General Program Description

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Somerset Community College is designed to assist the student with the acquisition and development of skills necessary to work proficiently and safely under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. Upon completion of the program, the student is awarded an Associate of Applied Science Degree and is eligible for application to sit for the national licensing examination. The curriculum is integrated, combining general and technical education into a five semester program. The technical program consists of didactic, laboratory, and clinical experiential learning opportunities that reflect upon currency of contemporary practice. In total, the curriculum consists of 40 hours of technical education courses and 26-29 hours of general education courses. The program’s enrollment is limited and a selective admissions process is implemented, with the class selected from among a pool of candidates meeting acceptance criteria.

Clinical Experiences
Somerset Community College has developed working relationships with clinical affiliation sites locally and regionally, with the majority of those sites located in Kentucky. These include, but are not limited to acute care, rehabilitation, sports medicine, outpatient, orthopaedic, pediatric and geriatric settings. The student participates in a total of three clinical rotations, with the first practicum commencing in the second semester of the program and consisting of eight full-day clinical experiences, completed throughout the semester. The second practicum is completed during the third semester of the program and is a 4-week rotation at a single clinical site. The final practicum consists of two five-week rotations at two different sites. The student is responsible for meals, transportation and lodging expenses and assumes the responsibility of all costs associated with clinical assignments. These may also include, but are not limited to, costs associated with immunizations, alcohol/drug screenings, and background checks, as required by some clinic sites. Students are required to purchase and maintain professional liability insurance while enrolled in the program.

Faculty
There are three full-time core faculty members. Adjunct faculty with various areas of expertise are also utilized. The maximum core faculty-to-student ratio is 1:18. The typical laboratory ratio is 1:9 or less.

Enrollment
Somerset Community College (SCC) is one of 16 community colleges in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. Total enrollment for the current academic year is over 7,000 students. The PTA Program typically accepts 16 or more students each year.

Admission
Admission to the Physical Therapist Assistant Program is based upon a selective admissions process. To be considered for admission, the student must be in good standing with the Kentucky Community & Technical College System and must comply with college and program application requirements. April 1 is the deadline for submission of all required application documentation and students selected from the pool of qualified applicants are admitted each academic year in the following fall semester. Preference may be given to students who have: demonstrated academic excellence in high school, college, or on the General Education Development Examination (GED); who have an ACT composite score of 19 or higher; who have completed 12 or more credit hours in the approved curriculum with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; and who reside within areas underserved by the physical therapy profession. Preference may also be given to students who are Kentucky residents and are from the Somerset Community College service area. Letters of recommendation from physical therapists and/or physical therapist assistants may be considered. The selection process is a “points-based” system, with the applicants ranked in an ordinal ranking system. Finalists participate in a formal interview process. The students with the higher overall scores are submitted by the Admissions Committee to the college president for consideration. The president of the college then appoints students for admission to the program upon consideration of the recommendations of the program’s Admission’s Committee, including all core faculty. For more information about the application process and program requirements, please contact the program director.

Outcomes
Based upon current data (3 year average, 2012-2014), greater than 80% of admitted students graduate from the program and 100% of the program’s graduates were successful on passing the national licensure examination on thier first attempt. 99% of all program graduates seeking employment in the field were hired within six months of passing the examination, with that number improving to 100% at twelve months. The program encourages student membership and active participation in the American Physical Therapy Association and many program students have been recognized by the Association nationally, with at least one national recognition every year since 2007.

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition is currently $147 per credit hour for Kentucky residents and $515 per credit hour for non-residents. An additional $4 per credit hour fee is required as a contibution to a statewide initiaitive, the KCTCS Buildsmart Investment for Kentucky Competitiveness. Books, professional fees, and equipment expenses are approximately $4400.00, excluding clinical costs and travel-related expenses. Low tuition rates and a full range of financial aid programs make quality education an exceptional value. Many students enrolled in the PTA program receive financial assistance coordinated through the Student Financial Aid Office (606)451-6640. Scholarships are available for qualified candidates. The Kentucky Physical Therapy Association also has a loan fund utilized to assist specific students in the technical phase of the program.

Student life
Somerset Community College is located in south central Kentucky, 5 miles from Lake Cumberland. The campus is within a 1.5-hour drive of Lexington, and a 2 to 2.5 hour drive from Louisville, KY and Knoxville, TN. Off-campus housing is available, but not furnished by or available through the college.