Physical Therapist Assistant

At a Glance

The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) is a skilled technical health care worker who assists the physical therapist in providing services that help improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease. Patients include accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as low-back pain, arthritis, heart disease, fractures, head injuries, and cerebral palsy.

Duties of the physical therapist assistant are varied but include rehabilitation of orthopedic, neurological, pediatric, and sports related problems. Physical therapist assistants are employed in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, home health care agencies, private practices, and other specialized health care settings.  Once a patient is evaluated and a treatment plan is designed by the physical therapist, the physical therapist assistant can provide many aspects of treatment, as prescribed by the therapist. Components of treatment procedures performed by these workers involve exercise, massage, electrical stimulation, paraffin baths, hot and cold packs, traction, and ultrasound. The physical therapist assistant is responsible for reporting patient responses and treatment outcomes to the physical therapist.

Program Description

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program is a two-year course of study. The student should complete the first year of general education course prerequisites before being eligible to apply to the PTA Program. Three semesters are necessary to complete the final year of the program, which begins in the fall semester. The second-year classes include technical and clinical experience in a variety of health-care settings where the student performs selected clinical procedures under the supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant.

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) [1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-706-3245, www.apta.org/CAPTE ).  Graduates will be eligible to apply to sit for the National Licensing Examination for the Physical Therapist Assistant, administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.  After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a licensed physical therapist assistant.

Admission Requirements

Student admissions for the PTA Program are made on an annual basis. Enrollment is limited but there is not a waiting list—all eligible applicants are considered for admission. Students are selected on the basis of completion of program application requirements, GPA and ACT test scores. Applications will be accepted until June 15. Applications received after June 15 will be considered on a space available basis.

Applicants Must:

   1.  Meet all the general requirements of WSCC.

   2.  Submit an application packet to the PTA Program, which includes the  following:

      a.   PTA program application.

      c.   Student copies of transcripts from all schools previously attended.

      d.   Copy of ACT score.

      e.   A signed acknowledgement of drug testing.

   3.  Submit the following to the Director of Admissions:

      a.   WSCC application to the Admissions Office.

      b. Official transcripts from all schools previously attended documenting the completion of the general, required education courses. Applicants must possess a minimum of a 2.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale and must have a "C" or better in all prerequisite courses. Students who have successfully completed all of the prerequisite courses will be considered for admission first. Students who have not completed all prerequisites will be considered thereafter only if space is available and provided that submitted documentation reflects that prerequisites will be successfully completed prior to the program start date.

      c.   Documentation of an ACT composite test score of not less than 18.

All information must be included for the application to be complete. Any piece of missing documentation will result in the application not being considered for admission. Each time an applicant reapplies to the Program this packet must be completed again. Retain copies of every item submitted, as this information will not be released from previous application packets.

Selection and Notification

1.  The PTA Program admits students in the fall semester of each year.

2. Program applications will be reviewed for completion of program admission requirements. Written notification of the outcome of each application will be mailed to the student at the address provided on the application.

3.  Applicants are ranked on the basis of a formula that weighs the GPA in prerequisite courses, observation hours and ACT score. All applicants who meet the minimum requirements are considered; however, the higher an applicant’s GPA, observation hours and ACT score, the better his/her chances for admission. In the event of a tie between two applicants the individual who has completed HIT 115, or is currently enrolled, will be accepted over one who has not.

Program Expectations

Students admitted into the Physical Therapist Assistant program are expected to comply with the Health Science Program Regulations and Expectations as published in the Academic Regulations section of the Wallace State College Catalog.

Required Competencies:

1. Clinical Competencies (patient care/coordination/interaction, fundamental therapy procedures, therapeutic intervention techniques)
2. General Competencies (professional communication, legal and ethical concepts, patient/family/caregiver instruction)

Upon Admission:  Upon acceptance into the program students will be required to submit a physical examination form (current within one year), which includes documentation of immunizations along with evidence of having begun the Hepatitis B vaccinations. Students will also be required to successfully complete a background check and drug screening. PTA students must carry liability insurance and accident insurance, which are available through the College

Progression:

Students selected for admission to the PTA Program must maintain a minimum grade of 75% or higher in major required courses. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the program.

