Physical Therapist Assisting, A.A.S.

The Physical Therapist Assisting (PTA) program is a 1 + 1 program.  One year of prerequisites must be completed prior to starting the Fall semester of the technical phase.  Because students apply on March 1st each year, students may be enrolled in prerequisites during the Spring semester and still apply.  The midterm grades for those spring semester courses will be used to determine acceptance.  Acceptance would be contingent upon the successful completion of those spring courses.  If prerequisites are still left over to complete during any summer term, those students will NOT be considered for acceptance until the following year.  In ALL prerequisite coursework, each student must earn a C or better.  Once in the technical phase of this PTA program, it will last one year plus one five-week summer session.  Once in the program, each student must maintain at least a 78% test average in order to keep their spot in the program.  Admission to the PTA program is competitive and twenty students will be admitted to the PTA program each Fall. 

A numerical score sheet is used to select 20 students for each class.  Points are assigned for grades in all prerequisite courses, volunteer experience, the brief narrative written on the application, and previous degrees earned.  For students who use EDGE credits for any of the prerequisite courses, a grade from the high school transcript will be utilized on the score sheet.  Students who have previously earned an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree qualify for additional points.  Students who have all A’s in all of the PTA prerequisite courses qualify for additional points.  Degrees earned at the end of the spring semester of which the student has applied to the technical phase WILL still allow the student to earn the extra points for the degree.  Acceptance would be contingent upon the student actually earning the degree.  The minimum requirement for volunteer hours is 20 total hours split between two distinctly different practice settings.  Students are asked NOT to complete much over the 20-hour requirement so that we do not overwhelm clinical sites.  The total score for the PTA score sheet for acceptance is composed of:  60% letter grades in prerequisite courses, 10% volunteer hours, 15% written essay on application, and 15% past degrees obtained.  The 20 students with the highest scores are chosen.  An applicant with a score below 130 in section A of the PTA Score sheet for Acceptance would not be a qualified applicant.  130 is the minimum qualifying score to get into the program.

The completed application packet must be submitted to the program coordinator by March 1st for the next entering class.  Late applications are accepted only if space allows. 

The Program’s mission is to prepare graduates to be licensed as Physical Therapist Assistants and work in any health care setting so that the physical therapy needs of the citizens in our service region can be met.

Although technical competence is the predominant goal, broader academic abilities are also desired for PTA graduates.  The general studies component of the curriculum provides the avenue for developing effective speaking, writing, and thinking skills to form a foundation for lifelong learning.

To fulfill this mission, the Program will:

1. Provide students with a program of study that will assist them in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to pass the National Physical Therapist Assistant Licensure Examination.
2. Hold high expectations for student acquisition of academic and clinical skills, and professional behaviors so that our graduates possess entry-level skills.
3. Maintain contact with health care providers and consumers in our service region to ensure that the Program remains relevant and continues to serve the needs of all communities of interest.
4. Maintain contact with health care providers and consumers in our service region to ensure that the program remains relevant and continues to serve the needs of all communities of interest.
5. Utilize Evidence Based Practice (EBP) to ensure the content of the program stays congruent with best clinical practice guidelines and with most up to date information in the field. 

Graduate Goals

Upon successful completion of the PTA program the graduate is expected to:

• Exhibit conduct that reflects practice standards that are legal, ethical and safe.
• Implement a plan of care established by the physical therapist.
• Demonstrate competence in performing data collection through tests, measurements, and observations.
• Use verbal, non-verbal, and written communication in an effective, appropriate and capable manner.
• Demonstrate professional behavior through attendance, promptness, and the ability to assume appropriate responsibility.
• Demonstrate the cognitive knowledge basic to physical therapy intervention.

