Physical Therapist Assistant, AAS

Degree: Associate of Applied Science in Physical Therapist Assistant

Length: Five-Semester (Two-Year) Program

Purpose: The two-year program is designed to prepare the student with the philosophical, theoretical, and clinical knowledge to become a trained health care worker who can assist the physical therapist in meeting the physical therapy needs of the public. These needs include, but are not limited to, improving patient mobility, relieving pain, and mitigating the functional limitations that occur due to physical disability. The profession of physical therapy also includes health and wellness promotion, public education, and injury and disability prevention.

Graduates work under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist to provide such interventions as exercises, massage, electrical stimulation, paraffin baths, hot and cold p acks, traction, or ultrasound. They also document details of the patient’s treatment, record the patient’s response to the treatment, and report this information to the physical therapist.

Employment settings include outpatient clinics, acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centers, home health care agencies, contracting agencies, corporations, and school systems. Patients range in age from newborn to elderly.

For more in-depth information including job outlooks and average salaries, please visit https://www.bls.gov>ooh>healthcare or https://apta.org.

Instructional Model: The Wytheville Community College Physical Therapist Assistant Program was founded in 1986 to provide students a new career opportunity in the field of physical therapy. Students are required to travel to the main campus in Wytheville for lectures and labs.

Clinical education sites are located in a variety of physical therapy practices throughout southwestern and western Virginia, northeastern Tennessee, northwestern North Carolina, and southern West Virginia.

All general education co-requisites for the PTA program and any developmental coursework may be taken at the student’s local community college. All physical therapist assistant classes are taken through enrollment at WCC and the A.A.S. degree is offered through WCC.

Transfer Information: The five-semester PTA program is designed as a terminal degree program. Program specific courses taken as requirements for the A.A.S. degree in Physical Therapist Assistant will not transfer toward a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. Students interested in pursuing the DPT degree should contact their high school advisor or a WCC transfer counselor to complete a bachelor’s degree in preparation for entering a physical therapist education program as a graduate student or to identify programs that currently offer an accredited PTA to DPT bridge program.

Graduate Performance Expectations:

Upon completion of the Physical Therapist Assistant curriculum, the graduate will:

Demonstrate a general core of academic general education knowledge that includes written communication and biological, physical, behavioral, and social sciences.
Demonstrate knowledge of sciences and scientific reasoning in topics basic to physical therapy including the cardiovascular, endocrine and metabolic, gastrointestinal, genital and reproductive, hematologic, hepatic and biliary, immune, integumentary, lymphatic, musculoskeletal, nervous, respiratory, and renal and urologic systems; and the medical and surgical conditions across the lifespan commonly seen by physical therapist assistants.
Provide physical therapy care that adheres to practice standards of ethics, values, and responsibilities which includes the following:

a. Adherence to legal practice standards, including all federal, state, and institutional regulations related to patient/client care and fiscal management
b. Reporting to appropriate authorities suspected cases of abuse of vulnerable populations
c. Reporting to appropriate authorities suspected cases of fraud and abuse related to the utilization of and payment for physical therapy and other health care services
d.Performing duties in a manner consistent with the Guide for Conduct of the Physical Therapist Assistant (APTA) and the Standards of Ethical Conduct (APTA) to meet the expectations of patients, members of the physical therapy profession, and other providers as necessary
e. Performing duties in a manner consistent with the APTA’s Values-Based Behaviors for the Physical Therapist Assistant.
f. Implementing, in response to an ethical situation, a plan of action that demonstrates sound moral reasoning congruent with core professional ethics and values.
g. Communicating effectively with all stakeholders, including patients’/clients’ differences, values, preferences, and expressed needs in all work related activities.
h. Identifying, respecting, and acting with consideration for patients’/clients’ differences, values, preferences, and expressed needs in all work-related activities.
i. Applying current knowledge, theory, and clinical judgment while considering the patient/client perspective and the environment, based on the plan of care established by the physical therapist.
j. Identifying basic concepts in professional literature including, but not limited to validity, reliability, and the level of statistical significance.
k. Identifying and integrating appropriate evidence-based resources to support clinical decision-making for progression of the patient within the plan of care established by the physical therapist.
l.Effectively educating others using teaching methods that are commensurate with the needs of the patient, caregiver, or healthcare personnel.
m. Participating in professional and community organizations that provide opportunities for volunteerism, advocacy, and leadership.
n. Identifying career development and lifelong learning opportunities, including the role of the physical therapist assistant in the clinical education of physical therapist assistant students.
Provide Patient/Client Management that includes the following:

