Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Estill Springs TN

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Degree Program near Estill Springs 37330

Estill Springs TN physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Estill Springs TN is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the proper training and education. A PT must also be licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate those you are considering to make certain they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be evaluated along with location and cost. But before we cover 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Estill Springs TN physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, including Estill Springs TN hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Estill Springs TN health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

Estill Springs TN physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for individuals to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief descriptions of degrees that are available in the Estill Springs TN area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are usually provided by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to prep candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral initial step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to finish and often include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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 finish, making the overall investment of time 7 years in most cases. Clinical training is an intregal element along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor 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 phased out and is no longer attainable in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Estill Springs TN Although not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the curriculum may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Estill Springs TN residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you probably have made a decision regarding some of your preliminary questions, like the kind of physical therapy degree you intend to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Estill Springs TN area and throughout Tennessee, you’ll need to explore other qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of college options. Also, you want to make certain that you select the program that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are looking at have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As earlier stated, 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 school, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy community. There are a number of ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact several Estill Springs TN physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you may 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 Tennessee Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Estill Springs TN area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care community is good or even exceptional. It also verifies that the school has a broad network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in provides both excellent training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Tennessee 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 vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing have relationships with Estill Springs TN hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great way to obtain practical training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help graduates and students form professional connections in the Estill Springs health care community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit way in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will likely prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapist school they choose will have to be within commuting distance of their Estill Springs TN residence. Individuals who have chosen 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 consider 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 typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? Most DPT schools offer some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are examining have a financial assistance office and see what kind of assistance is offered. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapy school you ultimately pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Estill Springs TN area, make sure that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an option 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 might miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Estill Springs Tennessee?

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

Estill Springs, Tennessee

The European-American town dates from circa 1840, when the Frank Estill family, which owned considerable property in the area, donated a right-of-way for railroad construction. The combination of mineral waters, which were much in vogue as a health remedy at the time, and convenient rail access caused the settlement to develop as a small-scale spa town, which took its name from the springs. Oscar Meyer was appointed the first mayor of Estill.[5]

During the Civil War, the town was generally known as "Allisonia", for another family which had settled in the area. It was the site of a Confederate training camp, Camp Harris, named for Isham G. Harris, the Confederate governor of Tennessee, who was a native of the county. Southern forces retreated through the town during the 1863 Tullahoma Campaign, named for the nearby community which served as Confederate headquarters.[5]

Following Reconstruction, whites in the county worked to maintain dominance over freedmen. They committed violence against African Americans perceived to violate social norms. Based on a conflict with local whites in the small town, who appeared to resent his family's relative success, Jim McIlherron was reported to have shot at three young white men who were taunting him. After trying to escape, McIlherron was captured and taken back to Estill Springs. He was lynched by a white mob on February 4, 1918, whose members tortured him with burning before his death. Rev. G.W. Lych, believed to have helped McIlherron escape, was shot to death before this.[6] These two murders were among three recorded lynchings in Franklin County through the early 20th century.[7]

Choose the Best Physical Therapy School near Estill Springs TN

Choosing the ideal physical therapist program is an important first decision you have to make to launch a rewarding career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you select should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are additional important questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that a number of factors will lead you to your final decision. You might want to go to different schools to view their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to 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 necessary training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Estill Springs TN.