Physical Therapist Assistant

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2023_PTAE

Program Description

The Physical Therapist Assistant Consortium Program prepares students for employment as physical therapist assistants (PTA). The PTA functions through the direction of a physical therapist (PT) to implement the PT’s plan of care. The ultimate goal of physical therapy is to aid patients and clients in returning to maximal function. PTA students are instructed in thinking processes and skills such as therapeutic exercise, orthopedic and neurological interventions, therapeutic modalities, and the art of patient care. In addition to patient treatment courses, students study the basic sciences of anatomy, physiology, clinical pathology, and kinesiology. Clinical education experiences are integrated throughout the curriculum and offer students the opportunity to practice the techniques learned and practiced each semester. The program is designed to be completed in two years and graduates will be eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) to become licensed PTAs.

The Idaho Consortium for Physical Therapist Assistant Education at the College of Southern Idaho, the College of Western Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, and North Idaho College is accredited by the:

Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
1111 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Telephone: 703-706-3245
Email: accreditation@apta.org
Website: http://www.capteonline.org

Admission to the Physical Therapist Assistant program requires a separate application and completion of the following prerequisite courses:

Course Course Title Min Credits
BIOL 227Human Anatomy and Physiology I3
BIOL 227LHuman Anatomy and Physiology I Lab1
ENGL 101Writing and Rhetoric I3
HLTH 101Medical Terminology3
GEM 3 - Mathematical Ways of Knowing course3