Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Salem UT

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist School near Salem 84653

Salem UT physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Salem UT is an essential first step to launching a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated as a result of illness or injury gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the necessary education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in every state, a large number 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 the ones you are thinking about to make sure they will supply a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a college simply because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other significant qualifications that need to be considered in addition to cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Salem UT physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, including Salem UT hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and health clubs. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Salem UT health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to bear in mind for anyone considering entering 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 Available

Salem UT physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options offered for students to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the one degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degrees that are offered in the Salem UT area:

Associate Degrees educate students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often provided by community colleges, and require two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy training to prepare candidates to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential initial step to practicing as a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally require 4 years to finish and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated 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). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to complete, making the overall commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal component in addition to the considerable classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in a number of 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 eliminated 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 before the present licensing requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Salem UT While not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are some accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the school campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Salem UT home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be somewhat less than comparable on-campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Colleges

At this point you most likely have made a decision regarding some of your preliminary queries, including the type of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Salem UT area and throughout Utah, you’ll have to research other qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of college options. Also, you need to make sure that you enroll in the college that is right for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist colleges you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making a final selection.

Is the Physical Therapist College Accredited? Ask if the programs you are looking at have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. 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 enroll in an online program, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you select are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Get in touch with a few Salem UT physical therapist clinics or other healthcare facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any advice about your college selections. It may also be prudent to contact the Utah Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two significant statistics that you need to know about each of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might suggest that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the help of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Salem UT area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the health care community is good or even excellent. It also affirms that the program has a broad network of contacts to assist students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the college you choose provides both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for Utah or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Offered? Find out if the physical therapist schools you are reviewing have partnerships with Salem UT clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent manner to obtain hands on training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they may assist students and graduates develop professional connections in the Salem medical community and help with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit way in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they choose will have to be within driving distance of their Salem UT home. Students who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may have 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 don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT schools supply some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial assistance department and find out what kind of aid is available. They at least should help in getting a student loan or any scholarships you may be eligible for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid may be available.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy school you ultimately choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Salem UT area, check that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Salem Utah?

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

Salem, Utah

Salem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,423 at the 2010 census.[4] The "Dream Mine" of John Hyrum Koyle, as well as the pond, became synonymous with Salem.

Salem was later named after New Salem, Massachusetts, the birthplace of Lyman Curtis, to honor his contributions to the community.[5] Curtis was known to be good with a gun, and was a bodyguard for the prophet Joseph Smith. He was a member of Zions Camp. He also was in the discovery party of nine riders that first rode on horseback into the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847. He was not officially recognized as one of the nine riders. The other eight have been recognized, though the ninth rider is stated to be unknown. Lyman Curtis also was chosen to develop water irrigation canals into Moapa, Nevada, St. George, Utah, Price, Utah, and Salem, bringing water out of the Spanish Fork Canyon. He built a lumber facility in Salem, and the front door of the lumber business is currently on the cabin in Salem dedicated to the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. His son became a medical doctor known as Doc Curtis who delivered babies, and other medical necessities to residents, several of the current older residents of Salem remember well.[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26.4 km2), of which 10.2 square miles (26.3 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.23%, is water.[7]

Select the Right Physical Therapy College near Salem UT

Selecting the ideal physical therapy program is a necessary initial decision you need to make to start a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have addressed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you pick should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. However there are additional important questions that you need to ask concerning your school of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that numerous factors will lead you toward your final decision. You may decide to go to different schools to view their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal selection. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Salem UT.