Major: Physical Therapy Assistance
Couch potatoes beware: As a student of physical therapy assistance (PTA), you’ll be on the go, dashing from class to clinic. You’ll also be on your feet a lot, helping patients regain their ability to move. You’ll learn the exercises and techniques physical therapists (PTs) use to rehabilitate patients as well as the other skills you’ll need to support a PT in her work.
Students of physical therapy assistance learn how to aid physical therapists as they help people cope with and recover from injury and illness.
Did You Know?
- You'll need a license to work in some states.
Are You Ready To...?
- Divide your time between academics and hands-on training
- Wear a uniform while working in the clinic
- Learn muscle testing and other ways of assessing patients
- Assist patients with exercises
- Help PTs examine patients
- Practice keeping patient records
- Learn how to communicate with physical therapists, patients, families, and other members of the health-care team
- Become a student member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
It Helps to Be...
In good shape as well as interested in helping others: you’ll have to lift and move patients. You should also work hard in your high school science classes to prepare for the challenging course work in this major.
College Checklist
- Is the program accredited by the APTA?
- What are the prerequisites for admission and when is the application deadline? Many PTA programs have limited enrollment.
- Will the program prepare you to take the state licensing exam (if your state requires it)? What is the school’s passing rate for the exam?
- Will you train with state-of-the-art physical therapy equipment and technology?
- Does the clinical component allow the flexibility to work in different clinical settings and in different specialty areas, such as sports medicine and pediatrics?
- Does the college have a job-placement center?
Did You Know?
- Men were barred from the first professional physical therapy organization for almost twenty years.
Course Spotlight
Does the name Mary McMillan ring a bell? Probably not, but by the time you finish introduction to physical therapy, you’ll be familiar with the pivotal role she played in the history of the profession. You’ll also learn how past medical practices affected the role of the physical therapist, as well as current issues, laws, rules, and regulations. You’ll even get some basics about how physical therapists diagnose and treat different conditions. Expect your fair share of quizzes, exams, as well as a research paper -- and you may have to do a little role-playing in class, too.
