In times of economic instability, health care providers are being forced to update their methods and provide more affordable as well as efficient services.  There is an emerging trend of using so-called value-based models in the field of physical therapy.  Just recently, Therapy Partners Inc. has been granted an award for this new innovation.

According to the website of the American Physical Therapy Association, Therapy Partner’s model is based on the information collected from patients over a period of one year.  Their treatment is based on the data that has been collected, which enables them to provide more efficient services but at a low cost.  As the name implies, the value-based model is based on the value a certain treatment provides a patient.  Thus, the payment will not be based on the volume of services but rather on the quality – which makes it a more transparent model than the typical model of payment.

In our opinion, this model could encourage progress in the field of physical therapy as service providers will be compelled to re-assess their services to be able to compete with other value-based serviced providers.  As to the patients, this can only be a good thing.  There could be more accountability and transparency as to the services a patient is paying for.

According to APTA, physical therapists should be open to this new development as future health care reform might eventually lead them to such changes.

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Photo by: ReSurge International

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Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine

Campus Box 8502, 4444 Forest Park Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108-2212
314-286-1400 (office), 314-286-3410 (fax), 314-286-1940 (clinic), 314-286-1473 (clinic fax)
ptprog@wustl.edu

This university offers a Doctor in Physical Therapy degree program, a Doctor in Philosophy in Movement Science, a Post Doctoral Research Fellowship and a Clinical Fellowship and Residency program.

The DPT degree can be obtained in three years after completing all coursework and a mandatory 38-week clinical training. Accreditation has been granted for this program by CAPTE since it was founded in 1942. The PhD program is meant for students who want to pursue a career in academia. It focuses on three main areas: biocontrol, bioenergetics and biomechanics. The fellowship program involves research projects in the mentioned areas. The fellow receives a stipend of $38,496 and a possibility of renewal for another year. Funds for health insurance, travel expenses are also given to the fellows.

Lastly, the Clinical Fellowship Program in Diagnosis and Management of Movement Impairment Syndromes focuses on the accurate diagnoses of movement disorders through systematic evaluation whereas the residency in Women’s Health enables students to train in areas of pelvic floor disorders and osteoporoses.

Curriculum (for DPT program)

• Total credits for mandatory courses: 114.5
• GPA requirement to graduate: 2.0
• Good professional standing
• Passing grade for clinical trainings

Tuition (for DPT program)

• $15,920 for each academic semester (5 semesters)
• $2,604-$3,906 for each clinical segment (4 segments)
• $19,495 estimate for other expenses (board and lodging etc)

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There are some important things in which you can make as good basis in
your selection process. In evaluating different physical therapy schools
you need to check out their program structure. Know the curriculum they
offer and all the main components of the physical therapy program they
are offering. Knowing the kind and quality of their faculty members is
also important.

A school with a high licensure examination passing rate is rest assured
a good choice. Any physical therapy student won’t be able to practice
his profession without having to pass a physical therapy licensure exam.
Therefore a physical therapy school that has a high passing percentage
is a school that gives a quality physical therapy program and
instruction. So you obviously wanted to enter a school which will be
able to help you pass the examination.

Accreditation is also important for any physical therapy schools. An
accredited physical therapy school is where you need to be. This is very
important because any physical therapy graduate from a non-accredited
school will not be able to take the licensure test. Thus, they will not
be able to practice their profession.

It is important that you know the kind of school you go with. It where
you future and career depend. If you wanted to get the best education
program in your chosen field, take time in finding the best school to
enter.

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For those who wanted to become an occupational therapist, choosing the
best from the number of occupational therapy schools is important.
Getting a good academic qualification is the first step of pursuing an
occupational therapist profession. And in order to get a good academic
qualification, one has to make sure to get in one of the accredited
occupational therapy school.

