Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Mount Holly VT

How to Select a Physical Therapy Training Program near Mount Holly 05758

Mount Holly VT physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapy degree near Mount Holly VT is an essential first step to starting a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to obtain the proper training and education. A PT must also become licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to evaluate the ones you are looking at to ensure they will furnish a quality education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is select a school just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has cheapest tuition. There are other significant 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 address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Mount Holly VT physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in a variety of locations, such as Mount Holly VT private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they have the equipment for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help people that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a program of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Mount Holly VT health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. Something to take note of for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees

Mount Holly VT physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degree options available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degrees that are offered in the Mount Holly VT area:

Associate Degrees train students to be 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 be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are typically offered by junior or community colleges, and require two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to prepare candidates to progress to the doctoral level. While they are not required to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to finish and often include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required if you want to become a licensed practicing 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 complete, making the total commitment 7 years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal element in addition to the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Consequently 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 phased out and is no longer attainable in the USA. Some licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Mount Holly VT While not as common as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy programs offered, even more at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or nearby an available internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the curriculum can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Mount Holly VT home. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition can be significantly less than comparable on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the right choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

At this point you probably have made a decision regarding several of your preliminary queries, like the kind of physical therapist degree you want to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But considering there are so many PT schools within the Mount Holly VT area and across Vermont, you’ll need to research additional qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of school options. Moreover, you want to make sure that you pick the school that is right for you. That’s why we have put together a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering. Ask all of the competing schools these questions before making an ultimate 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 previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree 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 therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Along with ensuring that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Contact several Mount Holly VT physical therapy centers or other health care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your college options. It might also be prudent to contact the Vermont Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two important statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist schools you are considering. First is their graduation rate. A low rate might indicate that students left because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After 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 Mount Holly VT area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or perhaps excellent. It also verifies that the college has a large network of contacts to help students get internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the college you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements for Vermont or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy schools you are assessing have relationships with Mount Holly VT hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific manner to obtain practical experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist graduates and students establish professional connections in the Mount Holly medical community and assist with job placement after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are considering what the average 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 an opportunity to converse with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapy school they pick will need to be within commuting distance of their Mount Holly VT residence. Individuals who have decided to attend online classes naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most DPT colleges supply some type of financial aid to their prospective students. Inquire if the schools you are reviewing have a financial assistance department and find out what kind of help is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any scholarships you may qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the physical therapist college you ultimately choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Mount Holly VT area, make sure that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Mount Holly Vermont?

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

Mount Holly, Vermont

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 49.6 square miles (128 km2), of which 49.2 square miles (127 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2), or 0.77%, is water.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,241 people, 494 households, and 341 families residing in the town. The population density was 25.2 people per square mile (9.7/km2). There were 917 housing units at an average density of 18.6 per square mile (7.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.99% White, 0.16% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.16% of the population.

There were 494 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.94.

Select the Ideal Physical Therapy Degree Program near Mount Holly VT

Deciding on the right physical therapist program is an important first decision you need to make to launch a rewarding career in the health care field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you decide on should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. But there are additional critical questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that many factors will guide you toward your final decision. You may decide to visit each of the campuses to view their facilities and talk with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this college help me reach 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 best choice. And with the proper training and education, you can accomplish your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Mount Holly VT.