Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Georgetown TN

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist Degree Program near Georgetown 37336

Georgetown TN physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Georgetown TN is an important first step to starting a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the necessary training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate those you are looking at to make sure they will furnish a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a college simply 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 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Georgetown TN physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, including Georgetown TN private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help people that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Georgetown TN health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is quite 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 Therapy Degrees Offered

Georgetown TN physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degree options available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these choices, the single degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short descriptions of degrees that are available in the Georgetown TN area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are typically provided by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to prep students to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want to become a licensed practicing 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 complete, making the total investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an essential element in addition to the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only 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 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 Therapy Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Georgetown TN While not as common as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Georgetown TN home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition may be significantly lower than similar on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you probably have come to decision concerning several of your initial queries, like the type of physical therapy degree you would like to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are numerous PT colleges within the Georgetown TN area and throughout Tennessee, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Furthermore, you need to make sure that you choose the college that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy schools you are considering. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Ask if the schools you are reviewing have received accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online program, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you receive a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you choose have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact several Georgetown TN physical therapist centers or other healthcare facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any insight about your program options. It might also be a good idea to check with the Tennessee Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of significant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapist schools you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students left due to displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Georgetown TN area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps outstanding. It also affirms that the program has a broad network of contacts to assist students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in provides both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Tennessee or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy programs you are interested in have relationships with Georgetown TN clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent way to obtain 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 can assist students and graduates develop professional connections in the Georgetown health care community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Small classes allow for 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 classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with some of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their Georgetown TN residence. Those who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to concern 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 typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? Most DPT colleges offer some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial assistance office and see what type of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapist school you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Georgetown TN area, make certain that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Georgetown Tennessee?

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

Georgetown, Tennessee

Georgetown is an unincorporated community at the junction of Bradley, Hamilton, and Meigs counties, Tennessee. The community is located along State Route 60 near its intersection with State Route 58.[1]

The Bradley County portion of Georgetown is part of the Cleveland, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Hamilton County portion is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Select the Right Physical Therapy Training Program near Georgetown TN

Selecting the ideal physical therapy college is an important initial decision you have to make to start a fulfilling career in the medical profession. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you choose should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are additional critical questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that numerous factors will guide you to your ultimate decision. You might decide to go to each of the colleges to view their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing 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 proper education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Georgetown TN.