General Program Description
The PTA program consists of 28 credit hours of general education coursework and 43 credit hours of physical therapist assistant courses. Upon acceptance to the PTA program, students enroll in the limited and selective courses directly associated with the practice and procedures of the physical therapy profession. Courses include content in functional anatomy/kinesiology, patient care skills, physical agents, therapeutic exercises, clinical neurology and clinical orthopedics. The selective admission phase of the program includes didactic and laboratory coursework, as well as supervised clinical education experiences, which prepares graduates to function in the health care delivery system under the supervision of a Physical Therapist. Upon graduation from the program, students are eligible to apply for the state licensure exam in the state in which they plan to be employed. Students are expected to follow the guidelines established by the state’s Department of Professional Regulation to obtain licensure as a PTA.
Clinical Experiences
Clinical education begins with a full-experience for 1 week to gain an overview of the practice of physical therapy. Two interim supervised clinical experiences for 2 weeks each at different facilities and two final experiences for 7 weeks are integrated with the theoretical coursework. Students are required to complete a variety of clinical experiences with a minimum of an experience in an inpatient setting and an outpatient setting. A variety of other settings and experiences are also available.
Faculty
There are three full-time faculty members. The teacher to student ratio is 1:8.
Enrollment
The college has a total enrollment of 15,100 students. The physical therapist assistant program will be accepting 24 students each January.
Admission
Ozarks Technical Community College (OTCC) is an open door admission institution. An information packet is available. Consideration for the selective admission phase requires applicants to fulfill OTCC admission requirements, complete the PTA application and submit it by September 1. To be considered for admission the following criteria must apply: all official high school and college transcripts must be sent to the college; student must have completed courses or be currently enrolled with satisfactory progress (minimum of a C or better), in the required general education courses: ENG 101 Composition 1, BIO 140 Human Anatomy and BIO 150 Human Physiology (8 semester hours), PLS 101 American Government and Politics, COM 101 Interpersonal Communications, PSY 130 Life Span Developmental Psychology, and MTH 110 Intermediate Algebra; all science courses must be completed within 5 years of the beginning of the technical education component of the program; and three reference forms, biographical essay and resume are also required. Applicants are evaluated by an admission committee and are admitted on a selective admission basis. 100% of qualified applicants are admitted to the program (3-year average).
Outcomes
72% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average).
Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition for the 2003-2004 academic year is $78 per credit hour for in-district students, $98 per credit hour for out-of-district students, and $128 per credit hour for out-of-state students. Financial aid is a division within the Student Services Department. This office manages programs of federal, state, and local financial assistance for Ozarks Technical Community College students. The staff assists qualified students in obtaining and maintaining federal Pell Grants, federal family education loans, federal work-study, federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, and veteran’s education benefits, as well as scholarships derived from local contributions.
Student life
The PTA program is housed in the historic Lincoln Hall on the OTC campus. As a community college, general education courses are available. The college offers counseling and tutoring services. The Vocational Evaluation and Assessment Center provides academic support, assists with accommodations, and serves as an advocate for students with disabilities. All OTC students are eligible for VEAC services. The PTA’s organization is recognized by the Student Government Association. OTC is located in the foothills of the Ozarks in Springfield, Missouri, with a city population of 140,000. Hunting, fishing, and water sports are common. Larger cities, such as Kansas City and St. Louis are within 3-4 hour drives.