PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT
Associate of Applied Science Degree
Eddy Zeno • (901) 333-5394
Jennifer Ballard • (901)
333-5395
The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) is a health-care professional who
works under the supervision of a physical therapist. The PTA works with a
variety of patients who have been disabled by illness, accident, or
congenital handicap. The duties of a PTA include assisting the physical
therapist in implementing treatment programs that may involve exercise,
massage and hydrotherapy; the use of heat, cold, electricity, or sound; and
reporting to the physical therapist on the patient’s responses. As clinicians,
PTAs work in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, rehabilitation centers, and
for physical therapists in independent practice.
Following graduation, graduates are eligible to sit for the state
licensing examination. The program is accredited by the Commission on
Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
Admission Requirements
To be eligible for consideration for admission to the PTA program, an
applicant must meet the minimum requirements listed below. (Note: Meeting
requirements does not assure admission to the PTA program.)
l. Be granted degree admission status at
Southwest
Tennessee
Community College
.
2. Present an overall GPA of at least 2.0.
3. Complete each of the following prerequisite courses with a minimum
grade of C prior to the Summer term for which the student is seeking
admission:
ENGL 1010 English Composition I
BIOL 2010 Principles of Anatomy and Physiology I*
BIOL 2020 Principles of Anatomy and Physiology II*
PHYS 1210 Physics for the Health Sciences
PSYC 1010 General Psychology I
AHS 1020 Medical Terminology
*Applicants must have completed within the previous 7 years, both
Anatomy and Physiology I and II.
4. Submit the following materials to the Admissions Office by April 1:
a. The Special Application for Admission to Allied Health Sciences
b. Admission essay describing reasons for desiring admission to the PTA
program and any related experience.
c. Official transcript (s) of all college work attempted and/or completed
at college(s) and university (ies) other than
Southwest
Tennessee
Community College
(mailed from releasing institution). Final transcripts of courses in progress
during spring semester must be submitted to the Southwest Admission Office
prior to the May meeting of the PTA Admission Committee.
d. Clinical Experience Verification forms documenting work or volunteer
experience in two physical therapy clinics for at least eight hours at each
clinic (sixteen hours total). Forms are available in the PTA faculty office.
Selection Criteria
The PTA Admission Committee meets at the end of the Southwest Spring
Semester and ranks each applicant according to his or her Admission Index,
which is derived from the variables listed below. Each variable is multiplied
by the assigned weight, and an index obtained by summing the results:
1.
College-level GPA
|
x
|
2
|
2.
Required prerequisite course GPA
|
x
|
2
|
3.
Experience in the field of physical Therapy
|
x
|
1
|
4.
Admission/readmission essay
|
x
|
1
|
The first 20 applicants with the highest Admission indices are selected
for admission to the program. Refer to the Admission and Retention Procedures
for Allied Health Sciences and Nursing Programs for more information related
to the selection process and calculation of an Admission Index.
Retention Policy
Students must maintain a minimum grade of C in all PTA courses. Failure to
do so will result in dismissal from the program. Students dismissed for
academic reasons may be considered for readmission the following year under
current policy, based on space availability. The Admission Committee will
review the student’s transcript to identify substantially revised
courses to be retaken. Students desiring readmission must submit a written
application to the Admissions Committee 30 days prior to registration for
that term.
Technical Standards for Students in
Physical Therapist Assistant Program
Physical Therapist Assistant students are required to accumulate a variety
of information. The students are
expected to comprehend, apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate the
information given. The program must
ensure that students are capable of practicing the new accumulation of
information. The program must also ensure that patients are not placed in
jeopardy by students with impaired intellectual, physical or emotional
functions.
Students in the Physical Therapist Assistant Program at
Southwest
Tennessee
Community College
must
meet the following technical standards. The students also understand that some courses will have additional
lab requirements that will be outlined in course syllabi.
Motor Skills
PTA students will be able to demonstrate proficiency in palpation,
auscultation, percussion, and other treatment specific procedures. Additionally, PTA students must be able to
perform motor movements reasonably required to provide general physical
therapy, including the physical strength to stand and ambulate with a walker,
cane, or crutches and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation. PTA students
must also have the physical strength to lift and transfer an adult
patient. In addition, in the course
PTA 2620 Clinical Arts III, students must be able to: offer heavy manual resistance to classmates
during an exercise session; bend, squat and kneel and include a variety of
developmental sequence positions, including prone, prone on elbows,
quadruped, etc.; engage in a variety of functional activities including
rolling from supine<->prone; creeping on hands and knees, lifting
oneself into a wheelchair from the floor; rolling out of a wheelchair onto a
therapy mat, etc.; lift completely dependent classmates from one place to
another using an airlift, NDT, 3 man and 2 man technique; and perform various
wheelchair maneuvers including lateral shifts, wheelies and falling backward
while sitting in wheelchair.
Sensory/Observational Skills
PTA students must be able to observe demonstrations and participate in
laboratory experiments as required in the curriculum. Such observation
necessitates the functional use of vision, hearing and other sensory
modalities. Candidates must have
visual perception which includes dept and acuity.
Communication Skills
PTA students must be able to communicate English effectively both orally and
in written form with faculty, peers, patients, and other allied health
personnel. Students must have the
ability to complete reading assignments and search and evaluate the
literature. Students must be able to
complete written assignments and maintain written records. PTA students must
also have the ability to use therapeutic communication, such as attending,
clarifying, coaching, facilitating, and touching. These skills must be performed in clinical
settings, as well as in the classroom and in laboratory environments.
Behavioral/Social Skills and Professionalism
PTA students must possess the emotional well-being required for use of
intellectual abilities, exercise of sound judgment, prompt completion of all
responsibilities attendant to the evaluation and care of patients, and the
development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with
patients. Students must be able to
adapt to ever-changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to
function in stressful situations in the classroom and clinical setting.
Recommended
Course Sequence
