Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Prairie View TX

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist Degree Program near Prairie View 77446

Prairie View TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Prairie View TX is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must receive the necessary training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate those you are considering to make sure they will furnish a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be considered besides 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 the options for education.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Prairie View TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse locations, such as Prairie View TX hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Prairie View TX health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about going into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

Prairie View TX physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the one degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short summaries of degree levels that are available in the Prairie View TX area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often provided by community colleges, and take about two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to ready students to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to finish and often incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a licensed practicing 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 three years to complete, making the total investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal element in addition to the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in a number of 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 offered in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists holding 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 Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Prairie View TX Although not as prevalent as the on-campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the course of study may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Prairie View TX residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition can 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 may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are disciplined enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

At this point you probably have made a decision regarding some of your preliminary questions, like the type of physical therapist degree you want to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But because there are so many PT schools within the Prairie View TX area and across Texas, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Furthermore, you want to be sure that you pick the school that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have put together a list of essential questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As earlier stated, 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 college, it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing that you receive a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Call a few Prairie View TX physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your school selections. It may 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 College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a two important statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, 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 Prairie View TX area? If a college 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 upon graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you enroll in furnishes both exceptional training and a curriculum that supports the licensing requirements for Texas or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy school. Although 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 additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Inquire if the physical therapy schools you are evaluating have partnerships with Prairie View TX hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a great manner to get hands on training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help graduates and students establish professional relationships in the Prairie View health care community and help with job placement after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with several of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program also.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they choose will need to be within driving distance of their Prairie View TX residence. Those who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT colleges provide some form of financial assistance to their potential students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department and see what kind of aid is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in obtaining 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, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the physical therapist school you finally pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Prairie View TX area, confirm that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Prairie View Texas?

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

Prairie View, Texas

Prairie View is a city in Waller County, Texas, United States, situated on the northwestern edge of the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. The population was 5,576 at the 2010 census. The current estimated population is 6,197.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.7 km²), all of it land. The city is bisected by US 290 and is neighbored by Hempstead, Texas to the west, Waller, Texas to the east, and Pine Island, Texas to the south.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 4,410 people, 694 households, and 360 families residing in the city. The population density was 611.0 people per square mile (235.8/km²). There were 834 housing units at an average density of 115.6 per square mile (44.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 3.47% White, 93.51% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 1.36% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.65% of the population.

Select the Right Physical Therapist College near Prairie View TX

Choosing the ideal physical therapist college is an important first decision you must make to begin a rewarding career in the health care field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you pick should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are other relevant questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, keep in mind that many factors will guide you to your final decision. You might decide to go to different schools to view their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me accomplish 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 ideal selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Prairie View TX.