Readmission to Program:

Applicants who have been previously dismissed or have withdrawn from the program may be readmitted one time only. Application must be made to be considered for the next class.

Career Path

The high school student interested in a career in physical therapy should pursue advanced math and science courses to prepare themselves.  Upon completion of the PTA Program, graduates are eligible to sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination for the Physical Therapist Assistant, achieving licensure and therefore employability throughout the United States.  Due to the diversity of patients seen and the variety of clinical settings available, PTAs can specialize in the care of one patient group or experience a variety of employment options.  A PTA can also advance their clinical skills through professional continuing education workshops.

Employment opportunities for physical therapist assistants are expected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014 and the demand for physical therapist assistants will continue to rise, in accordance with the increasing number of individuals with disabilities or limited function. The growing elderly population is particularly vulnerable to chronic and debilitating conditions that require therapeutic services, making the role of the PT/PTA team vital. In addition, future medical developments should permit an increased percentage of trauma victims to survive, creating added demand for therapy services. Physical therapists are expected to increasingly utilize assistants to reduce the cost of physical therapy services.

Median annual earnings of physical therapist assistants were $37,890 in May 2004, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $52,110. (Source:  Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics)

PTAs interested in administrative positions can continue their education by pursuing a Health Science degree or a degree in Health Care Management from a university, many of whom will recognize the PTA Program year as elective credit. Consult the STARS transfer guide for further information.  The individual who wishes to become a physical therapist will pursue either a Master’s Degree or Doctorate in Physical Therapy and should take bachelor’s or master’s level course work appropriate to the program to which they plan to apply.  Further information about PTA and PT education is available through the American Physical Therapy Association website at www.apta.org  

Completion Requirements

GENERAL REQUIRED COURSES (Prerequisites)

ORI 101* Orientation to College                                              1

ENG 101 English Composition                                                 3

SPH 106 Fundamentals of Oral Communications                      3

HUM** Humanities Elective                                                     3

PSY 200 General Psychology                                                   3

PSY 210 Human Growth and Development                              3

*Orientation to College is a college requirement, not a requirement of the program. You are exempt from orientation if you are a transfer student with a minimum of 12 semester hours of college work or if you were enrolled at Wallace State Community College before Fall 2004. Orientation 103 is required for any student who places in a developmental level course.

** Ethics (particularly Ethics & the Health Sciences) or Spanish is recommended.

*** BIO 103 is a prerequisite class for BIO 201 & 202.

MAJOR REQUIRED COURSES

HIT 115* Pathophysiology and Pharmacology                           4

PTA 200 PT Issues and Trends                                                 2

PTA 201 PTA Seminar                                                             2

PTA 202 PTA Communications Skills                                        2

PTA 220 Functional Anatomy & Kinesiology                             3

PTA 222 Functional Anatomy & Kinesiology Lab                      2

PTA 230 Neuroscience                                                             2

PTA 231 Rehabilitation Techniques                                           2

PTA 232 Orthopedics for the PTA                                            2

PTA 240 Physical Disabilities I                                                  2

PTA 241 Physical Disabilities II                                                 2

PTA 250 Therapeutic Procedures I                                           4

PTA 251 Therapeutic Procedures II                                          4

PTA 260 Clinical Education I                                                    1

PTA 266 Clinical Fieldwork I                                                    2

PTA 268 Clinical Practicum                                                       5

PTA 290 Therapeutic Exercise                                                  1

                                                                                                42

                                                TOTAL HOURS                     71-72

 

*Admission to the Physical Therapist Assistant Program is not required to enroll in this course.

NOTE: All courses with the PTA prefix must be completed at WSCC or a WSCC expansion site.