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

How to Choose a Physical Therapist School near Oakland 38060

Oakland TN physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Oakland TN is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are looking at to make sure they will deliver a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is enroll in a school simply because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that must be evaluated along with location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Oakland TN physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, such as Oakland TN hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Oakland TN health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

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

Associate Degrees train students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are typically made available by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to prepare candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to complete and commonly include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a practicing licensed 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 three years to finish, making the overall commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in some states for licensing as well.

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 before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Oakland TN Although not as prevalent as the on-campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature 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 in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Oakland TN residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition can be significantly less than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding a few of your initial 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 because there are numerous PT colleges within the Oakland TN area and throughout Tennessee, you’ll have to research additional qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of school options. Moreover, you need to make certain that you pick the school that is best for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing schools these questions prior to making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously 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 program, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist school and program you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Get in touch with several Oakland TN physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your school 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 School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful 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 suggest that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Oakland TN area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or even exceptional. It also affirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you select furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Tennessee or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is required 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 PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Ask if the physical therapist programs you are interested in have partnerships with Oakland TN clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent means to receive practical experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may assist graduates and students establish professional connections in the Oakland health care community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that likes to sit way in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will likely prefer a small class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are researching what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they select will have to be within travelling distance of their Oakland TN residence. Those who have opted to attend classes online naturally will not have to trouble 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 college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT schools provide some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office and see what kind of help is obtainable. They at least should help in obtaining a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must confirm that the physical therapy school you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Oakland TN area, check that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Oakland Tennessee?

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

Oakland, Tennessee

Oakland is a town in Fayette County, Tennessee, United States. In 2010 the population of the town was 6,623,[5] a gain of 417.8% since 2000, for the largest gain of any municipality in the tri-state area of Memphis TN-MS-AR.[citation needed]

Oakland is located in west-central Fayette County. U.S. Route 64 is the main highway through town, leading east 9 miles (14 km) to Somerville, the county seat, and west 32 miles (51 km) to downtown Memphis. Tennessee Routes 194 and 196 are north-south state highways in Oakland.

According to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2010 the town had a total area of 10.3 square miles (26.6 km2),[5] compared to a total area in 2000 of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km2). The town limits have expanded north and south of the original town center, and especially to the west along US 64, extending 6.5 miles (10.5 km) to nearly reach the Shelby County line.

Pick the Right Physical Therapist Degree Program near Oakland TN

Picking the right physical therapy college is an important first decision you must make to start a fulfilling career in the medical profession. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you decide on should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are additional relevant questions that you need to ask concerning your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy school, bear in mind that numerous variables will lead you toward your final decision. You may decide to visit different campuses to view their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me reach 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 right choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Oakland TN.