a. Interviewing patients/clients, caregivers, and family to obtain current information related to prior and current levels of function and general health status (e.g. fatigue, fever, malaise, unexplained weight change, etc.)
b. Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) to describe a patient’s/client’s impairments, activity, and participation limitations.
Carry out the plan of care established by the physical therapist, including:

a. Communicating an understanding of the plan of care developed by the physical therapist to achieve short- and long-term goals and intended outcomes.
b. Reviewing health records (e.g. lab values, diagnostic tests, specialty reports, narrative, consultations, and physical therapy documentation) prior to carrying out the PT plan of care.
c. Monitoring and adjusting interventions in the plan of care in response to patient/client status and clinical indications.
d. Reporting any changes in patient/client status or progress to the supervising physical therapist.
e. Determining when an intervention should not be performed due to clinical indications or when the direction to perform the interventions is beyond that which is appropriate for the physical therapist assistant.
f. Contributing to the discontinuation of episode of care planning and follow-up processes as directed by the supervising physical therapist.
Demonstrate competence in implementing selected components of physical therapy interventions in the plan of care established by the physical therapist including:
a. Airway clearance techniques: such as breathing exercises, coughing techniques, an secretion mobilization
b. Application of Devices and Equipment: such as assistive/adaptive devices and prosthetic and orthotic devices
c. Biophysical agents: such as biofeedback, electrotherapeutic agents compression therapies, cryotherapy, hydrotherapy, superficial and deep thermal agents, traction, and light therapies.
d. Functional Training in Self-Care and in Domestic, Education, Work, Community, Social, and Civic Life.
e. Manual Therapy Techniques: including passive range of motion and therapeutic massage.
f. Motor function Training: such as balance and gait training
g. Patient/Client Education
h. Therapeutic Exercise
i. Wound Management: such as isolation techniques, sterile technique, application and removal of dressing or agents, and identification of precautions for dressing removal.
Demonstrate competence in performing components of data collection skills essential for carrying out the plan of care by administering the appropriate tests and measures (before, during, and after interventions) for the following areas:

a. Aerobic Capacity and Endurance: Measurement of standard vital signs, recognizing and monitoring responses to positional changes and activities (e.g. orthostatic hypotension, response to exercise)
b. Anthropometric characteristics: Height, weight, length, and girth.
c. Mental Functions: Changes in the patient’s state of arousal, mentation and cognition Assistive Technology: Identify the individual’s and caregiver’s ability to care for the device; recognize changes in skin condition and safety factors while using devices and equipment
d. Gait, Locomotion, and Balance: Determine the safety, status, and progression of patients while engaged in gait locomotion, balance, wheelchair management and mobility.
e. Integumentary Integrity: Detect absent or altered sensation; normal and abnormal integumentary changes; activities, positioning, and postures that aggravate or relieve pain or altered sensations or that can produce associated skin trauma; and recognize viable versus nonviable tissue.
f. Joint Integrity and Mobility: Detect normal and abnormal joint movement
g. Muscle Performance: Measure muscle strength by manual muscle testing; observe the presence or absence of muscle mass; recognize normal and abnormal muscle length, and changes in muscle tone.
h. Neuromotor Development: Detect gross motor milestones, fine motor milestones, and righting and equilibrium reactions
i. Pain: Administer standardized questionnaires, graphs, behavioral scales, or visual analog scales for pain; recognize activities, positioning, and postures that aggravate or relieve pain or altered sensations.
j. Posture: Determine normal and abnormal alignment of trunk and extremities at rest and during activities.
k. Range of Motion: Measure functional range of motion and measure range of motion using an appropriate measurement device.
l. Self-care and Civic, Community, Domestic, Education, Social and Work Life: Inspect the physical environment and measure physical spaces; recognize safety and barriers in the home, community and work environments; recognize level of functional status; administer standardized questionnaires to patients and others.
m. Ventilation, Respiration, and Circulation: Detect signs and symptoms of respiratory distress, and activities that aggravate or relieve edema, pain, dyspnea, or other symptoms; describe thoracoabdominal movements and breathing patterns with activity, and cough and sputum characteristics.
Complete accurate documentation that follow s guidelines and specific documentation formats required by state practice acts, the practice setting, and other regulatory agencies.
Respond effectively to patient/client and environmental emergencies that commonly occur in the clinical setting.
Participate in Health Care Environment by:

a. Contributing to efforts to increase patient and healthcare provider safety
b. Participating in the provision of patient-centered interprofessional collaborative care.
c. Participating in performance improvement activities (quality assurance).
Participate in Practice Management by:

a. Describing aspects of organizational planning an operation of the physical therapy service.
b. Describing accurate and timely information for billing and payment purposes.

