfield Road in Drayden in 1928 and east to Porto Bello in 1930.[6][11][12] The gap between MD 244 and MD 250 centered on Chingville Road was closed with the construction of 1.6 miles (2.6 km) of connecting highway around 1942.[13] By 1946, MD 244 was extended east over the lengths of MD 250 and MD 251.[14] MD 244 was reduced to its current length when the Drayden Road portion of the state highway was transferred to county maintenance around 1987.[15]

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapy Degree Program near Valley Lee MD

Choosing the best physical therapist program is a necessary initial decision you must make to start a gratifying career in the health care field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. But there are other critical questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that a number of variables will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to go to each of the colleges to view their facilities and talk to current 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 supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Valley Lee MD.

A Few More Interesting Locations in Maryland

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