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

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Program near Stockdale 78160

Stockdale TX physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapy degree near Stockdale TX is an important first step to launching a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the appropriate 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 college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate those you are considering to ensure they will furnish a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is enroll in a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be considered in addition to cost and location. But before we cover 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?

Stockdale TX physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, including Stockdale TX hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent 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.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Stockdale TX health professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone thinking about getting 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 Therapy Degrees Available

Stockdale TX physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options offered for individuals to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the only degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees concentrate on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are short explanations of degree levels that are available in the Stockdale TX area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are typically provided by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is normally part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapist education to prepare candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require 4 years to complete and usually incorporate 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 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 total investment of time seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an intregal component along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not solely for graduation but in a number of 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 phased out and is no longer offered in the USA. 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 implemented.

Physical Therapy Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Stockdale TX While not as common as the on campus options, there are some accredited online physical therapy programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the course of study can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Stockdale TX home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat less than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Subjects to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

At this point you undoubtedly have made a decision regarding several of your initial questions, like the type of physical therapy degree you would like to attain, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are so many PT schools within the Stockdale TX area and across Texas, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications as well so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Also, you want to make certain that you choose the program that is right for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. Ask all of the potential schools these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the programs you are considering have received 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 program, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can investigate a PT college’s reputation, starting with requesting 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 also. Call a few Stockdale TX physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your school options. 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 schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing. One is their graduation rate. A lower rate may indicate that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction 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 Stockdale TX area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also confirms that the program has a wide network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you choose provides both exceptional training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for Texas or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy program. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Ask if the physical therapy programs you are evaluating have relationships with Stockdale TX clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific manner to get hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can help students and graduates establish professional connections in the Stockdale health care community and assist with job placement once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that likes to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to converse with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they choose will have to be within commuting distance of their Stockdale TX home. Those who have decided 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 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 might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Support Offered? The majority of DPT schools 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 offered. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. Some physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a college because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial assistance might be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapy college you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Stockdale TX area, make sure that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Stockdale Texas?

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

Stockdale, Texas

Previously an area named High Prairie, Free Timber and Bunker's Store, Stockdale was named after Fletcher Stockdale, the lieutenant governor of Texas, when the town was established in 1863. In 1898 the San Antonio and Mexican Gulf Railroad reached Stockdale.[3] The town was incorporated in 1919, and Stockdale's annual Watermelon Jubilee began in 1937.[4]

Stockdale is located at 29°14′10″N 97°57′50″W / 29.23611°N 97.96389°W / 29.23611; -97.96389 (29.235974, -97.963888). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2), all land.[5] This is 25 miles south of Seguin and 40 miles southeast of downtown San Antonio.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Stockdale has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.[6]

Choose the Ideal Physical Therapy School near Stockdale TX

Choosing the best physical therapist program is an important first decision you have to make to begin a rewarding career in the healthcare field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you select should both have excellent reputations and be accredited. However there are other relevant questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that numerous variables will guide you to your ultimate decision. You may want to visit different schools to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can achieve your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Stockdale TX.