Naugatuck Valley Community College Physical Therapist Assistant Program

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Naugatuck Valley Community

College

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PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT

PROGRAM

Naugatuck Valley Community College offers

the Associate Degree education necessary to

become a Physical Therapist Assistant. This

five semester program (two years in PTA

Program) integrates arts and science courses

with specialized physical therapy studies.

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PTA

Program

• The Physical Therapist Assistant is the para-professional

in physical therapy, delivering physical therapy treatments under the direction and supervision of a Physical Therapist (PT).

• The education of a PTA requires that the candidate earn

an Associate Degree. PT programs primarily require a Doctorate Degree.

• It is important to note that credit from PTA classes is

not directly transferable to the educational requirements of PT programs. Given the specific training and licensure of a PTA, the graduate is uniquely prepared for a career as a Physical Therapist Assistant.

What is the difference between

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PTA

Program

Work for a Physical Therapist Assistant might be:

• in a hospital with patients who have had a hip

replacement, injuries from trauma, or cancer

• in school systems for children who are disabled or need

special attention

• in a private office providing orthopedic or sports related

rehabilitation

• in home health agencies for patients making the transition

home as they recover from a disability

• in industrial settings for the prevention or recovery from

work injuries

• in rehabilitation hospitals or nursing homes for patients

recovering from a hip fracture or stroke

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FULL TIME PROGRAM

• 66 credits over two years

• 29 credits from arts and science courses, such as anatomy

and physiology, mathematics, psychology, and social sciences.

• 37 credits from the 10 physical therapy courses • 11 of those credits are earned in clinical education

settings, completed in physical therapy clinics which affiliate with the PTA Program.

• All physical therapy classes are held during the day, 3- 4

days per week; and the clinical component requires 40 hours of attendance weekly in the final semester.

PTA

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PTA

Program

The Program has been licensed by the Connecticut

Board of Governors for Higher Education.

Naugatuck Valley Community College PTA Program is

accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in

Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE); 1111 North Fairfax

Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; phone #: 703-706-3245

[email protected]

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PTA

Program

1. High school transcript or a General Education Development (GED) Diploma.

2. Observation, Volunteer and/or Work Experience in Physical Therapy settings

 _{10 hours in-patient (minimum of 3 visits)}

• Hospital

• SNF/Nursing home • Rehabilitation

 _{10 hours out-patient (minimum of 3 visits)}

• Private practice • MD office services • School System

**Experience with a chiropractor or athletic training settings will not fulfill this requirement; all observation experiences must be with a PT or PTA;

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PTA

Program

3. Complete the course Anatomy and Physiology I (BIO*211) and

Mathematics (a course higher than Mat 137) with a minimum grade of “C+".

4. All A&P courses and the math elective course must have been

completed within five years of applying to the program.

5. Complete the TEAS V Allied Health Test : Administered at CAPSS; need to score 50% or higher; more information available at

www.atitesting.com; testing dates start in April

6. Complete the required College Placement Tests. Remedial courses

must be completed by the October 15th_deadline.

***Admission requirements may change without notice

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ADMISSION PROCEDURES

7.

The following courses must be completed or in progress by

the application deadline (October 15th_):



BIO*211 Anatomy & Physiology I

(with a minimum grade of C+)



ENG*101 Composition



MAT *elective

(course higher than MAT*137and a minimum grade of C+)



Arts/Humanities elective

PTA

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ADMISSION PROCEDURES

8. Earn a G.P.A. of 2.5 for all college work that is

required for this degree.

Please note that in recent years, admitted

students’ GPA’s have been higher than 3.3

9. Submit a PTA Program application. Submit all

application materials, including official

transcripts, by October 15th.

PTA

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ADMISSION PROCEDURES

10. All applicants

must:

• attend a PTA Program information session

and/or

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ADMISSION PROCEDURES

Observation of a PTA laboratory class allows

you to meet the PTA faculty, interact with

current PTA students, and understand the type

and level of information and skills needed for

success in the program.

