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

How to Select a Physical Therapy Training Program near Franksville 53126

Franksville WI physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Franksville WI is an essential first step to launching a fulfilling career in the health care field. Physical therapists (PT) help individuals who have been disabled due to injury or illness gain back mobility and function. But before they may legally practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the proper education and training. A PT must also become licensed in every state, a large number mandating that the licensee hold a physical therapy degree from an accredited school. So before selecting a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate the ones you are considering to make sure they will provide a superior education and meet your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is choose a school just because it happens to be the closest to your home or it has the lowest tuition. There are other important qualifications that need to be evaluated along with location and cost. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What is a Physical Therapist’s Job Description?

Franksville WI physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying settings, including Franksville WI private practices, hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As earlier mentioned, physical therapists help individuals that are suffering from a lack of mobility and frequently pain caused by injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they create a course of treatment to address the mobility problems and lessen or eradicate any pain. They also strive to prevent 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.
Cardiac arrest.
Sports injuries.
Fire injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Franksville WI health specialists, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They can also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. One thing to take note of for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy profession, it is rather physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapy Degrees Offered

Franksville WI physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degrees available for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these alternatives, the single degree that is offered to become a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either training students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or preparing them to advance to the doctoral level. Below are brief descriptions of degree levels that are available in the Franksville WI area:

Associate Degrees train students to practice as physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED to be accepted for enrollment. The degrees are typically offered by junior or community colleges, and take about two years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part of the course of study.
Bachelor’s Degrees are designed as pre-physical therapist training 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 preliminary step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they generally take four years to complete and commonly incorporate an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required 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 finish, making the overall investment of time 7 years in most cases. Clinical or practical training is an essential component along with the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the fulfillment of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in a number of 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 offered in the USA. Some practicing physical therapists having a master’s or even a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in before the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Programs Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Franksville WI Although not as common as the on campus options, there are many accredited online physical therapy programs available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live near the college campus or in proximity of a sponsored internship. However, the online segment of the program may be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Franksville WI residence. Online schools are not only partially more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition might be significantly less than similar on campus options, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And many of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, ensuring a quality education. These advantages can make the online option the ideal choice for those students that are dedicated enough to learn at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Schools

By now you most likely have made a decision concerning several of your initial queries, including the type of physical therapy degree you would like to earn, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Franksville WI area and across Wisconsin, you’ll need to research additional qualifications also so as to further narrow your list of school choices. Moreover, you want to make certain that you choose the college that is best for you. That’s why we have compiled a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapy schools you are thinking about. Ask each of the competing colleges these questions before making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapist School Accredited? Ask if the programs you are reviewing have earned accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As earlier mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you select an online school, it can also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you enroll in are accredited, not simply the school. Also, make sure that the accreditation is from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing that you obtain a quality education, accreditation might be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the School’s Ranking? Along with accreditation, it’s essential that the college and program you select have outstanding reputations within the physical therapy profession. There are a number of ways you can look into a PT school’s reputation, starting 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 also. Get in touch with several Franksville WI physical therapist clinics or other health care facilities that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can provide any recommendations about your school selections. It may also be prudent to contact the Wisconsin Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been filed against the colleges.

What is the School’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of relevant statistics that you need to find out about all of the physical therapy programs you are looking at. First is their graduation rate. A lower rate may mean that students left because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. Once the students have graduated, how many of them are being placed in jobs with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Franksville 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 even exceptional. It also affirms that the college has a wide network of contacts to help students gain internships or jobs after graduation.

Does the College Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you choose furnishes both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Wisconsin or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is required on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in addition to a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. While licensing requirements vary state by state for PT and PTA graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on supplemental exams.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapist schools you are interested in have associations with Franksville WI clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships an excellent means to get hands on training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a secondary benefit, they can assist graduates and students establish professional connections in the Franksville health care community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the physical therapist schools you are considering what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to talk with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program as well.

Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the physical therapist school they choose will have to be within commuting distance of their Franksville WI residence. Individuals who have decided to attend online classes 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 decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT colleges provide some form of financial aid to their potential students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial assistance office and find out what kind of help is obtainable. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you might qualify for. A number of physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial assistance may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the physical therapy college you ultimately pick can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Franksville WI area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Franksville Wisconsin?

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

Franksville, Wisconsin

Originally occupied by the Potowatomi tribe, the first white settlers in the area then known as Skunk Grove arrived in the 1830s. By the 1850s, plank roads were built through the area, and by the 1870s the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway laid tracks through the area and a plat was filed with Racine County.[3](pp3–5)

In 1907 the Frank Pure Food Company was established and built a plant in Franksville for the purpose of making sauerkraut.[3](p22) Contrary to popular belief, however, the company did not give Franksville its name, which had already been established. The name likely came from either Frank Brandecker, a surveyor who platted the area, or Frank Drandieker, a foreman of the crew that laid the railroad tracks through the area.[3](p5) In 1949 the company held the first Kraut Festival, which was originally a picnic for employees and friends, but later expanded to a 4-day event.[3](p12) The festival's run ended 2002, but was revived in 2015 as Kraut Music Fest.[4]

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 1,789 people, 651 households, and 531 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 412.4 people per square mile (159.2/km²). There were 661 housing units at an average density of 152.4/sq mi (58.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.76% White, 0.61% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.56% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.91% of the population.

Pick the Best Physical Therapy Training Program near Franksville WI

Choosing the right physical therapy school is a necessary initial decision you need to make to launch a fulfilling career in the health care profession. As we have addressed in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you decide on should both have exceptional reputations and accreditation. However there are other relevant questions that you need to ask regarding your school of choice as well. As you commence your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that numerous variables will guide you toward your final decision. You might want to go to different colleges to view their facilities and talk to active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this college help me accomplish my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right choice. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream to become a practicing physical therapist in Franksville WI.