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

How to Select a Physical Therapy College near Delaplane 20144

Delaplane VA physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Delaplane VA is an essential first step to launching a rewarding career in the medical care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled due to illness or injury regain function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the proper education and training. A PT must additionally be licensed in every state, many mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s important to research those you are thinking about to make certain they will deliver a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you do not want to do is select a school simply because it happens to be the nearest to your home or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be evaluated along with cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Delaplane VA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, such as Delaplane VA private practices, hospitals, 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 mentioned, physical therapists help patients that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also strive to prevent any progression of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Sciatica.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Delaplane VA medical professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They can also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone thinking about getting into the physical therapy field, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists routinely lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and kneel, crouch and stand for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Delaplane VA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three 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 focus on either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are brief explanations of degree levels that are offered in the Delaplane VA area:

Associate Degrees train students to become physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have earned a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are usually 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 developed as pre-physical therapy education to ready candidates to advance to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important first step to practicing as a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they generally require four years to finish and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to finish, making the total commitment 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal component along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is mandated, 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 available in the USA. A number of licensed physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the existing licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Online Degrees

woman attending physical therapy school online in Delaplane VA Although not as common as the more traditional alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby a sponsored internship. Fortunately, the online portion of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Delaplane VA residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in many cases more economical. Tuition may be somewhat lower than comparable on campus options, and expenses for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online option the best choice for those students that are dedicated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapist Schools

By now you probably have come to decision concerning several of your initial questions, including the type of physical therapy degree you want to obtain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT colleges within the Delaplane VA area and throughout Virginia, you’ll need to research other qualifications also in order to further reduce your list of school choices. Furthermore, you want to make sure that you choose the school that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of critical questions that you must ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask all of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Ask if the programs you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As previously 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 school, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapist program and school you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the College’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the college and program you choose have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can investigate a PT program’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Call a few Delaplane VA physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you may have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your college options. 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 submitted against the schools.

What is the School’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you should find out about each of the physical therapist colleges you are looking at. One is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out because of displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Delaplane VA area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the healthcare community is good or even excellent. It also verifies that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students obtain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you select furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Virginia or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Ask if the physical therapist programs you are reviewing have relationships with Delaplane VA clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent means to receive hands on training in a clinical setting, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help students and graduates form professional relationships in the Delaplane health care community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that likes to sit way in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For many students, the physical therapy college they decide on will have to be within driving distance of their Delaplane VA home. Students who have chosen to attend online classes obviously 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 choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of DPT schools offer some form of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid office and find out what kind of assistance is offered. They at least should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. A number of physical therapist schools offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial assistance might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapy school you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Delaplane VA area, make sure 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 have to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Delaplane Virginia?

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

Delaplane, Virginia

Delaplane is an unincorporated community in northern Fauquier County, Virginia, approximately 50 miles (80 km) due west of Washington, D.C. Delaplane is situated along U.S. Route 17, U.S. Route 50, and Interstate 66; bordering Upperville, Virginia to the north, Hume, Virginia to the south, Paris, Virginia to the west, and Rectortown, Virginia to the east. Delaplane, Virginia has a ZIP Code of 20144.

Located in the heart of Virginia's famous Piedmont Hunt Country, Delaplane was originally known as Piedmont Station, a small village formed around a stop on the Manassas Gap Railroad. In 1874 it was renamed in honor of W. E. Delaplane,[1] a prominent businessman who generously restored operations at the local general store which had faltered in the aftermath of the American Civil War.

In 1861 General Stonewall Jackson marched his troops from Winchester to the Piedmont Station train depot, where they loaded onto rail cars headed for the First Battle of Manassas. This marked the first time a railroad had been used to move troops into battle.

Choose the Right Physical Therapy Degree Program near Delaplane VA

Choosing the right physical therapy school is a necessary first decision you have to make to start a rewarding career in the medical profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you select should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. But there are other relevant questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, bear in mind that numerous variables will lead you to your final decision. You may want to go to different campuses to see their facilities and speak to 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 adhering to our list of additional questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the field so you can make the appropriate choice. And with the necessary education and training, you can accomplish your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Delaplane VA.