Student Abilities

To meet these goals, the student must be able to:

• Obtain information during class time and outside the class from lecture, text, computer-based, and video formats
• Obtain information from the medical record
• Produce written responses to assignments
• Compose progress notes for the medical record
• Complete in-class small group assignments
• Receive and transmit information to the instructors, classmates, supervising physical therapists, and patients
• Perform physical therapy techniques in high (standing), medium (sitting), and low (squatting, stooping) body positions
• Operate equipment with knobs, switches, touch pads, and touch screens
• Operate the following equipment safely & effectively:  wheelchairs, hospital beds, lifting devices, all oxygen equipment (portable tanks, long cords, nasal canula & masks)
• Lift and position classmates, patients and equipment
• Assist and guard classmates and patients while they practice standing, walking, and moving into and out of wheelchairs
• Lift, move, and position patients of all weights with varying amounts of assistance in a safe & effective manner on a regular and recurring basis. 
• Assist classmates and patients while they perform therapeutic exercises
• Perform physical therapy techniques and move about the clinical facility for up to 9-10 hours/day, 40 hours per week
• Assess the patient’s verbal and nonverbal response to treatment
• Complete multi-step work assignments
• Provide supervision and mentorship of aides, observers, and volunteers. 
• Perform the treatment plan accurately as instructed by the physical therapist. 

This program will prepare students to sit for the national PTA licensure examination which is required to practice in most states.  This program will also prepare the PTA students to work in a variety of physical therapy settings including; acute care, outpatient orthopedics, skilled nursing, rehabilitation center, and nursing homes. The PTA licensure examination is administered at a Prometric test center in coordination with the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT).  It is a national licensure, which is accepted by all states that require licensure.  There is a standard passing score, which all states have agreed upon. 

The students will have a total of 4 clinical education experiences.  Each of these experiences will occur in a different setting so that the PTA student will be well rounded and prepared to work in any setting after graduation.  The students will be evaluated by their clinical instructors while in the clinic or hospital.

	2 year average graduation rate	2 year average employment rate	2 year average licensure pass rates- 1st time	2 year average licensure pass rates– ultimate
Average for Class of Class of 2021 and Class of 2022	75.2%	100%	74.6%	95.85%
Average for Class of 2022 and Class of 2023	86.6%	n/a	56.1%	n/a

Dr. Chrystal McDonald is the Program Coordinator.  You can reach her at 304-260-4380, ext 3408 with any questions or complaints about the PTA program.  Mark Noll is the Clinical Coordinator, and she can be reached at 304-260-4380, ext 3313.

 

The following is a list of prerequisites for the PTA program: 

Term	Course	Prerequisites	Credits	Total
Freshman First Semester	ENGL 110	ACT/SAT/ACCUPLACER Score	3
	MAST 102 Medical Terminology		3
	BIOL 100		3
	PSYC 203 Intro to Psychology		3
	MATH 101		3
				15
Freshman Second Semester	CAHS 141 Intro to Pharmacology		3
	CAS 111  Information Literacy		3
	PTA 108 Pathophysiology of Diseases for PTA		3
	PTA 111 Anatomy and Physiology for PTA		4
	PTA 109 Physics for PTA		1
				14

 

The following course work is a part of the technical phase of the PTA program: 

Sophomore First Semester	PTA 101  Intro to Physical Therapy	Admission to program	2
	PTA 106  Clinical Education I	Admission to program	1
	PTA 102 Patient and Professional Relationship	Admission to program	2
	PTA 103  Intro to Patient Care	Admission to program	3
	PTA 103  Lab	Admission to program	0
	PTA 104  Physical Agents	Admission to program	4
	PTA 104  Lab		0
	PTA 105  Kinesiology	Admission to program	3
	PTA 107 Clinical Education II (40 hrs a week for 3 weeks)	Admission to program	3
				18
Sophomore Second Semester	PTA 201 Therapeutic Exercise	Satisfactory academic progress	4
	PTA 201  Lab	Satisfactory academic progress	0
	PTA 202 Orthopedics	Satisfactory academic progress	4
	PTA 202  Lab	Satisfactory academic progress	0
	PTA 203  Neurology	Satisfactory academic progress	4
	PTA 203  Lab	Satisfactory academic progress	0
	PTA 204 Clinical Education III (40 hours a week for 5 weeks)	Satisfactory academic progress	5
				17
Sophomore Summer I	PTA 206  Clinical Education IV (40 hours a week for 5 weeks)	Satisfactory academic progress	5
	PTA 205 Capstone Seminar	Satisfactory academic progress	1
				6

PTA Accreditation 

PTA Application  

PTA Scoresheet for Acceptance New     

Volunteer Hours Verification Form  

Career Opportunities

As a Physical Therapist Assistant, you will be prepared to work alongside a Physical Therapist, helping patients recovering from injuries and other health conditions regain their ability to move and thrive.