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

How to Pick a Physical Therapy School near Humble 77325

Humble TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapist degree near Humble TX is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the proper training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate the ones you are looking at to ensure they will furnish a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be considered besides location and cost. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Humble TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, including Humble TX private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain caused by illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Humble TX medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Humble TX physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is attainable 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 short descriptions of degrees that are offered in the Humble TX area:

Associate Degrees educate students to be 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 degrees are usually made available by community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to prepare students to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to finish and usually include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order to become a practicing licensed 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 three years to finish, making the overall commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in some 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 phased out and is no longer attainable in the United States. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Humble TX While not as common as the on campus options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online portion of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Humble TX home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition may be significantly less than similar on campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you probably have come to decision concerning some of your preliminary questions, such as the type of physical therapist degree you intend to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT colleges within the Humble TX area and throughout Texas, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of college options. Also, you want to be sure that you enroll in the college that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of critical questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Find out if the programs you are considering have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As earlier mentioned, 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 receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are several ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Contact several Humble TX physical therapist centers or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your school options. It might also be prudent to check with the Texas Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapist programs you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Humble 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 outstanding. It also verifies that the school has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you choose provides both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Texas or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist program. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PT and PTA graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Inquire if the physical therapy schools you are reviewing have relationships with Humble TX hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent manner to obtain practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist students and graduates establish professional relationships in the Humble health care community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely prefer a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. 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 some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Humble TX residence. Students who have decided to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of DPT schools provide some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial assistance office and find out what type of aid is offered. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapy program you finally select 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 Humble TX area, make sure that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have 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 emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Humble Texas?

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

Humble, Texas

As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,133.[4] The city shares a zip code with the small Houston neighborhood of Bordersville, although people who live in Bordersville still have Humble addresses.

The first settlers began moving into the Humble area in the early 19th century. Joseph Dunman is believed to be the first settler in 1828. A ferry was built nearby, across the San Jacinto River. The area of Humble became a center for commercial activity due to the region's large oil industry.[5]

The city got its name from one of the original founders/settlers, Pleasant Smith "Plez" Humble, who opened the first post office in his home and later served as justice of the peace.[6] In 1883, a city directory reported that he operated a fruit stand. In 1885, he was a wood dealer, and in 1900, the District 99, Justice Pct. 4, Harris Co., Texas Census reported his occupation as attorney at law.

Choose the Best Physical Therapy Training Program near Humble TX

Choosing the best physical therapist school is an important first decision you must make to start a fulfilling career in the medical profession. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you select should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. However there are additional critical questions that you should ask concerning your college of choice as well. As you begin your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that a number of variables will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to go to different campuses to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Humble TX.