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

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Training Program near Dickens 79229

Dickens TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Dickens TX is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the appropriate training and education. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many mandating 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 research those you are considering to ensure they will furnish a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be evaluated in addition to location and cost. But before we cover 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?

Dickens TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of locations, including Dickens TX 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 individuals that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they develop a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Dickens TX health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering entering 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 Degree Options

Dickens TX physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is available to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief summaries of degrees that are offered in the Dickens TX area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are typically provided by community colleges, and require two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to prepare 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 integral initial step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally take 4 years to finish and usually 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 three years to finish, making the overall investment of time 7 years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, not only 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 offered 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 current licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Dickens TX While not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, even more 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 close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the program may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Dickens TX residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many cases more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat lower than comparable on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you probably have made a decision regarding several of your preliminary questions, including the type of physical therapy degree you intend to obtain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Dickens TX area and across Texas, you’ll have to look into additional qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of school options. Also, you want to make certain that you choose the school that is best for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are looking at have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As previously mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you choose an online program, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy 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 recognized accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Get in touch with a few Dickens TX physical therapist centers or other healthcare facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your college selections. It might 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 colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of significant statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean 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 placed in jobs with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Dickens TX area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even excellent. It also confirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you select furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Texas or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Find out if the physical therapist colleges you are evaluating have associations with Dickens TX clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent way to obtain practical training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help students and graduates develop professional connections in the Dickens healthcare community and help with job placement once licensed.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Small classes permit 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 want to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to talk with a few of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy school they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their Dickens TX home. Those who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry 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 decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most DPT colleges offer some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are considering have a financial assistance department and see what kind of help is available. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapy school you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Dickens TX area, verify that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative 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 as a result of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Dickens Texas?

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

Dickens, Texas

Dickens is located west of the center of Dickens County at 33°37′17″N 100°50′6″W / 33.62139°N 100.83500°W / 33.62139; -100.83500 (33.621341, -100.834987),[5] with the Croton Breaks to the east and Mackenzie Peak to the north. U.S. Route 82 passes through Dickens, leading east 30 miles (48 km) to Guthrie and west 62 miles (100 km) to Lubbock. Texas State Highway 70 crosses the west side of town, leading north 28 miles (45 km) to Matador and southeast 34 miles (55 km) to Jayton.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 332 people, 133 households, and 88 families residing in the city. The population density was 340.1 people per square mile (130.8/km²). There were 163 housing units at an average density of 167.0/sq mi (64.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.58% White, 4.52% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.04% of the population.

There were 133 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.08.

Select the Ideal Physical Therapy Degree Program near Dickens TX

Deciding on the right physical therapist school is an important initial decision you have to make to launch a rewarding career in the healthcare profession. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you enroll in should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. However there are other relevant questions that you need to ask regarding your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy program, bear in mind that numerous variables will lead you to your final decision. You may want to go to different campuses to see their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me achieve my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability 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 Dickens TX.