Physical Therapist Assistant graduates pose on a staircase.

Physical Therapist Assistant AAS

The Physical Therapist Assistant Associate of Applied Science program consists of 5 semesters, including 2 semesters of prerequisites. Students accepted into the PTA program begin in the fall semester, complete their second semester in the spring, and finish their last semester in the summer. The clinical education portion of the program includes a series of three off-campus clinical education experiences.

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Area of Study: Nursing and Health Professions

  • Associate of Applied Science, Nursing and Health Professions

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FREE Tuition Eligible – WV Invests

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Raleigh County Campus

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will be engaged in interprofessional practice to prepare them to meet the unique needs of the region.
  2. Students will engage in an organized interprofessional event with at least one other allied health program.
  3. Students will record interdisciplinary interactions as they relate to patient care activities in their weekly communication log during their clinical education experiences.
  4. Graduates will be competent, and safe physical therapist assistants who are prepared to implement appropriate physical therapy treatments under the direction of a physical therapist and as a member of the healthcare team.
  5. Graduates will have a National Physical Therapy Examination-PTA ultimate pass rate of at least 85% average over 2 years.
  6. A placement rate of at least 90% measured 6 months after graduation for graduates who passed the examination.
  7. Employer survey scores of > 3/5.
  8. Faculty will maintain contemporary knowledge and competence in physical therapy assistant education and practice through ongoing professional development, clinical engagement, and participation in professional activities.
  9. Faculty will complete at least three continuing education credit hours each year that are related to an area in which they teach.
  10. Core faculty will maintain contemporary clinical practice by working a minimum of 50 hours per year in a clinical setting.
  11. Core faculty will maintain APTA and WVPTA membership.
  12. Core faculty will engage in one professional association activity annually.
  13. The program will support the mission of the college through an admissions and educational process that is reflective of the needs of the regional workforce.
  14. The program will be recognized as a regional resource for PTA education.
  15. The program will have an employment rate following the first opportunity of board examination of at least 90% for students who pass the boards.
  16. The program will attract 40 qualified applicants annually.
  17. The program will host 1 CEU annually.

Applicants requesting admission to the New River Community and Technical College Associate of Applied Science Degree in Physical Therapist Assistant must first meet the requirements for general admission to the College. The PTA Program is a select admission Program only accepting 20 students annually each fall. Admission into the College and completion of the required pre-requisites does not guarantee admission into the PTA Program. In addition to the pre-requisites and admission into the College, applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • Applicants must have completed the required pre-requisite courses with a minimum GPA of 2.75.
  • Applicants must have completed the Biology pre-requisite courses within the past 5 years and have a combined GPA of 3.0 of required science courses. Applicants who do not meet this requirement must either challenge the exams for all required Biology courses or retake the courses. Challenge exam score must achieve a minimum grade of a B, or higher, for that class.
  • Applicants must achieve a score of 60 or higher, plus a science score of 42 or higher on the TEAS exam (Test of Essential Academic Skills)
  • Applicants must be able to meet the essential functions of the Program as listed in the Program information packet. These essential functions are related to physical health, vision, and the ability to lift and carry up to 70 pounds, and are based on the essential functions of the professional role. Applicants must meet these essential functions without accommodations.
  • Applicants must agree to travel away from campus for clinical education. Clinical affiliation sites and availability vary and are determined by each individual facility based on staffing, patient load and other factors that influence the facility’s ability to provide the student with an optimum clinical experience. Every effort is made to place students in facilities that disrupt their domestic arrangements as little as possible, but the primary purpose of the clinical affiliation is to ensure that each student gains the variety of experience required to become a competent entry-level physical therapist assistant. Expenses, including gas, tolls, food, clothing and housing (if necessary), are the responsibility of the student.

 

Program Admissions Procedure

  1. The PTA Program receives the student’s application and it is logged and filed.
  2. After the June 1st application deadline, the PTA Program evaluates all of the received applications and ensures they are complete and eligible for enrollment into the Program.
  3. The Administrative Assistant then assigns each applicant a number and completes the required fields in the admission rubric.
  4. The rubrics are then given to the PTA Program faculty and they are entered into a Cohort Selection Spreadsheet and the results calculated.
  5. The top 20 applicants’ numbers are provided back to the Administrative Associate and the students are sent a letter of acceptance.
  6. In the instance of >20 qualified applicants, there is a two-tiered tie breaker system:
    a. The first tiebreaker will be the Anatomy and Physiology I grade.
    b. Applicants with the highest grades will be selected. In the event that there are still more applicants than openings, the second tiebreaker is used. The second tiebreaker will be to utilize the Kinesiology grade. Applicants with the highest grades will be selected.
  7. Notification by mail and/or New River email account of final decisions for admission into the PTA Program will be made by July 1st annually.
  8. Students who have been accepted into the PTA Program have 14 days after notification to acknowledge their position.
  9. Students who fail to acknowledge their position within the 14 days will be removed from the upcoming fall roster. This position may be filled with another qualified student.
  10. Students, once accepted into the PTA Program, must pass a background check prior to beginning any class with a PTHA prefix. An unsatisfactory background check may result in loss of position in the PTA Program. (At the discretion of the Program Director and the Dean of Pre-Professional and Transfer Programs).

 

Apply to New River CTC! For more information on this program, contact Tina Laney, Administrative Associate at PTA-Program@newriver.edu or 304-929-3324

Total Program Hours: 77

Graduation from the program qualifies the student to sit for the national licensure exam. Once licensed, the student may accept positions working as a PTA in hospitals, outpatient clinics, home health offices, schools, and long-term care facilities. 

 

Accreditation:
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at New River Community and Technical College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org.

Complaints
CAPTE considers complaints about programs that are accredited, or are seeking accreditation by CAPTE, and complaints about CAPTE itself. For information on filing a formal complaint, visit http://www.capteonline.org/Complaints/. To obtain the materials necessary for submitting a complaint, contact the APTA Accreditation Department at 703-706-3245 or at accreditation@apta.org. To download New River CTC’s complaint form, click here.

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