How To Become A Physical Therapist Assistant

Transcription

1 Welcome to the Physical Therapist Assistant Program. You have begun the exploration of a profession dedicated to restoring individuals following injury or disease to full participation in their daily activities. Your interest in this program will hopefully encourage you to apply for admission anticipating graduation and licensure after two years. 1

2 This online session will provide you with the information you need to acquaint you with this area of health sciences and begin preparation for the requirements and processes necessary for admission. You are encouraged to continue through this information session. Upon completion, consider making a difference in the lives of others through successful completion of this program and eventual practice in the profession of physical therapy. 2

3 We will cover these topics throughout the slide show. You will learn more about the topics listed on the slide.

4 Physical Therapist Assistants are an integral member of the rehabilitation team. They provide interventions based on the plan of care developed by the physical therapist and collect data related to those interventions. The PTA also participates as a member of the healthcare team that includes the occupational therapist, certified occupational therapist assistant, social worker, speech and language pathologist and the patient. The team works together for the common goal of promoting independence and making it possible for the patient to participate in life to its fullest. 4

5 As you research a career in physical therapy, talk to practicing therapists and therapist assistants to find out what they do every day. You can ask them where they went to school and why. I imagine that they will tell you that ACC has a very well respected program, with qualified and caring graduates. You can find out about expectations of a new PTA by talking to the rehabilitation services department supervisors. 5

6 In choosing a program, you will want to ensure that the program is granted regional accreditation so that the general education courses in the curriculum are transferable to other universities and colleges. ACC is granted accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) 6

7 The ACC PTA Program is proud of its accreditation status granted by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education. This accreditation ensures you that the program has all systems in place to teach the skills required of an entry level PTA. The PTA at Austin Community College graduates with an Associate of Applied Science degree. (AAS) 7

8 Accreditation also ensures that the program accepts responsibility for lecture (didactic) and clinical education for the student throughout the program. Graduation from an accredited program allows the graduate the ability to take the computerized national licensure exam. 8

9 WE are fortunate to have among our PTA faculty physical therapist assistant educators with many years of combined experience in the clinic and in the classroom. We have three full time faculty and a number of adjunct faculty who are practicing clinicians in the community. 9

10 The program accepts 20 students each fall. All students participate in the lecture portion of each class together with a minimum of one instructor. There are two lab sections of ten each so that students receive more hands on instruction from the faculty present. For some courses you will have more than one instructor available for the lab. 10

11 The ACC program has higher than average outcomes. ACC graduates of the program report 100% employment following licensure. The pass rate on the national licensure exam is higher than the state and national average. The three year average is 97%. 11

12 There are a number of requirements for admission to the PTA program. The entire application process and prerequisite course requirements can be found on the program s website. 12

13 PTA program applicants must also apply for admission to ACC. TSI stands for Texas Success Initiative and is required by the state to enter college. Make an appointment with an ACC advisor to verify your basic skills assessment status. All transcripts from other colleges must be evaluated by an ACC admissions counselor. You will also provide residency information which will determine whether or not you qualify for in district or out of district tuition. It is important to note that admission to the college does not guarantee admission to the program. 13

14 Technical standards and necessary skills are those basic skills required to participate successfully in this healthcare related program. For example, you will need: Observation skills, both visual and auditory that include the ability to see, hear and feel patient behaviors, abilities and movement strength and range of motion. Communication skills are needed for writing and reporting patient progress and communicating with other medical and educational personnel on behalf of the patient. Motor or movement skills and strength are necessary to encourage independent movement, strength and coordination in others as they apply those physical attributes to everyday activities. You will need to stand or sit for long periods and lift immobile patients. Intellectual function is important in that this is a college level program requiring students to develop critical thinking skills applied to clinical and educational practice. BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL attributes are those skills that allow the individual to exercise good judgment and develop professional relationships. The student 14

15 Please submit a current application form and other documentation requirements to the PTA office administrative assistant by the posted deadline. Include copies of official transcripts if your college work was taken at a school other than ACC. Courses taken at another school may need department review to determine if they fullfill PTA coursework. You will need to complete the required immunizations as well. Those requirements are found at the website on this slide. 15

16 Read above

17 The next slides will identify additional information you will need for the application process including the volunteer hours and documentation and the HOBET test. Again, the deadline for submission of all materials is May 18 of each year.

18 The volunteer requirement for the PTA program is 40 hours at one PT facility. In choosing a facility please ensure that there are at least two licensed PT personnel present to fill out the work skills assessment forms. If you are a PT tech, you may use your supervising PTs and PTAs at your facility to fill out the forms. Your work hours may be counted in lieu of the volunteer hours is it has been within the last two years.

19 Just read the slide

20 The HOBET tests science reading ability, basic math, and gives us information about learning styles and test taking frustration level. The program uses the composite final score is the selection process.

21 These numbers are entered into a spread sheet to determine the top 20 of the applicant pool

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23 A competency based curriculum is one in which the student must demonstrate competency in a number of skills in order to progress to the next level. The skills competencies are determined by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education

24 The clinical experiences occur in the second year of the program. They are three full time 240 hour experiences completed in 6 weeks. Each student will complete an in patient experience, an out patient experience and a rehab experience.

25 The following will assist you to be more successful in the program. This is especially true if you have outside of class responsibilities. As you research the profession, learn more about the roles of the PT and PTA

26 We typically have 30 or more applicants each year. We accept 20 students each year, making the program admissions fairly competitive. Applicants to the program must realize that it is an arduous course of study and should occupy the students main focus in terms of time and resources. You may obtain information regarding financial support for the program from the ACC financial aid office. The PTA program is a partner with Capitol Idea.

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28 Success in the PTA program carries over to PT practice. Students with mature, responsible work ethics apply those characteristics not only to the program but to their clinical experiences and entry level practice as PTAs. The educational experiences in the PTA program promote a strong sense of self reflection and awareness and develop the critical thinking skills necessary for sound decision making. 28

29 Please note that the faculty are committed to your success.

30 The licensure exam is 350 dollars and application for licensure and fees to take the exam are approximately 200 dollars.

31 Many resources are available at ACC to help you be successful in your new career. There is tutoring both in the tutoring lab and in program open labs, counseling and student life activities. There is also an office to assist students with special needs. Both the ACC student handbook and the PTA program handbook are helpful resources.

32 These resources are the national and state associations most often referenced by both PT and PTA students and practitioners. Please visit all these websites to find out more about our profession.

33 Terry Johnson-Growden is the Administrative Assistant for the PTA program. You may rely on her information and guidance through your application process. If you have a situation that falls outside the PTA admissions policies and procedures please call the department chair at Thank you for completing this information session.