Physical Therapist Assistant

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, manual therapy 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 outpatient independent practice settings.

• Allied Health Programs Admission and Retention Procedures
• Allied Health Application Deadlines and Admissions Dates
• Physical Therapist Assistant General and Admission Procedures
• Course Sequence

Following graduation, graduates are eligible to sit for the state licensing examination. A criminal background check is required. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

Accreditation

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Southwest Tennessee Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)

• Address:
• Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
  1111 North Fairfax Street
  Alexandria, Virginia 22314
• Telephone: 703-706-3245
• Email: accreditation@apta.org
• Website: www.capteonline.org

Program Outcomes

Graduation Rate: 2009, 2010, and 2011 graduation rates were 90 percent, 70 percent, and 86 percent respectively. Some students did not complete the program due to academic, financial, medical, or personal reasons.

Licensure Examination Pass Rate:

• Class of 2009=100 percent
• Class of 2010=78.57 percent
• Class of 2011=100 percent

Employment Rate of Graduates: 100 percent of graduates from the classes of 2009, 2010, and 2011 have been offered employment within 6 months of becoming licensed Physical Therapist Assistants.