Physical Therapist Assistant

ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN APPLIED SCIENCE
PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT
78 SEMESTER HOURS

Physical Therapist Assistants are skilled healthcare professionals qualified to perform selected physical therapy interventions under the direction and supervision of a Physical Therapist. They can treat individuals of any age with health conditions or physical limitations that impair their ability to perform activities of daily living. Physical Therapist Assistants can treat patients in a variety of settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing centers, extended care facilities, sub-acute facilities, home health care, education or research centers, school systems, hospices, corporate or industrial health centers, occupational and workplace environments, athletic facilities, and fitness or sports training centers. The goal of physical therapy intervention is to prevent or improve the loss of mobility so people can live more active lifestyles.

Treatment interventions provided by Physical Therapist Assistants, under the direction of a Physical Therapist, promote functional independence through coordination, communication, documentation, patient/client related instruction, and direct intervention. Examples of direct interventions include aerobic endurance activities, aquatic exercises, balance and coordination training, body mechanics, ergonomic training, breathing strategies, ventilator muscle training, conditioning and reconditioning training, developmental training, gait and locomotion training, motor function training, neuromuscular education, relaxation, inhibition, or facilitation training, perceptual training, posture awareness training, sensory training, strengthening, stretching, or structural play.

The mission of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College is to provide an engaging curriculum that fosters a welcoming environment that includes fairness and equal opportunities to graduate self-reliant PTAs capable of progressing movement in rural healthcare through the delivery of professional, ethical, and evidenced-based services.

Admission to the Physical Therapist Assistant Program is competitive and based on specific requirements that can be obtained online on the PTA Admission Overview. Up to twenty-two (max.) students are selected for enrollment in the Physical Therapist Assistant Program each fall.

A Criminal Background Check, drug screen, physical, immunization record, and proof of CPR certification through the American Heart Association will be required before beginning clinical rotations. Online CPR courses will not be accepted.  Please note that students who have prior convictions of a crime, excluding minor traffic violations, and/or have had disciplinary action against them may not be granted the privilege to progress to the clinical setting or take the National Physical Therapist Assistant Examination.

Students in OCtech's Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program will receive a technical education consisting of classroom, laboratory, and clinical experience. Students get "hands on" experience through role play with classmates and faculty during lab sessions and through real patients/clients under the supervision of a clinical instructor during two separate clinical affiliations. Principles of communication are emphasized throughout the curriculum to prepare the graduate to function as a physical therapy advocate for the promotion of health and wellness.

A minimum grade of "B" is required in all physical therapy related courses.

Upon graduation from OCtech, the student will receive an Associate Degree in Applied Science with a Major in Physical Therapist Assistant and will be eligible to apply to sit for the National Physical Therapist Assistant Examination.

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program (PTA) at Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College (OCtech) is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the PTA Program at OCtech directly, please call Program Coordinator, Lynn Fralix, at 803-535-1305 or email fralixlw@octech.edu.