Program Quick Facts:

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Wytheville 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; E-mail: accreditation@apta.org; Website: https://www.capteonline.org/

To contact the program/institution directly, please call 276-223-4721 or email: debbie.clark@wcc.vccs.edu

In the interest of public disclosure, the Wytheville Community College Physical Therapist Assistant Program provides data regarding the combined performance of its graduates from the most recent three years. The data for graduating classes of 2023, 2024 and 2025 is as follows:

Graduation Rate: (Number of students completing the program within 3 years of beginning PTA courses using CAPTE Benchmark Criteria):
- Class of 2023: 85.71%
- Class of 2024: 43.75%
- Class of 2025: 25.00%
- Biennium 2024-2025: 34.37%
- Anticipated Graduation Rate of Class of 2026: 69.00%
Licensure Examination Ultimate Pass Rate for Classes of 2023: 100%
Licensure Examination Ultimate Pass Rate for Classes of 2024: 100%
Licensure Examination Ultimate Pass Rate for Classes of 2025: 100%
Licensure Examination First-Time Pass Rate for Classes of 2023: 90.9%
Licensure Examination First-Time Pass Rate for Classes of 2024: 57.1%
Licensure Examination First-Time Pass Rate for Classes of 2025: 75%
Employment rate of licensed graduates for Classes of 2023 (within 1 year of licensure): 100%
Employment rate of licensed graduates for Classes of 2024 (within 1 year of licensure): 100%
Employment rate of licensed graduates for Classes of 2025 (within 1 year of licensure): 100%

2024 PTA Student Financial Fact Sheet

Admissions Procedures:

THE PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT PROGRAM PARTICIPATES IN THE WYTHEVILLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE HEALTH PROGRAMS’ SELECTIVE ADMISSIONS PROCESS. In the event that there are more applicants for the PTA program than there are slots, a selective admissions process outlined below will take effect. DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING ALL REQUIRED INFORMATION TO BE CONSIDERED FOR ADMISSION IS MARCH 16 OF THE SPRING BEFORE THE DESIRED FALL SEMESTER ADMISSION.

The following MINIMAL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS must be met by March 16 in the spring prior to the desired fall admission:

Student must complete a Wytheville Community College General Student Application. This application is available online at www.wcc.vccs.edu/admissions or in paper format from the WCC Admissions Office at (276) 223-4701. Application must be received by March 16.
Student must forward to WCC an official transcript of any and all college work previously attempted and/or completed by March 16. The student must ALSO forward to WCC an official high school transcript or copy of the student’s GED by March 16. Students currently enrolled in high school at the time of application for admission should forward to WCC a copy of their high school transcript through the fall semester of the senior year. Transcripts should be sent as early as possible so that previous course work can be evaluated to determine the need for developmental courses prior to applying for admission to the PTA program.
Competency in English and Math – MDE 10 as demonstrated through direct enrollment and diagnostic tests, or by satisfactorily completing the required EDE and/or MDE units or the equivalent.
Student must have completed one high school or College Biology with a lab with a minimum grade of “C.”
Student must have completed one high school Chemistry or college chemistry with a lab with a minimum grade of a “C”, or the student must have successfully completed CHM 01 .
All Developmental coursework must be completed prior to the March 16 admission deadline.
The student must have an overall minimum GPA of 2.5 for all college or high school work attempted. If the student has completed > 12 semester credit hours of college-level work, the college GPA will be used in calculating the student’s admissions score. If the student has completed <12 semester credit hours of college-level work, the high school GPA will be used in calculating the student’s admissions score. Because grades for courses taken during the spring semester of the application process will not be available during the student’s application assessment, all GPA calculations will be based on work completed through the fall semester preceding the March 16 deadline.
Student must complete twelve (12) shadowing hours with a physical therapist or a licensed physical therapist assistant in a physical therapy practice of the student’s choice PRIOR to March 16. The student may choose to complete the shadowing hours in one facility or in several, and the student may choose to perform more than the minimum number of hours required in order to have a more thorough knowledge of the field of physical therapy. Students should make the arrangements for the shadowing experience at a facility of their choosing at the convenience of the facility. The student should log the hours spent in the shadowing experience and should have their supervising clinician sign the log to verify the experience. Shadowing log forms are available from the WCC Admissions Office at (276) 223-4702 or by email at admissions@wcc.vccs.edu. Documentation of the shadowing experience is due in the WCC Admissions Office by March 16.
Student must take a pre-admissions screening test through WCC. The student must contact the WCC Testing Center at (276) 223-4825 or by e-mail at testing@wcc.vccs.edu to set up an appointment to take the TEAS –AH (Test of Essential Academic Skills, – For Allied Health. This is a web-based test that will cost the student a nominal fee payable via credit or debit card directly to the testing company on-line. The TEAS - AH test will assess the student’s competency in high school level reading, high school level grammar, high school level Math up through Algebra I, and high school level general sciences. Tests may be taken at alternate sites; however, the student MUST make arrangements and schedule the test through the WCC testing center. Further information on the testing is available from the WCC Admissions Office at (276) 223-4702 or admissions@wcc.vccs.edu.

