Physical Therapy Assistant Career Path – Physical therapist assistants (PTAs) assist physical therapists (PTs) and other professional rehabilitation staff as they treat clients with painful or disabling injuries or illnesses. CAPTE (Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education) accredits two-year Associate of Science (US) and Applied Science (US) programs that balance lectures and discussions with hands-on learning.
The program also includes a supervised clinical practicum in a setting where physical therapy occurs. Your coursework may include anatomy and physiology, human development, kinesiology (the study of human movement), mathematics (often college algebra), pathology (the study of disease), psychology, rehabilitation exercise, and therapeutic techniques and procedures.
Physical Therapy Assistant Career Path
PIBG is able to perform physical therapy treatment and related responsibilities provided and authorized by a supervising PT. However, the PT may modify certain therapy techniques in correspondence with adjustments to the patient’s condition as long as it is within the scope of the therapy program established by the responsible PT. PTAs work more closely and spend more time with patients than PTs.
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They may also perform basic supervisory and administrative tasks such as PT assistant supervision and tracking patient progress. The PIBG’s efficiency in completing the set and authorized activities is always evaluated by the supervising PT.
Here is a descriptive profile of PTAs, including general career information and the latest employment statistics:
The PTA program which takes 2 years to complete includes all coursework and clinical education. This usually amounts to 5 semesters with an average of 15 credits per semester – a total of 74 to 75 credits. The majority of your time (approximately 75%) will be devoted to classroom learning (the didactic portion), with the remainder (approximately 25%) devoted to clinical “hands on” training. Overall, the combination of academic and clinical learning enhances students’ ability to connect learned principles with therapeutic practice in the field.
The classroom is where you will learn and be tested on the basic science of the human body and its movement and the basics of physical therapy support. Applied coursework will apply what you learn in basic health science courses and equip you with the necessary understanding of therapeutic methods and the skills needed to diagnose and evaluate patients across a range of patients.
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The objective of the laboratory is to apply what you have been taught during lectures through active learning and practice in a controlled environment. This is where you begin to develop your applied science and therapeutic clinical skills.
Most, if not all, of the following subject areas will be related courses. Some core courses, such as A&P and those involving clinical procedures, may be spread over several semesters.
It goes without saying, but the most important thing is to be 100% on-point and attentive during class and lab. You need to maintain a consistent and strict study schedule across PIBG schools. Your level of performance and understanding at the beginning will directly affect your ability to succeed in your next course and ultimately in your career. Some programs require that you get a B or higher in most, if not all, classes. Given the 2-year hard and fast course required to become a physical therapy assistant, every course is important and there is no room for mistakes or backtracking. So, make sure you do it right the first time! Your future depends on it!
The clinical portion of your training to become a PTA usually begins in the 3rd semester and lasts until your 5th or final semester (you will still take classroom-based courses during this time). Called ‘clinical practice’, ‘clinical education’, ‘clinical practicum’ or ‘internship’ in your course, these courses are usually 4-5 credits each due to the amount of time, effort and work involved. It is a big part of your preparation in the transition from student to physical therapy assistant after graduation.
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Clinical training essentially involves putting what you’ve learned in class and labs into practice in real-world settings such as regional hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, and nursing care facilities. You will work under the direction of a clinical instructor or CI (either PT or PTA) – who in turn will provide guidance, education, advice and feedback on your entry-level performance.
PTA programs vary from school to school and some programs may use lab time to implement more practical programs. Please note that course specifics will vary by school and know that it is important to research the details of the program you wish to apply to.
Following is the list of minimum requirements required to apply to PIBG school. These are general guidelines, be sure to check with the school you are applying to for specific criteria.
1. Take the ACT or SAT and submit your scores. They may be provided on an official high school or college transcript. Some programs have state-mandated entrance exams – for example, some schools in Alabama require you to take the COMPASS assessment exam. Some require a passing score on the Wonderlic Gain Test.
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2. A minimum of a 2.0 grade point average in the prerequisite courses listed below. Some schools require a 2.5, but others a 2.75 GPA.
3. Complete the application for the PT assistant school you are applying to. (This may seem obvious, but leaving even one question incomplete, for whatever reason, can reflect badly on the admissions committee).
4. Provide official transcripts from all high schools and colleges you have attended in the past. A plan to complete all remaining prerequisites prior to matriculation into the program, and a list of courses in which the applicant is currently enrolled, must also be submitted with the program application.
5. Most schools require an experience form that records between 10-50 hours of volunteer/direct observation patient care administered by a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant. Some programs may require your observations to be made in at least 2 different locations. Additional observation hours and volunteer or actual work experience in a PT environment as an assistant is preferred. Your work hours record must include the signature of the supervising physician, PT or PT assistant.
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Some PTA programs will have additional forms, including an additional application with essay questions, that you must fill out to complete your application.
Prerequisite courses that must be completed before enrolling in a PT assistant program are usually a combination or all of the following.
Again, what is specifically required depends on and varies from program to program. At the latest stage, these classes can usually be taken in the semester before matriculation, although applicants who complete all courses before the interview may benefit.
Make sure the PTA program at the school you are applying to is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. This body is the sole accrediting body for both PT and PIBG. To be a candidate to sit for the PIBG licensing exam, which is actually administered by the FSBPT (Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy), you must have graduated from a program approved by CAPTE. Also, do some research on the person you are interested in. You should care about things like the percentage of graduates who pass their PTA licensure exam the first time and all the health care organization affiliations of the program.
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CAPTE aims to ensure that all PIBG courses across the country meet the high standards set by the organization. This helps maintain consistency in the quality of coursework/clinical education and how it is taught, ensuring that each graduate is a qualified physical therapy assistant. For more information, including a list of accredited schools, you can visit the CAPTE website.
The best thing to do is to go to the website of the school you are interested in to check the details of how their PTA program is organized, including admission requirements and more importantly graduation, licensing exam pass and employment rates. This works both for the benefit of the school and for the benefit of the student as much as possible by showing success rate statistics.
The success rate of program graduates is important to know first because it reflects the quality of the program. If not published on their webpage, contact the school to ask about the percentage of students who pass the PTA licensure exam and find employment after graduation. You can also contact FSBT to get this information. After all, the purpose of your going to school is to prepare yourself as best you can and get a secure job as a PTA once you get your diploma!
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