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

How to Select a Physical Therapist School near Somerset 78069

Somerset TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Somerset TX is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been debilitated due to injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to receive the necessary education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in all states, a large number mandating that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research those you are considering to ensure they will supply a superior education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered along with 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Somerset TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in a variety of locations, including Somerset TX private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Somerset TX health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Somerset TX physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options offered for individuals to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief summaries of degree levels that are available in the Somerset TX area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are typically provided by junior or community colleges, and take about 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is typically part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist education to prepare students to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to complete and usually include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement if you want to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program also must 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 investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an essential component along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in several 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 available in the United States. Some licensed physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Somerset TX While not as prevalent as the more traditional options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy degrees available, even more 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 college campus or nearby a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Somerset TX home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition may be somewhat lower than comparable on campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools 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 Therapist Programs

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision concerning some of your initial queries, like the kind of physical therapy degree you would like to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Somerset TX area and throughout Texas, you’ll have to look into other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Moreover, you want to be sure that you choose the college that is ideal for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask all of the potential colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are looking at have earned accreditation from a regional or a national 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 enroll in an online school, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact a few Somerset TX physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your program 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 filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students left due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Somerset TX area? If a program has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps outstanding. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to assist students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in furnishes both excellent training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria 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 therapist school. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on supplemental tests.

Are Internships Provided? Inquire if the physical therapist programs you are assessing have partnerships with Somerset TX clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent 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 may assist students and graduates establish professional connections in the Somerset healthcare community and help with job placement after licensing.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they choose will need to be within driving distance of their Somerset TX home. Those who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? Most DPT colleges provide some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Find out if the colleges you are examining have a financial aid office and see what kind of aid is available. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapy colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapy college you ultimately choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Somerset TX area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Somerset Texas?

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

Somerset, Texas

Somerset is a city located in Bexar County, Texas, United States. It is located less than 20 miles south of Downtown San Antonio and is part of the San Antonio–New Braunfels metropolitan area. The population was 1,631 at the 2010 census.

English speaking European settlers had already arrived in the area by the early 1800s. Somerset was named for an organized settlement that had been begun in 1848, in what is now Atascosa County, by a group of Baptist families from Somerset, Kentucky. The present site was named Somerset when the First Townsite Company was formed on the Artesian Belt Railroad right-of-way on May 25, 1909, by A. M. Pyron, Carl Kurz, and Jonas A. Kerr.

In 1913, while drilling for artesian water, Kurz discovered oil. A boom followed. The Somerset oilfield extended from Somerset to below Pleasanton and was the largest known shallow field in the world at that time. Two oil refineries in the field and a pipeline into San Antonio handled the high-gravity crude.

Pick the Right Physical Therapist College near Somerset TX

Picking the right physical therapist college is a necessary first decision you need to make to start a rewarding career in the health care profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you enroll in 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 commence your search for a physical therapist program, keep in mind that many factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might decide to visit each of the colleges to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the proper training and education, you can achieve your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Somerset TX.