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Anne McFarland
WSCC Graduate, Class of ‘18
Physical Therapist Assistant“WSCC served me well by offering fantastic instructors in the field of Physical Therapy and great resources for learning such as the anatomy lab, the cadaver lab, and the library all with the latest technology. I would recommend WSCC to anyone interested in increasing their knowledge and furthering their education.”
Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs) are skilled technical health personnel who work under the direction and supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist (PT). PTAs assist the PT in the treatment of individuals with a variety of medical problems or health related conditions that result in a loss of mobility or ability to perform functional activities in their daily lives. PTAs can find employment within local and surrounding hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing facilities, home health companies, outpatient and sports clinics, and schools. According to the 2018 US Department of Labor report, PTAs ranked #8 out of 20 occupations predicted to be the fasting growing professions between 2016 and 2026. Nationally, PTAs were listed as having an average annual income of $57,430.
The Associate Degree program at Washington State Community College provides the student with a comprehensive PTA education aimed at preparing the student to become a caring and knowledgeable entry-level PTA. The curriculum contains a combination of general education, applied physical therapy sciences, technical skills, and clinical education courses taken over 5 semesters. The clinical component of the program provides students an opportunity to gain experience in a variety of settings with exposure to different patient populations including orthopedic, geriatric, pediatric, and neurological.
Admission to the PTA program is selective. Applicants must complete observation in the field, and demonstrate readiness for college-level math, English, biology, and chemistry. A detailed list of application criteria can be obtained by downloading the application from our website, contacting the PTA Director Matthew Ammons via e-mail, or by picking up a packet in person at the Health Sciences office.
Accreditation Information
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 has notified Washington State Community College that the accreditation for the physical therapist assistant program is scheduled to be withdrawn on December 18, 2020. The faculty and staff at Washington State Community College, are working diligently to appeal CAPTE’s decision. Please be advised that the WSCC PTA program will exhaust all possible options to return to compliance with all CAPTE standards and policies and request a reversal of this decision to withdraw accreditation.
For more information see https://www.capteonline.org/globalassets/capte-docs/recent-actions/capte-decisions-fall-2020.pdf or contact Matthew Ammons DPT, OCS, CIMT – PTA Program Director at mammons@wscc.edu.
Graduation Year | Graduates | Graduation Rate | NPTE Ultimate Pass Rate for WSCC Grads | NPTE National Average Pass Rate | Employment Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | 10 | 76.9% | 70% | 89.2% | 85% |
2019 | 10 | 71.4% | 50% | 93.8% | 80% |
2018 | 13 | 81% | 83.3% | 94.5% | 75% |
***Graduation rate reported based on CAPTE standards. The percentage does not reflect students who had to leave the program due to health related issues, financial issues, or any other reason other than for academic reasons. This number also looks at those students who were able to graduate on time or within 150% of the time required.
***The benchmark for pass rate on the NPTE as established by CAPTE is 85% over a two year period and is reported based on ULTIMATE not first time pass rate.
***Employment rate reflects those that were seeking jobs and obtained employment within 1 year post graduation.
Student Clinical Documents
Physical Therapist Application Packet
Packet available soon
Deadline Date: To Be Announced
Pending CAPTE's decision in April 2021, students will be notified via email of the application process and deadline. Those who are interested in being placed on an email list can contact either Dr. Ammons or Amanda Stilgenbauer.
To learn more:
Admissions
740.568.1900
admissions@wscc.edu
Health Sciences Office
740.885.5648
Dr. Matthew Ammons, PTA Director
740.374.8716 ext. 1692
mammons@wscc.edu
Deadline Date: To Be Announced
PTA Application Packet - available soon