Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Brattleboro VT

How to Select a Physical Therapy School near Brattleboro 05301

Brattleboro VT physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Brattleboro VT is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the necessary training and education. A PT must also be licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to evaluate those you are looking at to make sure they will furnish a superior education and meet your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to 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 relevant qualifications that must be evaluated in addition to cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Brattleboro VT physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of settings, including Brattleboro VT hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier stated, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they develop a course of treatment to resolve the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

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

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Brattleboro VT health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also oversee one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Brattleboro VT physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degrees offered for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief descriptions of degree levels that are available in the Brattleboro VT area:

Associate Degrees prepare students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by community colleges, and take about two years for completion. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is typically a portion of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to prepare candidates to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an important preliminary step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to complete and usually incorporate 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 three years to finish, making the total commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Practical or clinical training is an important component along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, 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 offered in the United States. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Brattleboro VT While not as prevalent as the more traditional alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online part of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Brattleboro VT home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition might be significantly less than comparable on-campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the best choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Programs

By now you probably have made a decision regarding a few of your initial queries, like the type of physical therapist degree you would like to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Brattleboro VT area and throughout Vermont, you’ll have to research other qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you need to be sure that you pick the program that is right for you. That’s why we have collected a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the competing schools these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the programs you are reviewing 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 select an online college, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy school and program you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the Program’s Reputation? In addition to accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are several ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Contact a few Brattleboro VT physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your college selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Vermont Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two important statistics that you should know about each of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may suggest that students left due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once 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 Brattleboro VT area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the medical care community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to assist students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you choose furnishes both exceptional training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Vermont or the state where you will be practicing. In every 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 vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapist colleges you are assessing have partnerships with Brattleboro VT hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great means to get practical experience in a clinical setting, they are also 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 Brattleboro health care community and assist with job placement after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit way in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are looking at what the average 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 talk with some of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist college they choose will have to be within travelling distance of their Brattleboro VT home. Those who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required 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 offer some type of financial assistance to their prospective students. Ask if the colleges you are examining have a financial assistance office and find out what type of assistance is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, learn what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapist program you finally pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Brattleboro VT area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Brattleboro Vermont?

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

Brattleboro, Vermont

Brattleboro (/ˈbrætəlbʌroʊ/),[4] originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont's eastern border with New Hampshire, which is the Connecticut River, Brattleboro is located about 10 miles (16 km) north of the Massachusetts state line, at the confluence of Vermont's West River and the Connecticut. In 2014, Brattleboro's population was estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau to be 11,765.[5]

Marlboro College Center for Graduate and Professional Studies[6] and SIT Graduate Institute[7] are located in the town. There are satellite campuses of three colleges as well: Community College of Vermont,[8]Union Institute and University,[9] and Vermont Technical College.[10] The town is home to the New England Center for Circus Arts[11] and the Vermont Jazz Center.[12]

Because Native Americans in the region tended to name places and regions after their rivers or watersheds, the site of today's Brattleboro, the confluence of the West River and the Connecticut River, was called 'Wantastiquet'[13] by the Abenaki people, a name meaning, according to various translations, "lost river", "river that leads to the west", or "river of the lonely way". Today known mostly by its English-translated name, the West River remains demarcated by New Hampshire's towering Mount Wantastiquet, rising 1,000 feet above water level directly opposite its mouth, and Lake Wantastiquet, near where it rises at its source. The Abenaki would transit this area annually between Missisquoi (their summer hunting grounds near the current-day town of Swanton) in northwestern Vermont, and Squakheag (their winter settlement or camps) near what is now Northfield, Massachusetts. The specific Abenaki band who lived here and traversed this place were called Sokoki, meaning "people who go their own way" or "people of the lonely way". The Abenaki's inclusive name for what is now Vermont was "Ndakinna" ("our land"), and in the 17th and 18th centuries, as more Europeans moved into the region, their often vigorous measures of self-defense culminated in Dummer's War (also known variously as Greylock's War, Three Years War, Lovewell's War, the 4th Indian War, and in Maine as Father Rasle's War). Most Abenaki allied with the French during this period, and following what is now known as the French and Indian War (1754–1763), they were largely driven north or fled into Quebec, further opening the way for English – and later United States – settlements in the area.[citation needed]

Select the Best Physical Therapist School near Brattleboro VT

Picking the right physical therapist school is a necessary first decision you have to make to begin a fulfilling career in the medical profession. 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 college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that many variables will lead you to your final decision. You might decide to go to each of the schools to view their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed 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 best selection. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Brattleboro VT.