For the purposes of admission to the WCC PTA program, there is no “passing” or lowest possible score on the TEAS – AH test. The score is merely added to the selective admissions score. Therefore, the higher the TEAS score, the more points toward the admissions score. The TEAS – AH test must be completed in time for the scores to be reported to the WCC Admissions Office by March 16.

Please take great care to sign up for the TEAS – AH and NOT the TEAS test used for Nursing Program Admission.

Student must complete a Health Programs Admissions Form by March 16. This form identifies the student as an applicant for one of WCC’s Health Programs and includes a checklist of required criteria for each program. The form is available online:

https://www.wcc.vccs.edu/health-professions-application

Applicants will not be allowed to complete the Health Programs Admissions Form until they have taken the TEAS-AH test.
All applicants meeting the above requirements by the March 16 deadline will be screened based upon items ranging from overall or curricular GPA, TEAS – AH test performance, ATI-TEAS Sciences Subscore, and completion of college-level science classes. The top-scoring finalists will be offered an admissions interview with program faculty.

Following completion of the interview, each finalist application will be scored reflecting the knowledge of the field of physical therapy communicated in the interview. The top scoring applicants will be offered admissions slots for the upcoming fall semester.

Students will be notified by approximately May 1st prior to the fall of admission of their admissions status. Students who are accepted for admission must notify the WCC Admissions Office of their intention to accept or decline the offered slot by the deadline listed on their admission letter. Failure to do so will result in the loss of that slot to an alternate.

Students who are not accepted into the program must notify the WCC Admission Office of their intent to remain in the Admission Pool for the following year’s admission. If they wish, these students may also schedule an appointment with PTA faculty to discuss ways to improve their application.

Students who fail to submit any of the required material to the WCC Admissions Office by the March 16 deadline will NOT be considered for admission for the following fall semester. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS. The WCC PTA program will establish only ONE admission deadline, as there are frequently many more applicants than available slots. Students submitting materials late may be considered for admission for the following year if they wish. It is HIGHLY recommended that students applying to the PTA program begin the admissions process early and check frequently with the WCC Admissions Office to ensure that their application is complete well before the March 16 deadline. It is not the duty of the WCC Admissions Office to notify applicants of incomplete application packets or missing information. Making sure that the admissions packet is complete is the SOLE responsibility of the applicant.

Program Requirements:

