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

How to Pick a Physical Therapist College near Ruckersville 22968

Ruckersville VA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Ruckersville VA is a critical first step to starting a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the appropriate training and education. A PT must also be licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research the ones you are considering to make certain they will deliver a superior education and comply with your state’s licensing criteria. What you should not do is choose a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be considered in addition to cost and location. But before we cover what those qualifications are and what questions you should ask, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Ruckersville VA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, including Ruckersville VA hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to illness or injury. After diagnosing a patient, they design a program of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also endeavor to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close affiliation with other Ruckersville VA health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, registered nurses and dentists. They may also oversee 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 going 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 prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Available

Ruckersville VA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for individuals to pursue at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the single degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degrees that are available in the Ruckersville VA area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may 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 most often made available by community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapy education to ready students to advance to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an essential first step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to complete and commonly include an internship program of a minimum of 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). In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes three years to complete, making the total commitment seven years in most cases. Clinical training is an essential element along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not just 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 USA. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapy Colleges Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Ruckersville VA While not as common as the on-campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees offered, even more at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online portion of the curriculum may be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Ruckersville VA residence. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of instances more economical. Tuition might be significantly less than comparable on-campus alternatives, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages 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

At this point you most likely have come to decision concerning some of your initial queries, including the kind of physical therapy degree you want to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But because there are so many PT colleges within the Ruckersville VA area and across Virginia, you’ll have to explore other qualifications as well in order to further narrow your list of college choices. Furthermore, you need to make certain that you choose the program that is best for you. That’s why we have put together a list of important questions that you must ask the physical therapist programs you are thinking about. Ask all of the competing schools these questions prior to making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the schools you are considering have received accreditation from a regional or a national organization. As previously mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you enroll in an online school, it may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s important that both the physical therapy school and program you select are accredited, not simply the school. Also, verify that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be required for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Ranking? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you select have excellent reputations within the physical therapy community. There are several ways you can look into a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they refer their students to. You may also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Call several Ruckersville VA physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any advice about your school options. It might also be prudent to contact the Virginia Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been filed against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a two significant statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might suggest that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, how many of them are being hired with the support of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Ruckersville VA area? If a school has a high job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the health care field is good or perhaps excellent. It also confirms that the school has a large network of contacts to assist students get internships or jobs upon graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the college you choose provides both excellent training and a course of study that supports the licensing requirements 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) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum number of clinical hours be performed as well as passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Offered? Inquire if the physical therapy schools you are interested in have partnerships with Ruckersville VA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific manner to receive practical training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they can assist graduates and students develop professional relationships in the Ruckersville healthcare community and help with job placement once licensed.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that likes to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist colleges you are looking at what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist college they pick will need to be within driving distance of their Ruckersville VA home. Students who have chosen 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 concern. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of DPT schools offer some form of financial assistance to their prospective students. Inquire if the colleges you are looking at have a financial assistance department and see what type of assistance is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. Some physical therapist colleges provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before you eliminate a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance might be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapist program you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Ruckersville VA area, make sure that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Ruckersville Virginia?

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

Ruckersville, Virginia

Ruckersville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Greene County, Virginia, United States, located in a rural area north of Charlottesville. The population as of the 2010 census was 1,141.[1] The community lies amidst hills, mountain views, trees, and farmland. It is located at the intersection of two major highways, north–south U.S. Route 29 and east–west U.S. Route 33. It was founded by the same family that established Ruckersville, Georgia.[3]

Ruckersville is located in southeastern Greene County. Via US 29, it is 17 miles (27 km) north of Charlottesville and 29 miles (47 km) southwest of Culpeper. Washington, D.C. is 100 miles (160 km) to the northeast via US 29. US 33 leads southeast from Ruckersville 13 miles (21 km) to Gordonsville and northwest over the Blue Ridge Mountains 38 miles (61 km) to Harrisonburg. Richmond is 80 miles (130 km) to the southeast via US 33.

Ruckersville has one media outlet, ESPN 840, a sports talk radio station. Although the station's tower location is in Earlysville, and the mailing address is Quinque, the station still considers itself a Ruckersville station.

Enroll in the Best Physical Therapist Training Program near Ruckersville VA

Choosing the best physical therapist school is an important first decision you must make to start a fulfilling career in the medical field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you choose should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. But there are additional important questions that you need to ask concerning your college of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapist school, keep in mind that numerous variables will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might decide to go to each of the campuses to see their facilities and speak to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me accomplish my goal of becoming a licensed practicing physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal selection. And with the necessary training and education, you can accomplish your dream of becoming a licensed physical therapist in Ruckersville VA.