Please contact Cheryl at 203-596-2157 to

schedule an observation

PTA

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Transfer of Credits

• Please contact Noreen Cerruto in the

Admissions Office if you have questions

regarding evaluation of transcripts from

other institutions for transfer of

credits/courses.

• [email protected]

• 203-575-8079

PTA

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Admission Decisions

_{This is a very competitive selective admissions program. Your}

rank in the applicant pool will be based on your GPA, math and science (A&P) grades, TEAS test score, and physical therapy

observation experiences.

_{Up to 30 applicants admitted each year.}

_{Qualified applicants will be required to attend a meeting in}

December. Final decisions regarding acceptance will be made the 1st

week of January after Fall semester grades have been submitted.

Any student that is denied admission this admission cycle, will

need to reapply in the upcoming application cycle.

PTA

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Admission Decisions

Applicants will be considered stronger

candidates for application if they have:



Earned a Bachelor’s degree by the 10/15

deadline



Completed all general education courses in the

PTA curriculum with minimum grade (C) (C+ for

A&P I & II and Math elective) requirement by the

start of the program.

PTA

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Information Sessions

Please check the PTA webpage for information

on upcoming information sessions.

Information sessions are held at NVCC in Room

Ekstrom 625 (PTA Classroom).

RSVP is not required.

Call 203-596-2157 for information if needed

PTA

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CURRICULUM

Fall (application semester)

Anatomy and Physiology I

Mathematics (higher than MAT137)

English101

Arts/Humanities Elective

Spring (1)

PTA120 Introduction to Physical Therapy

PTA125 Physical Therapy for Function

Anatomy and Physiology II English 102

Fall (2)

PTA230 Physical Agents in PT

PTA235 Kinesiology for Rehabilitation

Communications 100

Psychology 111

PTA

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CURRICULUM

Spring (3)

PTA250 Therapeutic Exercise

PTA253 Pathophysiology for Rehab

PTA258 PTA in the Healthcare Arena

Social Science Elective

Fall (4)

PTA260: PTA Seminar

PTA262: PTA Internship II

PTA265: PTA Internship III

PTA

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Qualified Applicants

• Attend a mandatory

meeting

for qualified

applicants students in January

• Information regarding program time commitments,

professionalism, specific program policies, clinical

education, etc.

PTA

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Program Requirements upon

admission:

• Complete & submit all

health requirements

at the start of the program

• Obtain certification in

CPR: BCLS Healthcare

Provider

through the American Heart

Association or American Red Cross

• Criminal Background check

(for clinical

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Clinical Education

• The NVCC PTA Program offers clinical education

experiences throughout Connecticut.

• Students may be required to drive more than 75

minutes to their assigned site.

• Students are required to provide their own

transportation, living expenses (as necessary),

health insurance (if required by the facility) and any

other expenses while on their clinical education

experiences.

PTA

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PTA Program

• In addition to tuition & fees, students in the

PTA Program must pay for books & APTA

membership, appropriate attire for

internships, licensure review course, and

transportation.

• Students must complete and verify all

required immunizations and provide

certification of CPR (BLS) before the start of

clinical education experiences.

PTA

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Group Learning

PTA

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CONSIDERATIONS FOR SUCCESS

• Allow yourself sufficient time for studying

and practicing on campus – plan to spend an

extra 2-3 days on campus outside of class

time. The skills and requirements become

more challenging each semester – as a result,

so will the time investment to be successful.

• Keep work hours to a minimum by pursuing

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CONSIDERATIONS FOR SUCCESS

• Understand that you are entering a health

career program of study – not just taking

additional classes. Expectations are very

different because you will have the

responsibility of preparing for a licensure exam

and caring for

patients.

• In addition to learning knowledge and skills, you

will also be expected to demonstrate

professional behaviors

in all classes & clinical

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Contact Information

• Kathleen Plunkett, PT, MS

–

Director, PTA Program, Naugatuck Valley CC

–

[email protected]

• Noreen Cerruto

–

Admissions Office, Naugatuck Valley CC

–

[email protected]

PTA

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