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

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Program near Haslet 76052

Haslet TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Haslet TX is an important first step to launching a fulfilling career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury regain mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the proper training and education. A PT must additionally become licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate the ones you are looking at to make sure they will deliver a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered along with 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 is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Haslet TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse locations, such as Haslet TX private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Haslet TX health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, 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 Degrees Available

Haslet TX physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees available for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is attainable to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief summaries of degree levels that are available in the Haslet TX area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often provided by community or junior colleges, and require two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to prep students to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to becoming a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program must also 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 the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in several states for licensing as well.

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 United States. A number of 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 Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Haslet TX Although not as prevalent as the on campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Haslet TX residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition may be somewhat less than similar on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision concerning a few of your initial queries, such as the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT schools within the Haslet TX area and across Texas, you’ll need to look into other qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school options. Furthermore, you need to make certain that you pick the school that is best for you. That’s why we have collected a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are thinking about. Ask each of the potential schools these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the programs you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As earlier 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 school, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you choose are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. In addition to ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, starting with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Get in touch with a few Haslet TX physical therapy clinics or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your college options. It might also be a good idea to check with the Texas Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two significant statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapy colleges you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Haslet TX area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care field is good or even outstanding. It also affirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students obtain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the program you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Texas or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Offered? Ask if the physical therapist schools you are assessing have associations with Haslet TX clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific manner to get hands on experience in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist students and graduates develop professional relationships in the Haslet health care community and help with job placement once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit way in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are researching what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapist college they select will have to be within commuting distance of their Haslet TX residence. Individuals who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Aid Provided? The majority of DPT colleges supply some type of financial support to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial assistance department and find out what kind of help is offered. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. A number of physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial assistance may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapist program you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Haslet TX area, confirm 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 have to carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Haslet Texas?

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

Haslet, Texas

Haslet is a city in Denton and Tarrant counties within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in the U.S. state of Texas and is located 15 miles north of downtown Fort Worth and 20 miles south of Denton. Haslet borders Interstate 35W, U.S. Highway 287, and Alliance Airport.

According to the Handbook of Texas, the area was settled around 1880, but it is likely that no distinct community formed until 1883, when the tracks of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway were extended through the area. Haslett, Michigan was the hometown of the railroad's contractor. A post office opened in 1887; by 1896 the one-teacher school had twenty-one students. Haslet's population was sixty-seven in 1903 and fifty in 1915. During the 1920s Haslet had three grocery stores as well as a hardware store, dry goods store, and cotton gin.[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.2 square miles (21.2 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2), or 0.22%, is water.[5] Haslet is 702 ft. above sea level.

Select the Right Physical Therapy School near Haslet TX

Deciding on the ideal physical therapist school is a necessary initial decision you need to make to start a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you decide on should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist program, bear in mind that numerous variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide 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 school help me realize my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal choice. And with the proper training and education, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Haslet TX.