Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Brokaw WI

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist School near Brokaw 54417

Brokaw WI physical therapy school student with volunteer Obtaining a physical therapist degree near Brokaw WI is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been disabled as a result of injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they may legally practice and provide treatment for the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the necessary training and education. A PT must also become licensed in every state, many requiring that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s essential to investigate those you are thinking about to make sure they will supply a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is select a school just 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 besides location and cost. But before we discuss 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 Do Physical Therapists Do?

Brokaw WI physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists practice in varying settings, including Brokaw WI private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all share in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As previously mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they design a course of treatment to address the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive 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.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close affiliation with other Brokaw WI health specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. One thing to bear in mind 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 Therapist Degrees Offered

Brokaw WI physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapy degree options offered for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these choices, the only degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Following are short summaries of degrees that are offered in the Brokaw WI area:

Associate Degrees train students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be used as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree. Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are most often offered by junior or community colleges, and require two years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally a component of the curriculum.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist training to prepare students to move up to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be eligible for the doctoral program, they are an integral first step to becoming a PT. As with most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take four years to finish and often incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are mandated if you want to become a practicing licensed 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 the majority of cases. Clinical training is an essential component in addition to the extensive lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the completion of an internship is mandated, not just 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 eliminated and is no longer available in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was implemented.

Physical Therapy Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Brokaw WI While not as prevalent as the more traditional options, there are a number of accredited online physical therapy programs available, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online part of the course of study may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Brokaw WI residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in many instances more economical. Tuition might be somewhat less than similar on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are reduced. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, assuring a quality education. These benefits may make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you most likely have come to decision concerning a few of your initial questions, such as the kind of physical therapy 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 numerous PT schools within the Brokaw WI area and across Wisconsin, you’ll have to research other qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Also, you want to make sure that you enroll in the program that is ideal for you. That’s the reason we have collected a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapist schools you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the schools you are looking at have received accreditation from a national or a regional 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 choose an online program, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s essential that both the physical therapy program and school you select are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be mandated for state licensing as well as for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you choose have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are a number of 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 also. Get in touch with some Brokaw WI physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any advice about your school selections. It might also be a good idea to contact the Wisconsin 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 Percentage? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you should know about all of the physical therapy schools you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may indicate that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the teachers, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the school’s job placement program, particularly in the Brokaw WI 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 broad network of contacts to assist students obtain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the Program Support Licensing Requirements? It’s essential that the school you choose provides both exceptional training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing criteria for Wisconsin or the state where you will be working. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapy college. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Provided? Find out if the physical therapy schools you are evaluating have partnerships with Brokaw WI hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only an excellent means to receive hands on training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As an ancillary benefit, they may help students and graduates form professional connections in the Brokaw medical community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit way in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to speak with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program also.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the physical therapy school they choose will have to be within driving distance of their Brokaw WI home. Individuals who have decided to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition for those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most DPT colleges supply some type of financial aid to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are considering have a financial assistance office and find out what type of assistance is available. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. A number of physical therapy schools offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before you eliminate a program because the tuition is beyond your budget, learn what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the physical therapy school you ultimately pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Brokaw WI area, make sure that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Brokaw Wisconsin?

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

Brokaw, Wisconsin

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.23 square miles (3.19 km2), of which, 1.07 square miles (2.77 km2) of it is land and 0.16 square miles (0.41 km2) is water.[1]

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 251 people, 123 households, and 66 families residing in the village. The population density was 234.6 inhabitants per square mile (90.6/km2). There were 138 housing units at an average density of 129.0 per square mile (49.8/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.6% White, 1.6% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.

There were 123 households of which 19.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.3% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.59.

Enroll in the Best Physical Therapist School near Brokaw WI

Choosing the best physical therapy program is a necessary first decision you need to make to start a fulfilling career in the health care field. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you pick should both have excellent reputations and accreditation. However there are other relevant questions that you need to ask pertaining to your college of choice as well. As you start your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that numerous factors will guide you toward your ultimate decision. You might want to go to each of the schools to see their facilities and talk to active 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 supplemental questions, you will be able to narrow down the options so you can make the ideal selection. And with the proper education and training, you can fulfill your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Brokaw WI.