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

How to Pick a Physical Therapy Program near Dayton 22821

Dayton VA physical therapy school student with volunteer Receiving a physical therapist degree near Dayton VA is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been incapacitated due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the appropriate education and training. A PT must additionally become licensed in every state, a large number requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate the ones you are looking at to make certain they will furnish a quality education and meet your state’s licensing standards. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has cheapest tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be evaluated in addition to location and cost. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and the options for education.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Dayton VA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse locations, such as Dayton VA private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability requiring physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Car or motor cycle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Dayton VA health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to keep in mind for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy profession, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

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

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The degrees are most often provided by junior or community colleges, and require two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually part of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are developed as pre-physical therapy education to prep candidates to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally require four years to complete and usually 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 finish, making the overall commitment seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an important element along with the substantial classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is mandated, not solely for graduation but in some states for licensing as well.

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. A number of practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Dayton VA While not as prevalent as the more traditional options, there are many accredited online physical therapist programs available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online part of the curriculum may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Dayton VA residence. Online programs are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition might be somewhat lower than similar on-campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And many of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These advantages may make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

At this point you probably have made a decision regarding some of your preliminary queries, such as 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 Dayton VA area and across Virginia, you’ll have to research additional qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Also, you need to make sure that you choose the college that is right for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapy colleges you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential schools these questions prior to making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy College Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering have earned accreditation from a national or a regional organization. As earlier 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 program, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Standing? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are several ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, starting with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also check online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Call a few Dayton VA physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can give you any insight about your school selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Virginia 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 Rate? There are a two relevant statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist programs you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students left 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 Dayton VA area? If a program has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care community is good or even outstanding. It also verifies that the school has a large network of contacts to help students obtain internships or employment upon 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 satisfies the licensing requirements for Virginia or the state where you will be working. 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 program. Although licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Offered? Inquire if the physical therapy schools you are assessing have relationships with Dayton VA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent manner to receive hands on experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help students and graduates form professional connections in the Dayton medical community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy schools you are reviewing what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final 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 tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist school they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their Dayton VA home. Those who have chosen to attend classes online naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to keep in mind is that if you choose 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 normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? Most DPT colleges offer some type of financial aid to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial assistance office and see what type of help is available. They at least should help in securing a student loan or any scholarships you might qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is too expensive, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapy college you ultimately select can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Dayton VA area, verify that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Dayton Virginia?

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

Dayton, Virginia

Dayton is located at 38°24′59″N 78°56′22″W / 38.41639°N 78.93944°W / 38.41639; -78.93944 (38.416323, -78.939440).[3] The town is approximately two miles southwest of Harrisonburg and two miles northeast of Bridgewater.

The town of Dayton is one of the oldest settled communities in Rockingham County, and is the county's second oldest incorporated town, after Bridgewater. The first settler in Dayton was Daniel Harrison (c. 1702-1770), whose family settled along Cooks Creek, north of downtown. Daniel was the eldest son of Isaiah Harrison and second wife Abigail and was born in Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York. Daniel's brother Thomas Harrison founded Harrisonburg several miles to the northeast. They and their three brothers had migrated from New York to Delaware and then to Orange County Virginia before settling in the Shenandoah Valley.[4]

The family homestead, a two-story stone house, has been owned and maintained since 1977 by a private, non-profit organization, Fort Harrison, Inc.[5] The town was known as Rifeville or Rifetown[6] until 1833.[7]

Enroll in the Ideal Physical Therapy College near Dayton VA

Choosing the right physical therapist college is a necessary first decision you must make to launch a rewarding career in the health care profession. As we have discussed in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and school you decide on should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are other relevant questions that you should ask regarding your college of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapist college, bear in mind that a number of factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You may decide to visit different campuses to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this school help me realize my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the best choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can fulfill your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Dayton VA.