Physical Therapist Assistant (APTA)

The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program prepares students to assist the supervising physical therapist in providing physical therapy care.  The 1+1 curriculum design includes the equivalent of one year of general education coursework and a second year of physical therapy technical courses. All first-year program prerequisites must be completed prior to being considered for admission into the second year.   The program is competitive and draws many applicants.  A maximum of twenty students are selected based on academic performance, recommendation scores (based on clinical observation assignment as a part of PTAT 2210 -Introduction to Physical Therapy) and interview scores.  Those not accepted can apply for the following year or seek advisement on other possible career options.

Once accepted into the PTA program, the student begins the second year (technical phase) which includes academic and laboratory components taught at the Oak Ridge campus, and clinical components located in regional healthcare facilities.  The second year requires full-time participation and lasts one calendar year from August to August.  Second year students will be required to attend an orientation session and be certified (and maintain certification) in Basic First Aid and Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (CPR) through the American Heart Association prior to the start of classes.  Classes taken during the second year must be taken in sequence and require a full-time course load. During the second year, students may be required to travel within the East Tennessee region to clinical facilities.

Admission Policies for Allied Health Sciences A.A.S. Degrees

In addition to general entrance requirements for the Allied Health Sciences programs, the applicants for the PTA program must:

1. Complete all first-year general education courses (prerequisites) by the program application deadline.  Required science courses older than 5 years at time of program admission will not be considered. 
2. Submit all admission materials, including applications, final transcripts and spring semester grades by May 15th of the year applying. Those applicants who fail to have documents in by the deadline will not be considered in the applicant pool.
3. Obtain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better in the required general education courses for the program.
4. Obtain a "C" or better in each of the required first year general education courses.
5. Complete 12 hours of clinical observation under the supervision of a licensed PT or PTA (completed in PTAT 2210 -Intro to Physical Therapy) 
6. If selected, participate in an interview with PTA program representatives.  Students will receive notification of the interview through their RaiderNet email.

Program Application Deadline: May 15

Students pursuing this program will be advised by the Allied Health Sciences Division.

This program is designed for students who plan to enter the workforce upon graduation. Students intending to transfer to a baccalaureate program are advised that they should check with their academic advisor and the four-year institution regarding specific transfer of courses.

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

http://www.roanestate.edu/?5956-Physical-Therapist-Assistant