Are you renewing your physical therapy license or expanding your knowledge to further your career? Every therapist must eventually consider continuing education programs.
If you’re not checking in on these already, it may be time to consider a few.
These lessons offer a way to stay up-to-date with trends while maintaining and expounding upon your knowledge, making you a better physical therapist and a better employee.
But how do you know which continuing education program to choose? We have all the answers that will make the decision easy for you.
Assess Your Needs
The first thing physical therapists should do is analyze their current needs and desired goals. Does your current schedule allow you the extra time to take classes in person or would you benefit more from an online curriculum?
In knowing what would best fit your schedule, you will be able to quickly eliminate courses that won’t meet your basic needs.
Know Your Goals
You’ve decided when and how it would be best to take classes, yet you’re still wondering what you should learn about. The first thing to consider is your state’s regulations.
Every state has specific regulations in regards to course completions. Always make sure you are staying current with state requirements.
However, chances are you may have some additional wiggle room concerning subjects, so it’s also important to assess your personal strengths, weaknesses and interests.
In what areas do you feel less confident? What education would be beneficial to have given recent changes in medicine, such as a rise in malpractice suits?
Answering these questions will help you choose courses that are not only relevant and required but great additions to your resume. Search for these courses online or through your current department.
Reputation
Online searches will reveal hundreds of courses. Once you’ve narrowed them by your own needs, interests, and requirements, that list will shorten considerably.
However, there is one more order of business you should check: the organization’s credentials. Not all schools are accredited by the Department of Education, and even some that are may be viewed with distaste by potential employers.
To ensure the program you choose has a good reputation:
- Cross-check accrediting information
- Reach out to recruiters or co-workers about the program
- Contact past alumni for their opinions
Classes
Research the classes you will be taking, their outcomes and any skills you will learn. Consider each course carefully to see if it would provide you with the education and skill set future (and current) employers desire.
The idea is to learn more so that you can be better at your job and help more people.
Never be shy about contacting past students to get a deeper understanding of what you can gain from the course.
Weigh Advantages and Disadvantages
At this point, you should have whittled down your list of potential courses and schools. Now it’s time to weigh the pros and cons of each.
Make a list of your top five favorite picks and write down the advantages and disadvantages of each. Doing so gives you a quick and easy way to see which courses would be best.
During this time, keep in mind:
- Your current availability and/or personal life
- State requirements
- The impact of each course on your resume
- Your future goals
Finding Gems in Continuing Education Programs
Discovering the right continuing education program might sound like a lot of hard labor. But we can make the task much easier for you: find courses on our website!
At PDH Academy, we offer online physical therapist courses for every need. Check out our courses here and learn your way to a greater tomorrow.