The number one thing that matters most is entering an occupational
therapy school that is accredited. For an incoming occupational therapy
student, checking such information should really be done beforehand. It
is to ensure that you got the right program to learn. More importantly,
you will be able to take the licensure examination when you graduate.
Graduates from non-accredited occupational therapy schools are not
allowed to take the licensure exam and as result, you will not be able
to practice your profession.

Different occupational therapy schools offer several programs to
students such as a basic learning program or the advanced or doctorate
program. These different programs they offer have different admission
requirements for anyone to get in. Check out with the school the
essential requirement that you have to accomplish to make sure that you
are qualified for it.

There are obviously a lot of schools you can enter if you wanted to
become good in an occupational therapy profession you wanted. What is
important is for you to make the best selection to get the best learning
and training you need to be an effective occupational therapist.

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There are actually several factors that affect the salary of most
physical therapists is receiving. Not all of them are receiving the same
amount of level of compensation. Their working experience, trainings,
the kind of health institution and the location where they are working
are some of these factors.

Working experience will really speaks a lot on a physical therapy
salary. The more experienced you are, the more effective you will become
in your profession. That’s one of the reasons why most health
institutions are looking for physical therapists who have at least a few
years of experience in their field. The trainings and programs a
physical therapist has acquired also play as an important factor on the
salary they will receive. More trainings means you are updated on the
latest process and procedures you can apply when working.

Different kinds of health institutions offer different level of salary
for their physical therapists. It is an obvious thing that physical
therapists working in a big hospital are receiving more than those
working in small physical therapy clinics. But off course the workload
speaks it all.

One other factor affecting a physical therapy salary is the location
they are working in. Different cities and states offer diverse rate for
physical therapists. In places where physical therapists are mostly
needed, they’ll definitely have a bit high salary offer. So if you
wanted to become a good physical therapist, these things will help you
in making your career move.

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Prerequisites

The requisite for clinical internship by foreign PTs and PTAs is usually established as an additional credential that is necessary to reinforce the applicant’s academic background and/or be given eligibility to take the US licensure examination. In this case, applying foreign PTs and/or PTAs are given two options that will assist them in completing the required clinical residency. The first one is to contact the Planned Learning Assistance Network (PLAN), which is configured and provided by the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT). The question whether the educational curriculum attained by the internationally educated applicants meets national standardized programs will be thoroughly reviewed. These standards have been duly regulated by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

Getting Help from ACCE

Clinical residency placements in the US may be difficult to achieve for foreign PTs and PTAs who have not enrolled in any of the CAPTE recognized programs. Typically, physical therapy programs prioritize their current students for internships before reaching out to other applicants. The other alternative course of action is to inquire from the Academic Coordinators of Clinical Education (ACCE). They function as facilitators who given the task to find the type of clinical residency that would be appropriate given the specific program the applicant attended and the state requirements he or she would later want to practice.

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Under the direct supervision of a physical therapist, physical therapy
assistant plays an important role in making every patient’s therapy
sessions useful for their treatment. They are the ones responsible in
maintaining the physical are treatment clean and safe to use. Making
sure that the place is conducive for patient’s overall physical therapy.

Most physical therapy assistants handle different kinds of patients
every day. They are not bound to help just one single patient a day. For
instance, they will be assisting a child to recover from physical
disabilities today and the next day they will help an elderly woman to
regain her mobility. Therefore, they can be facing different kind of
challenges every single day of their job.

The big challenge for physical therapy assistants is the amount of
strength they need to exert in assisting their patients. Most of the
time, lifting their patients or having to stoop or stand in a much
longer period of time is part of their job. In which they should all be
physically fit and strong enough in performing their daily task without
failing out.

The great prize of working as a physical therapy assistant is the
fulfillment and the satisfaction in brings when you know that you are
working to help someone to recover. You are able to help people with
mobility issues and at the same time are getting compensated.

