If you’re having doubts, whether you should choose Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) or Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) but you’re leaning more towards DPT, then I’ll say it all depends in what you really want and your situation. DPT have more of everything of what PTA have to offer, but it takes longer and will cost more. If you have the money and time, and the love for DPT, then stop reading, go now, and do your best to be one. If you’re still reading, then I assume you’re leaning more towards PTA, or just want information about it. You need to know that a PTA’s actions are limited, and they work under the orders and supervision of the DPT. A PTA will mostly do therapeutic exercise, deep soft tissue massage, physical modalities, and a bit …show more content…
Minimum GPA of 2.75.
A year of high school or a semester in college biology (BIO 101) and physics (PHY 101) with a minimum grade of “C”.
A test of their own reading and writing assessment test and be placed in their english course (EGL 101) or an equivalent of their course in other colleges.
10 hour observation of PTs and PTAs at a physical therapy facility to learn more about the clinical setting, patient needs, and gain a better understanding.
Two recommendation form, each from the PT and PTA, that is been signed and have a checked on the “recommended” box.
Submission of all the prerequisites does not guarantee admission to the PTA program. Instead, once you’ve submitted the prerequisites, you’ll be put in an admission ranking (DeNotto 7). The admission ranking is a numerical point based on:
Reading test score (More than two takes will be averaged).
Overall GPA on college coursework in the last five years or high school if less than 12 college credit …show more content…
What should you expect? Well first of all, the PTA program will be two years long plus two years summers. It is going to be a short, but intense two years. The program will consist of lectures and laboratories, clinical education, and mandatory attendances (Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Education Overview). DeNotto, explained that each classes is going to be hard and planning is the key. She firstly clarified that the lecture classes isn’t going to be your “typical” sitting and listening type of lectures. She described that the lecture classes requires a high level of problem solving and critical thinking for applying learned knowledge to real life situations, and also includes research projects, group assignments, homework, and outside reading (2). Additionally, she said that planning at least two hours of study time for each hour of class will increase the chance of being successful in the program. She then discussed how the laboratory classes will involve simulation of clinical treatments and interventions by doing the activity called patient simulator, where a student acts as a patient and another student does the treatment (3). She concluded the discussion about classes with clinical education. It was broken down by semesters and summer classes. Clinical education in semesters will consist of two part-time rotations, two 4 hour or one 8 hour, that is spent each week at an assigned off-campus clinical site. And in summer