Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Daleville VA

How to Pick a Physical Therapist Degree Program near Daleville 24083

Daleville VA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Daleville VA is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they can practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they need to get the appropriate education and training. A PT must also 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 necessary to evaluate the ones you are considering to ensure they will deliver a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing standards. What you do not want to do is enroll in a college simply because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be considered besides location and cost. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Daleville VA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in diverse locations, such as Daleville VA hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help patients that are struggling with a lack of mobility and often pain caused by injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they create a course of treatment to resolve the mobility issues and reduce or eradicate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. Although the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Arthritis or Osteoporosis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close partnerships with other Daleville VA medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They can also manage several physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering entering the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees

Daleville VA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapist degrees available for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the single degree that is offered to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees target either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are short explanations of degrees that are available in the Daleville VA area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually provided by community or junior colleges, and require 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to prep students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to complete and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program must also 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 commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an intregal component in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in several 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 eliminated and is no longer available 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 requirement for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapist Online Programs

woman attending physical therapy school online in Daleville VA Although not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist programs available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are combined with the online classes. This requires that the student live near the school campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Daleville VA residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more economical. Tuition might be somewhat less than comparable on-campus options, 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 alternative the right choice for those students that are disciplined enough to learn at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

At this point you most likely have come to decision concerning some of your preliminary questions, including the kind of physical therapist degree you would like to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are numerous PT colleges within the Daleville VA area and across Virginia, you’ll have to explore other qualifications also so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Also, you want to make sure that you select the program that is best for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask all of the potential schools these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. 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 select an online school, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapy school and program you choose are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with 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 School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you pick have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are multiple ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Get in touch with some Daleville VA physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any insight about your program selections. It might also be a good idea to check with the Virginia Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapy schools you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might mean that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Daleville VA area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care community is good or even excellent. It also confirms that the college has a broad network of contacts to help students get internships or employment after graduation.

Does the College Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the program you choose provides both superior training and a curriculum that satisfies the licensing criteria for Virginia or the state where you will be practicing. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. Although licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Find out if the physical therapist programs you are assessing have associations with Daleville VA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great means to obtain practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist students and graduates develop professional connections in the Daleville healthcare community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit 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 decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with some of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.

Where is the School Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Daleville VA residence. Students who have decided to attend classes online naturally will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? Most DPT colleges supply some form of financial aid to their potential students. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and see what kind of aid is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you might be eligible for. Some physical therapist schools provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a college because the tuition is too expensive, find out what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapist school you ultimately select can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Daleville VA area, check that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, find out 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 may miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Daleville Virginia?

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

Daleville, Virginia

Daleville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Botetourt County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,557 as of the 2010 census, an increase of over 75% from the 2000 census, when the population was 1,454. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. One of the county's two high schools, Lord Botetourt, is located in Daleville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.4 km²), of which 2.5 square miles (6.4 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km²) (0.80%) is water.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,454 people, 562 households, and 477 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 588.9 people per square mile (227.3/km²). There were 573 housing units at an average density of 232.1/sq mi (89.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.32% White, 1.51% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 0.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population.

Select the Best Physical Therapy Degree Program near Daleville VA

Picking the best physical therapy school is an important initial decision you have to make to begin a rewarding career in the medical field. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you choose should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are other important questions that you should ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapy college, bear in mind that a number of variables will guide you to your ultimate decision. You might decide to go to each of the campuses to view their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this school help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the right choice. And with the proper education and training, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Daleville VA.