General Program Description

An integrated 2-year program, the PTA program at KCKCC completed a major curriculum change in 2008. General education courses that must be taken before or concurrent to making application to the program include Human Anatomy and Physiology (A&P), Intermediate College Algebra, Composition I, and Intro to Psychology. Additional general education courses required for graduation include Composition II, Pubic Speaking, Human Development, and a Humanities course with the suggestion of Ethics. The technical courses include Musculoskeletal Lower Extremity, Clinical Skills, Fundamentals of Treatment Procedures, Musculoskeletal Upper Extremity, Clinical Skills II, Neuromuscular Rehabilitation, Musculoskeletal Spine and Special Topics, Clinical Skills III, Pathophysiology for Rehabilitation, Clincal Skills IV and Clinical Skills V. Didactic courses generally include a lecture and a laboratory component. Upon completion of the didactic and clinical components of the program, students are required to pass a comprehensive examination, which must be passed prior to graduating from the program. After graduation, students are eligible to apply for the state credentialing examination in the state in which they plan to be employed.

Clinical Experiences
The PTA program currently requires 16 weeks of off-site, full-time clinical affiliation for all students. These are completed in a four week and two six week blocks. Students are required to complete these experiences in a variety of settings with a preference of one in an acute care or inpatient rehabilitation hospital, one in an outpatient orthopedic facility, and one in a skilled nursing facility. A medical examination, proof of current health insurance, immunizations, TB testing, Hepatitis B vaccination and CPR training are required for participation in clinical affiliations.

Faculty
Dr. Tiffany Bohm, PT, MPT, DPT is the Program Coordinator and Associate Professor teaching Neuromuscular Rehabilitation and Pathophysiology for Rehabilitation. Deanne Yates, CPTA, BGS, MS is a graduate of the KCKCC PTA Program. She is an Assistant Professor who teaches Fundamental Treatment Procedures and Musculoskeletal: Upper Extremity. Lori Slettehaugh, BS, MPT is an Assistant Professor who teaches Musculoskeletal: Spine and Special Topics. Michele Avery, CPTA, BS, MS is the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education as well as a graduate of the KCKCC PTA Program. She teaches Clinical Skills coursework and serves as a laboratory assistant in Neuromuscular Rehabilitation and Pathophysiology for Rehabilitation. Ashley Rieck, CPTA, BA is the laboratory assistant for all first year classes and is a graduate of the program. The faculty and staff have a wide range of expertise and possess experience in acute care, orthopedics, pediatrics, geriatrics, occupational health, neuromuscular, and administration. The instructor to student ratio is currently 1:17.

Enrollment
The college has a total enrollment of 6,000+ students. The physical therapist assistant program admits up to 24 students each August and January. As of January 2015, there are 74 students in the PTA program.

Admission
Criteria for admissions are as follows: 1. Applicants must possess a high school diploma or equivalent (GED). 2. Applicants must complete and submit an application to KCKCC and meet the admission requirements of the College. A hard copy can be obtained by contacting the Admissions Office or by going to the college website at www.kckcc.edu. 3. A separate application to the PTA program must be completed in its entirety and submitted to the PTA program coordinator. The student is responsible for submitting all required items by 5pm CST on April 15 (for fall start) or October 15 (for spring start). Applications may be obtained from the college website or the PTA office at [email protected]. 4. Official college transcripts are required from each institution attended (with the exception of KCKCC) and must be mailed to the Program Coordinator and the College Registrar’s Office. A “C” grade must be attained in all required courses with an overall GPA of 2.75 or higher in the program required courses. Acceptance of transferring credits from other programs and/or colleges must be approved by the Program Coordinator, Academic Counseling, Admissions Department and the appropriate Dean. 5. Prerequisite courses are Anatomy and Physiology (minimum of five credit hours total), Composition I, Psychology and Intermediate College Algebra. Applicants must take and pass each of the prerequisite courses with a minimum of a “C” grade prior to acceptance into the program. Anatomy and Physiology courses must have been completed within the past seven (7) years. 6. The applicant must complete an four (4) observation with a PT or PTA in a physical therapy setting and write a reflection paper about the experience. Verification of completion is required on the furnished form and must be faxed or emailed to the PTA program directly from the facility. Feedback from each observation completed will be utilized when considering the application. *Applicants who have completed a minimum of 300 hours as a rehabilitation aide or tech in a physical therapy department during the previous year are waived from this requirement. Proof of hours as well as a letter of recommendation from a treating PT or PTA in the department in which the applicant worked will be required. 7. The top 40 applicants (as determined by a point system of pre-requisite GPA, program requirement GPA, and observation assessments) will be required to attend an interview day. This portion of the application process will include a formal interview with the program faculty, completion of a writing sample, and completion of a critical reasoning, mathematics, and reading comprehension assessment. Scoring of the applicants during the interview day will be utilized when determining the individuals selected to fill the class. 8. Notification of acceptance or denial will be within 15 days of the interview day. Applicants placed on the waiting list may be notified of acceptance up to the date of the first class meeting. Selection as an alternate does not assure placement in the class or in any future class. 9. Class size is currently limited to 20-24 students but may change without notice. Class size is determined each semester based on classroom availability, faculty to student ratios, clinical education facility availability, and accreditation requirements. 10. In accordance with the mission of KCKCC, preference will be given to applicants who reside in Leavenworth or Wyandotte counties. *The admission criteria and process are subject to change.

