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

How to Pick a Physical Therapist College near Lockhart 78644

Lockhart TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Lockhart TX is an essential first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must obtain the proper education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate the ones you are looking at to make sure they will supply a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is enroll in a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be considered besides cost and location. But before we talk about 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 Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Lockhart TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, including Lockhart TX hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. 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 struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any progression of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Lockhart TX health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering entering 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 Therapist Degrees Available

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

Associate Degrees educate students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The programs are most often made available by community colleges, and require 2 years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist training to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the overall commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal component along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not only for graduation but in some 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 available in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Lockhart TX While not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online portion of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Lockhart TX home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition may be significantly lower than similar on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

At this point you probably have made a decision concerning some of your initial questions, like the type of physical therapy degree you want to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT colleges within the Lockhart TX area and throughout Texas, you’ll need to research additional qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you need to make certain that you enroll in the school that is right for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist programs you are thinking about. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are considering have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. 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 enroll in an online program, it may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can research a PT program’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 as well. Contact a few Lockhart TX physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your college options. 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 schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you should find out about all of the physical therapist schools you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Lockhart TX area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even excellent. It also confirms that the program has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for Texas or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Offered? Find out if the physical therapist programs you are reviewing have associations with Lockhart TX clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to get practical experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can help graduates and students form professional relationships in the Lockhart medical community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with some of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they decide on will need to be within driving distance of their Lockhart TX home. Individuals who have chosen to attend classes online 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 choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Help Provided? The majority of DPT colleges provide some type of financial support to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have a financial aid office and see what kind of aid is obtainable. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapy college you finally choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while you attend classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Lockhart 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 courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Lockhart Texas?

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

Lockhart, Texas

Lockhart is a city in Caldwell County, Texas, United States. It is the county seat of Caldwell County. According to the 2010 census the population of Lockhart was 12,698.[3] Lockhart and Caldwell County are within the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area.[4]

The city of Lockhart is named after Byrd Lockhart, an assistant surveyor of Green DeWitt and reportedly the first Anglo to set foot in Caldwell County. Lockhart was the site of a victory of the Texans over the Comanche, at the Battle of Plum Creek in 1840. Lockhart was originally called "Plum Creek" but the name was later changed to Lockhart.

The town's economic growth began with the arrival of the railroad in the late 19th century, at which time the town became a regional shipping center for local cotton. Following the arrival of the railroad, various immigrants arrived in Lockhart and opened various businesses.

Enroll in the Best Physical Therapy College near Lockhart TX

Picking the best physical therapist school is an important first decision you have to make to begin a rewarding career in the healthcare field. As we have discussed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you pick should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are other critical questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, keep in mind that a number of factors will lead you toward your ultimate decision. You might want to visit different colleges to view their facilities and speak to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me reach my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the ideal selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Lockhart TX.