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With the wide selection of schools you can find today, it would be a bit
harder for you to identify which one you’d prefer. Knowing several
criteria in looking for a school is important. Occupational therapy
schools of your choice should meet different criteria like excellence
and accreditation. Checking those beforehand will help you in making the
right choice.

Academic excellence is what a certain school should posses. Having
effective and quality instructors plays an important role. Adding up all
the best facilities and equipments to be used by students, they would be
able to conduct good education and training for aspiring occupational
therapists. The quality of a school reflects on how their graduates do
well. Checking out the passing percentage of an occupational therapy
school is necessary.

There would be a lot of occupational therapy schools but you have to
know that not all of them are accredited. Accreditation is what they
need to make their graduates take the licensure examination. And this
licensure examination is important for occupational therapists to
practice their profession. Without passing such examination, you can
never practice your profession or get a job. Make sure to have a good
research about the school’s accreditation beforehand.

If you wanted to become a successful occupational therapist, make sure
to have a good choice for an occupational therapy school you go with.
Remember that good learning always starts in a good quality occupational
therapy school.

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But remember that there are plenty of factors to consider in the height
of every physical therapy assistant salary. These can be your
experience, your working environment as well as your location. Not all
physical therapy assistants in the world are getting the same level of
compensation and benefits and it completely varies with different factors.

Salaries for physical therapy assistants who work in school health
district are obviously different from those working in big hospitals and
private health institutions. So it is important that you have to take
into consideration where you wanted to practice your profession in order
for you to identify the level of physical therapy assistant salary
you’ll be getting.

Having a continuous training for physical therapy assistants will give
them the opportunity to get highly compensated. Earning additional
healthcare certifications in continuing your education past your
physical therapy assistant’s school will make you a more valuable health
aid and you’ll obviously has the greater chances of being hired on
highly compensated medical institutions. And having more experiences in
physical therapy assistant field is also one of your advantages.

Good education and experiences as well as good performance background in
your field is what it takes to get the kind of salary you expect from
working. Making sure that you are qualified enough for the position and
be able to perform job well is your weapon.

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Selection

The second stage primarily involves narrowing down the list of potential physical therapy schools. First, the PT program should match an applicant’s educational demands (preference for more hands-on training, quality of curriculum). On the other hand, every applicant should make an initial self-assessment on whether or not he can meet the requirements of a particular school. The American Physical Therapy Association together with CAPTE, provides an official list of accredited physical therapy schools and programs. Upon choosing a particular PT program, a link to its own page will present comprehensive information including program descriptions and admission guidelines. These will significantly differ among each institution. For this reason, it is inevitable to thoroughly review all available materials about a particular school. For instance, some of the physical therapy schools may require applicants to complete a bachelor’s degree prior to the submission of their application while other institutions may not. Anatomy and physiology are the most common courses that are required before admission. An accurate listing of these prerequisite college courses are indicated in the individual pages of the PT programs for reference. Furthermore, some schools require a minimum GPA and/or volunteer experience. Additional policies may also be applicable. These could include giving priority admission to state residents. Non-residents and foreign applicants may still be given a chance to fill out a limited number of slots depending on certain conditions. A background check is usually a part of the evaluation process as well. There are also schools that impose the disclosure of criminal records, if any. Failure to divulge may be grounds for the refusal of application or dismissal.

Submission

The third and final stage would be the completion and submission of the requirements. It is essential to make a list of the submission dates and deadlines for each school. Many students use a separate calendar for the application process where they also write notes about particular schools. Early submission of the required documents is particularly important for schools which admit students on a rolling basis. Oftentimes, the timing of application makes a huge difference in the admission process. Lastly, it is always helpful to ask an expert (a trusted professor, someone from the job placement division in an applicant’s current school or alumni) in case of doubt regarding particular requirements (resume, personal statement).

A personal interview by an authorized program representative may also be scheduled upon request by the admission personnel. As mentioned above, every program has its specific requirements. Thus, it is crucial to prepare ahead of time to maximize the applicant’s chances for admission.

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