| PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT
Associate in Applied Science Degree MEC
Purpose: The PTA program is designed to prepare students to
utilize exercise, specialty equipment and other treatment procedures
to prevent, identify, correct, and alleviate movement dysfunction.
The program design provides students with the philosophical,
theoretical, and clinical knowledge necessary to deliver high-quality
patient care. Ultimately, students are prepared as skilled technical
health care providers who assist the physical therapist in the
provision of physical therapy services. Upon successful completion
of the program, students must take and pass a licensing examination
to begin their career as a physical therapist assistant (PTA).
Students are prepared for employment in a variety of health-care
settings including acute care hospitals, outpatient clinics,
extended care facilities, rehabilitation centers, contract agencies
and schools.
Special Accreditation Status: The program is fully accredited
by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
Transfer Information: NVCC has two formal articulation agreements
for transfer: Old Dominion University TELETECHNET, B.S. in Health
Sciences-Health Care Management, and George Mason University,
B.S. in Health Science Administration.
Students must comply with all General Admission Requirements
for Allied Health Programs. (See page 101.)
Program Admission Process: To be admitted to the PTA program,
applicants must meet all of the following requirements:
1. Satisfactory completion of anatomy and physiology. NAS 150
with a grade of C or better is required. BIO 141-142 or NAS 161-162
may be substituted for NAS 150.
2. Attendance at a PTA Program Information Session. (This satisfies
the "Interview with the Assistant Dean" requirement.)
Call the program office at 703-822-6570 for scheduled dates.
3. 2.0 GPA at last school attended.
4. Be 18 years of age or older.
5. Satisfactory scores on NVCC placement tests to qualify for
MTH 120 and ENG 111.
6. Meeting with Allied Health and Nursing Program Counselor
for admission to the PTA curriculum.
Completion of steps 1-6 above constitutes a completed PTA Program
Application. Completed PTA Program Applications will be accepted
in the PTA program office on October first for the following
Fall semester. Acceptance is determined on a first-come-first-served
basis. Students are notified in writing of acceptance into the
program following submission of a completed application.
Professional Standards Requirements: Students are expected to
consistently demonstrate professional behavior in both the classroom
and during clinical affiliations. Professional behavior must
be consistent with the APTA Code of Ethics for Affiliate Member
and Generic Abilities (see PTA Program Handbook). Behavior inconsistent
with the Code of Ethics and/or the Generic Abilities will result
in dismissal from the program.
In addition to the Admission Requirements for Allied Health
Programs, students must complete a basic first aid course prior
to admission to any PTH courses.
Advanced Placement Admission: Students seeking advanced placement,
e.g., military physical therapy technicians, should contact the
assistant dean of the PTA program for individual counseling.
Laboratory Examination Requirements: Each student must achieve
a minimum passing score of 70 on each laboratory practical exam.
In the event that a lab practical is failed, a maximum of one
reexamination, per examination will be permitted. Performance
determined to be less than competent will result in withdrawal
and/or failure from the class.
Re-Enrollment:
1. Students are permitted to re-enroll in the PTA curriculum
on a space available basis.
2. Students who leave the program for any period up to two years
for either personal or academic reasons are required to demonstrate
proficiency in all previously enrolled skills courses prior to
re-entering the program. "Practical exams" are administered
and scheduled by the program faculty. A written exam may be required.
3. Students who leave the program for medical reasons are required
to submit evidence of good physical and mental health, as substantiated
by a newly completed Pre-Admission Health History and Physical
for Allied Health and Nursing form (NVCC 125-7) signed by the
primary physician responsible for care.
|
First Year |
1st Semester |
2nd Semester |
3rd Semester |
|
|
ENG |
111 |
College Composition I |
3 |
|
PED |
220 |
Adult Health and Development |
2 |
|
PTH |
105 |
Intro. to Physical Therapy |
3 |
|
PTH |
121 |
Therapeutic Proc. I |
5 |
|
PTH |
151 |
Musculoskeletal Structure and Function |
5 |
|
STD |
295 |
Study Skills & Hlthcare. Deliv. Syst. |
1 |
|
|
1 ___ |
|
Humanities/Fine Arts Elective |
|
3 |
|
PSY |
201 |
Intro. to Psychology I |
|
3 |
|
PTH |
115 |
Kinesiology for the Physical |
|
|
|
|
|
Therapist Assistant |
|
5 |
|
PTH |
122 |
Therapeutic Proc. II |
|
5 |
|
|
MTH |
|
Elective |
|
|
3 |
|
PTH |
131 |
Clinical Education I |
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
Total Credits/Semester |
19 |
16 |
6 |
|
Second Year |
1st Semester |
2nd Semester |
|
|
PTH |
225 |
Rehab. Procedures |
5 |
|
PTH |
231 |
Clinical Education II |
5 |
|
2 ___ |
|
Social Science Elective |
3 |
|
|
PTH |
210 |
Psych. Aspects of Therapy |
|
2 |
|
PTH |
227 |
Pathological Conditions |
|
2 |
|
PTH |
232 |
Clinical Education III |
|
5 |
|
PTH |
245 |
Professional Issues |
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
Total Credits/Semester |
13 |
12 |
Total credits for the A.A.S. Degree in Physical Therapist Assistant
= 66 (71 with 4 credit NAS prerequisite).
To graduate from a degree program, students entering
NVCC Fall 1999 or later must demonstrate computer competency
skills as described
in the Degree Requirements section of the Instructional Programs
of this catalog. Students in this program may take HIT 130 – Intro.
to Healthcare Information Systems or take the NVCC computer
competency
test.
NOTE: In addition to the courses outlined, a medical
terminology course is strongly encouraged.
1 Humanities/fine arts
elective may be selected from the list on page 38.
2 The following are recommended:
PSY 202, PSY 215, PSY 216, PSY 225, PSY 235, PSY 237, SOC 201,
or SOC 207. See NVCC Catalog for additional courses that satisfy
the Social Science requirement.
|
