Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Clyde TX

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapy Training Program near Clyde 79510

Clyde TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Clyde TX is an essential first step to starting a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the necessary education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate those you are thinking about to make certain they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is select a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be evaluated in addition to location and cost. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Clyde TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, such as Clyde TX 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 previously touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are struggling with a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they create a program of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Clyde TX medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to bear in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Clyde TX physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Clyde TX area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be 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 typically offered by community or junior colleges, and take about two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to prepare students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to finish and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an important component in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer attainable in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Clyde TX While not as prevalent as the more traditional options, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Clyde TX home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition may be significantly lower than similar on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning a few of your initial queries, like the kind of physical therapy degree you would like to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT schools within the Clyde TX area and throughout Texas, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications as well in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Furthermore, you want to make certain that you pick the program that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are considering. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist Program Accredited? Find out if the colleges you are considering have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. 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 choose an online program, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the School’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the college and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Call a few Clyde TX physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your program selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Texas Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two useful statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapist schools 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. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Clyde TX area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the school has a broad network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you select furnishes both exceptional training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for Texas or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Ask if the physical therapist programs you are reviewing have associations with Clyde TX hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a terrific means to get practical training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help students and graduates establish professional connections in the Clyde healthcare community and assist with job placement once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are considering what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist college they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their Clyde TX 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 local internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you choose 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 often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT colleges provide some form of financial aid to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have a financial assistance department and see what type of aid is offered. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist college you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Clyde TX area, check that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an alternative 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 may miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Clyde Texas?

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

Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910 – May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut Barrow [1] (March 24, 1909 – May 23, 1934) were American criminals who traveled the central United States with their gang during the Great Depression, robbing people and killing when cornered or confronted. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "Public Enemy Era," between 1931 and 1935. Though known today for their dozen-or-so bank robberies, the duo most often preferred to rob small stores or rural gas stations. The gang is believed to have killed at least nine police officers and several civilians. The couple were eventually ambushed and killed by law officers near Sailes, Bienville Parish, Louisiana. Their exploits were revived and cemented in American pop folklore by Arthur Penn's 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde.[2]

Even during their lifetimes, their depiction in the press was at considerable odds with the hardscrabble reality of their life on the road, especially for Bonnie Parker. While she was present at one hundred or more felonies during the two years she was Barrow's companion,[3] she was not the cigar-smoking, machine gun-wielding killer depicted in the newspapers, newsreels, and pulp detective magazines of the day. Gang member W. D. Jones later testified he could not recall ever having seen her shoot at a law officer,[4][5] and the cigar myth grew out of a playful snapshot police found at an abandoned hideout. It was released to the press and published nationwide. While Parker did chain smoke Camel cigarettes, she never smoked cigars.[6]

Bonnie Elizabeth Parker was born in Rowena, Texas (south of Abilene and southwest of Dallas), the second of three children. Her father, Charles Robert Parker (1884–1914), was a bricklayer who died when Bonnie was four.[8] Her mother, Emma (Krause) Parker (1885–1944) moved her family to her parents' home in Cement City, an industrial suburb now known as West Dallas, where she worked as a seamstress.[9] As an adult, Bonnie found expression writing poems such as "The Story of Suicide Sal"[10] and "The Trail's End" (known since as "The Story of Bonnie and Clyde"[11]).

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapist Training Program near Clyde TX

Picking the best physical therapy school is a necessary first decision you must make to begin a gratifying career in the health care profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you decide on should both have outstanding reputations and be accredited. But there are additional relevant questions that you should ask concerning your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy program, bear in mind that a number of variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might want to visit each of the colleges to see their facilities and talk with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Clyde TX.