Outcomes
Acceptance rate: 65-70% of the applicants are accepted to the program Graduation rate: 70% of students starting the program ultimately graduate Employment rate: 100% of graduates who have taken and passed the state certification examination and sought employment in the field are working as a PTA within 6-months Pass rate on NPTE: 100% first-time pass rate Average salary of program graduates: $48,000.00 All data reported for the 2012-2014 classes.

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition for the 2014-2015 academic year is $93.00 per credit hour for in-state residents and $238.00 per credit hour for out-of-state residents. Students in the four Missouri counties comprising the KC Metropolitan area will pay a tuition of $118.00 per credit hour. Tuition and fees are determined by the Board of Trustees and are subject to change. Program fees are assessed in student in the PTA program. These fees are utilized in the program to assist with expenses incurred by the program to maintain adequate laboratory and instructional resources. Textbook costs will range from $150 to $400 per semester. Several of the texts will be utilized in more than one course throughout the program. Students are responsible for all expenses related to clinical affiliations. Some facilities may provide students with some relief by way of reduced housing, free meals, free parking, etc. Approximate Cost For an In-State Student for the Program Duration: $9228.00 After paying tuition and fees, students are issued an ID card that entitles them to attend all athletic events, drama productions, and most student activities free of charge. The Student Financial Aid Office at KCKCC assists students in obtaining the necessary funding needed to attend college. Federal and state aid is awarded to students who demonstrate financial need. Students who apply for assistance and meet eligibility requirements may receive one or more of the following: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, Federal Work-Study, Federal Stafford Loan, state scholarship or grant, and/or a KCKCC scholarship or performance grant.

Student life
KCKCC is a public 2-year institution located in northeast Kansas. Within the city limits of Kansas City, Kansas, the college is centrally located in Wyandotte County. A flexible schedule of course offerings is provided to meet the needs of its students. General education courses can be taken on campus days, evenings and weekends and many are also offered online. Faculty members at KCKCC are committed to the philosophy of a 2-year college, have studied at colleges and universities both in the United States and in foreign countries, and bring years of practical experience to the classroom. The PTA program is housed in the Allied Health Building, a teaching facility with state-of-the-art equipment. An on-campus wellness and fitness program, counseling and tutoring services, campus Childcare Center and Academic Resource Center are a few of the services available to students. The athletic program at KCKCC consists of competitive varsity sports, including soccer, volleyball, basketball, track, golf, cross-country, tennis, softball, and baseball. Intramural activities are organized in answer to student demand. KCKCC’s student governing body offers a wide variety of extracurricular activities. Students can become more involved in their college life if they take advantage of the opportunities offered on campus. KCKCC strives to provide activities that encourage students and the community to participate in experiences that are geared to and broaden their vocational, social, cultural, aesthetic, athletic, and recreational interests. Although no housing is located on campus, a listing of available area housing can be accessed in the Office of Student Activities. Many leisure and cultural activities are available in the greater Kansas City and surrounding areas. Contact KCKCC’s Student Activities Office, the greater Kansas City or surrounding area’s Chamber of Commerce for specific information.