Upon admission, the student must schedule a complete medical physical examination and return the completed physical form to the WCC PTA Program by August 15. Included in this information must be a current record of the student’s immunizations including all recommended childhood vaccines, immunization against Hepatitis B or waiver, current tetanus immunity, chicken pox and mumps immunity, and proof of HIV status.
Students will be required to complete a criminal background check prior to enrollment in the program and a drug screen to be completed in the spring semester of the first year. These screens and checks will be provided to the student through WCC at a nominal fee to the student. It should be noted that applicants who have been convicted of felonies or misdemeanors of a personal injury nature will have considerable difficulty in obtaining professional licensure in a health care field. Students with a history of illegal substance abuse indicated by criminal conviction or by positive drug screens will also have difficulty obtaining professional licensure.
Students will achieve and maintain certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (Health Care Provider/Basic Life Support) throughout the course of the program, beginning in the spring of the first year.
Beginning in Fall 2020, all students enrolled in the Wytheville Community College Physical Therapist Assistant Program will be required to present evidence of current health insurance coverage for themselves. Health Insurance coverage is required by many of the program’s clinical education sites and must be maintained for the duration of the student’s enrollment in the program.
Students will take all program courses in the order that they are offered and are expected to complete all courses successfully prior to moving forward. Students MUST complete BIO 141 with a grade of “C” or better prior to enrolling in the second semester of the program. Students MUST complete BIO 142 with a grade of “C” or better prior to enrolling in the summer term between the second and third semesters of the program.
In order to progress through the program, all students must receive a final grade of “C” or better in all courses with a PTH prefix and in BIO 141 and BIO 142 . Students who do not receive a final grade of “C” or better in these courses will be ineligible to continue in the program and will be withdrawn. In addition, for all PTH classes that have a lab component, each student must earn an overall average of 80% in both the didactic and the laboratory portion of the course to successfully complete the course. Students who do not earn a 80% in both portions of the course will be considered to have failed the course and will be ineligible to continue in the program, regardless of their average in the other portion of the course.
If a student must leave the program due to poor academic performance, or because of personal reasons, he or she may apply for reinstatement according to the following procedure:

*The student must apply in writing to the Physical Therapist Assistant Program Head at least ONE semester before the requested readmission date, requesting permission to repeat the course in which they received a grade lower than a “C”. For students who left the program for reasons other than academics, they should request permission to re-enter the program at the point where they last successfully completed work.

*The student requesting re-entry must have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA at the time of the request.

*Confer with the PTA Program Head, discussing the following subjects:

*Any personal or professional factors which may have an influence on the student’s future academic success in the program

*Any academic or professional activities that the student may have participated in since leaving the program that may have an influence on the student’s future academic success in the program

*There must be an available open slot in the program.

*Students may be required to take and pass written final examination or lab skill check-offs for the courses that they have previously completed to ensure that they continue to have mastery of the content of these courses.

Normally the student will be notified of his or her re-admission to the program approximately 4 weeks prior to the beginning of the re-enrollment date. However, special circumstances may arise requiring shorter notice.

During the time that the student is not enrolled in the PTA program, he or she may elect to complete co-requisite work or other college courses; however, performance in these courses will be part of the student’s overall GPA and may influence readmission. Having taken the co-requisites for the program will not influence the decision to readmit the student to the program, other than the influence these courses may make on the student’s overall GPA. If a student has been withdrawn from the program due to a grade lower than a “C” in BIO 141 or BIO 142 , the student must successfully complete these courses prior to readmission.

Clinical Education Requirements:
Prior to beginning the clinical education portion of the program, the following criteria must be met:

The student must sign a waiver freeing the clinical site, Wytheville Community College, the Virginia Community College System, and the Commonwealth of Virginia from any liability for any injury the student may receive or from any liability claim that the student may incur, while engaged in the clinical portions of the physical therapist assistant program.
The student must have a current physical examination.
The student must read and agree to, as is evidenced by their signature, the rules and regulations of the WCC Physical Therapist Assistant Program as outlined in the Student Handbook.
The student must read and acknowledge capability in all areas of the Physical Therapist Assistant Essential Functions, as indicated by the student’s signature.
The student must hold a current CPR (Healthcare Provider/Basic Life Support) Certification.
The student must provide the college with a current immunization record including evidence of completion of the Hepatitis B immunization series or a waiver, current tetanus immunity, chicken pox and mumps immunity, and proof of HIV status.
The student will be required to complete a criminal background check prior to enrollment in the program and a drug screen to be completed in the spring semester of the first year. These screens and checks will be provided to the student through WCC at a nominal fee to the student.
If a student has a positive finding on the Criminal Background Check and/or the Urine Drug Screen, the student may not be accepted for clinical education by any of the clinical education sites. If positive results occur, the program is not responsible for finding a clinical education placement for the student, and the student may not be able to continue his or her education in the program due to a lack of clinical education sites which are willing to accommodate the student. It then becomes the student’s sole responsibility to locate a clinical education site that is willing to accommodate the student, after having been fully informed of the findings of the screen(s). The student is referred to the PTA Student Handbook for specific policies and procedures that apply to positive results on the Criminal Background Check and/or the Urine Drug Screen.

The following list is a suggested sequence in which students may plan their class schedules to ensure graduation in two years. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the biology co-requisites, BIO 141 and 142, priot to beginning PTA core classes. While not a program requirement, early completion of BIO will greatly reduce the stress and time demands of the first and second semesters.