Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Elm Grove WI

How to Enroll In a Physical Therapist Training Program near Elm Grove 53122

Elm Grove WI physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapist degree near Elm Grove WI is a critical first step to starting a fulfilling career in the medical care field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been disabled due to injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must acquire the proper training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, many mandating that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So before choosing a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to research those you are thinking about to make certain they will provide a superior education and satisfy your state’s licensing requirements. What you should not do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other relevant qualifications that need to be evaluated along with 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 is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Elm Grove WI physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse settings, such as Elm Grove WI private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously stated, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and often pain due to injury or illness. After diagnosing a patient, they develop a course of treatment to deal with the mobility problems and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also strive to stop any advancement of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Heart attacks.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists practice in close association with other Elm Grove WI medical professionals, including doctors, chiropractors, registered nurses and dentists. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work under them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift patients and heavy equipment, and stand, crouch and kneel for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Elm Grove WI physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for students to pursue at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these alternatives, the only degree that is offered 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 degree levels that are available in the Elm Grove WI area:

Associate Degrees educate students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are usually provided by community colleges, and take about two years to complete. Clinical training, which may be in the form of an internship is usually a component of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy training to ready students to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not a requirement to be a candidate for the doctoral program, they are an essential preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically take four years to complete and commonly incorporate 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 3 years to finish, making the total commitment 7 years in most cases. Practical or clinical training is an intregal component along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

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 offered in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the present licensing mandate for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Schools Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Elm Grove WI Although not as common as the on-campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy degrees offered, more so at the graduate level. Because of the hands-on structure of the training, internships and clinical lab work are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or nearby an available internship. However, the online portion of the course of study can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Elm Grove WI home. Online programs are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition can be somewhat lower than similar on-campus options, and expenses for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the right choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Topics to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

By now you probably have come to decision concerning a few of your preliminary questions, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you want to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to invest in your education. But considering there are so many PT colleges within the Elm Grove WI area and across Wisconsin, you’ll need to look into additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Furthermore, you want to make certain that you choose the school 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 considering. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate selection.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Find out if the programs you are considering have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. 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 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 choose are accredited, not just the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides ensuring that you obtain an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Standing? In addition to accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you pick have excellent reputations within the physical therapist community. There are multiple ways you can look into a PT college’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they refer their students to. You can also search for online rating services and reviews and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Contact some Elm Grove WI physical therapy clinics or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your program options. It might also be a good idea to contact the Wisconsin Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the colleges.

What is the College’s Job Placement Percentage? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate might indicate that students dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being placed in jobs with the assistance of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Elm Grove WI area? If a college has a higher job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care community is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the program has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the School Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the program you enroll in provides both excellent training and a curriculum that supports the licensing criteria for Wisconsin or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. Although licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, a number of 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 colleges you are reviewing have associations with Elm Grove WI hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific way 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 may help graduates and students form professional relationships in the Elm Grove medical community and help with obtaining employment after licensing.

What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit way in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably prefer a smaller class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are looking at what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.

Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the physical therapist college they decide on will have to be within driving distance of their Elm Grove WI home. Those 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 bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges often charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? Most DPT colleges supply some type of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid department and see what type of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in getting a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. A number of physical therapy colleges provide scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the physical therapist college you finally pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule night or weekend classes in the Elm Grove WI area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Elm Grove Wisconsin?

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

Elm Grove, Wisconsin

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.29 square miles (8.52 km2), of which, 3.27 square miles (8.47 km2) of it is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water.[1]

Elm Grove is surrounded by four major roads, one of which is a U.S. Highway, U.S. Highway 18, or Bluemound Road. The other boundaries are made up of Pilgrim Parkway on the west, North Avenue on the North, and 124th Street on the East. Watertown Plank runs east from Pilgrim Pkwy to 124th Street and acts as the primary retail street.

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 5,934 people, 2,326 households, and 1,682 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,814.7 inhabitants per square mile (700.7/km2). There were 2,513 housing units at an average density of 768.5 per square mile (296.7/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 95.4% White, 0.7% African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population.

Pick the Best Physical Therapy College near Elm Grove WI

Deciding on the right physical therapist school is an important first decision you must make to begin a gratifying career in the healthcare profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and school you select should both have exceptional reputations and be accredited. But there are other relevant questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you start your search for a physical therapist program, keep in mind that many variables will guide you toward your final decision. You might decide to visit each of the colleges to see their facilities and speak with current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program 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 field so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the proper training and education, you can fulfill your dream to become a licensed physical therapist in Elm Grove WI.