Is Your Education Adequate?

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:49:00 +0000

Have you ever stopped to think that much of what you learned in school was simply nonsense or rewritten to be politically correct for the period in which it was produced? Have you ever noticed that the history books seem to modify things ever 20 years or so? Worse, have you ever considered that you were force fed information and you had to commit to memory stuff that was pretty irrelevant and yet, never learned so many things that were?

This is one of the biggest complaints of those who go onto higher learning in a certain subject, they find that what they had learned before, well, it was not complete and much was inaccurate. This often, makes them wonder if all the other subjects were also the same. Guess what, they were and that’s why I believe in a lifetime of learning and would submit to you that it is time for you to complete your incomplete education and thus, I’d like to take this opportunity to recommend an excellent book to you to help you do just that;

“An Incomplete Education” by Judy Jones and William Wilson; Ballantine Books, New York, NY 1987

This book goes through all the major subjects such as; American Studies, Art History, Economics, Film, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Religion, Science and World History. It explains the fallacies presented in education and corrects them, and it points to the things that you probably never had the chance to learn, but should readily know, if you had a complete education.

This book is filled with facts and figures and does not waste your time, but it is a lot of information and a good 600 plus pages. It is fun to read by chapter or straight through, I’ve read much of it, but keep it in my library for a reference, and I believe you should too.

By: Lance Winslow

Steps in Getting Physical Therapy Continuing Education

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:53:42 +0000

Physical therapists work every day with people suffering from everything from a bruised hip to combat trauma. As a result, physical therapy continuing education is critical in keeping up to date on the latest therapies.

Selecting a Speciality

As with many things today, the term PT encompasses a broad range of disciplines. So, in looking at physical therapy continuing education, you really have to focus or one or two areas. You can take classes in athletic training, massage therapy, occupational therapy, special education, and then speech and language therapy. Under occupational, you can further specialize in helping people recover from severe trauma. This can include vehicular accidents and military injuries. There are also geriatric and paediatric specialities; the former helps the aged, and the latter deals with children.

Checking Your State’s Requirements

Every state has varying degrees of requirements as to physical therapy continuing education. As a physical therapist, you’ll be licensed by the state, and can check with their department of professional regulation to see what those rules are. In some cases, classes are required to be taken yearly, others every two years; some classes can be taken online, and with others you have to appear in person. Also, the state’s website can give you a list of approved continuing education providers.

The Four Forms of Physical Therapy Continuing Education

As of 2000, a bachelor’s degree was declared to not be enough to practice in this field; a master’s or doctorate is required, and there are four ways to earn either. With the master’s degree, you can either get a direct entry or a transitional. The former is if you have a bachelor’s degree in another subject and you want to switch to PT, and it generally lasts two years. The latter is if your bachelor’s is in PT, and is often completed in a year. The doctorate is the same way – direct and transitional – and it applies in the same manner.

Online Classes

With physical therapy continuing education, it’s hard to believe that some classes could be offered online – as it is a hands-on profession. However, there are classes related to the non-physical therapy aspects of the profession that you can take this way. You can learn about reimbursement policies, dealing with managed care (HMO’s), professional ethics, and fraud and abuse. Then there are some physical courses that also don’t require you to practice on a live patient. You can study the anatomy of various areas of the body, and learn about skin lesions and their treatment. Depending on the requirements of your state, these forms of physical therapy continuing education may be enough.

Check with the Association

The American Physical Therapy Association can be helpful in dealing with physical therapy continuing education. Their website – apta.org – has a plethora of information about the various educational programs available – both online and at colleges near you. They can also advise you as to dealing with state regulators to insure they accept the classes you take.

By: Gust Lenglet

Special Education » Many Things

Is Your Education Adequate?

Steps in Getting Physical Therapy Continuing Education