How to Select a Physical Therapy College near Livingston 38570

Getting a physical therapist degree near Livingston TN is an important first step to launching a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the appropriate training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to investigate the ones you are looking at to make sure they will provide a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is choose a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be evaluated besides cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Physical therapists work in diverse settings, such as Livingston TN private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

• Arthritis or Osteoporosis
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Head injuries.
• Cardiac arrest.
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
• Burn injuries.
• Hip Replacement.
• Fibromyalgia.
• Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Livingston TN health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone thinking about entering the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Livingston TN area:

• Associate Degrees educate students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are typically offered by community or junior colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the curriculum.
• Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most 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 in order 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 overall commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, 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 attainable in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Programs

Although not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires 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 Livingston TN home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition may be significantly lower than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative 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 come to decision concerning some of your preliminary queries, like the kind of physical therapist degree you want to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are numerous PT colleges within the Livingston TN area and throughout Tennessee, you’ll need to explore other qualifications also in order to further narrow your list of college choices. Furthermore, you need to make sure that you select the program that is right for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapy schools you are considering. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited?  Find out if the colleges you are considering 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 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 enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact a few Livingston TN physical therapist centers or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your program selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Tennessee Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of important statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy colleges you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Livingston TN area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps excellent. It also confirms that the program has a large network of contacts to help students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you choose furnishes both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing requirements for Tennessee or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapy programs you are reviewing have partnerships with Livingston TN hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great means to receive hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help graduates and students establish professional connections in the Livingston medical community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are researching what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they select will need to be within travelling distance of their Livingston TN home. Individuals who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps 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 frequently charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? The majority of DPT colleges supply some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are considering have a financial aid office and see what kind of help is offered. At a minimum they should help in obtaining a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist program you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Livingston TN 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 enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Livingston Tennessee?

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

Enroll in the Right Physical Therapist College near Livingston TN

Selecting the ideal physical therapy school is a necessary first decision you have to make to launch a fulfilling career in the medical field. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you pick should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are other critical questions that you should ask regarding your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist college, keep in mind that many variables will lead you to your final decision. You might want to visit each of the schools to see their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the right selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Livingston TN.

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