General Program Description

The PTA program is a structured 1 + 1 format requiring all applicants to complete all of the prerequisite courses prior to acceptance into the traditional or distance education (expansion) technical programs. Faculty include five full-time members, one advisor, and two support staff, three adjunct faculty members and several guest lecturers visiting each year from a variety of related medical fields. The date of matriculation is officially in the fall semester for the online program and in May for the on-campus program. (applications and other requirements are due before October 1 of every year for either program); however, the technical courses do not begin until the spring semester of each year for both programs. Unique features of the program include utilization of new lecture and lab facilities, access to computerized databases through the campus and the new state of the art library, and integration of multi-media technology for multiple units of study. The program also includes a concentrated, extensive neuro-developmental study and exposes the students to the Native American culture. Students spend approximately 20-25 hours in class each week and a variable amount of time in the laboratory setting. Students in the on-campus program complete the first full-time (a minimum of 40 hours/week)clinical externship (four weeks in an OP or inpatient setting) before the third academic semester and complete two additional full-time (a minimum of 40 hours/week each) clinical externships (seven weeks each in an outpatient and inpatient/rehabilitation setting) during the fourth semester of the technical portion. Students in the distance education (expansion) program complete the first four week full-time (a minimum of a minimum of 40 hours/week) clinical externship in the fifth semester and the two, seven week full-time (a minimum of 40 hours/week) clinical externships in the sixth semester. Upon successful graduation from the program, students are qualified to take the national computerized licensing exam. In addition to the current traditional program, a distance education (expansion) program began in the spring semester of 2006. Students applying to the distance education (expansion) program receive all lecture material in an online format with lab reviews and examinations held for approximately 9-16 days per lab class, on-campus. To date, we have successfully graduated seven cohorts from the expansion program. Current Ultimate pass rate is 100%. Access to the internet (DSL preferred) is a requirement for all students wishing to enroll in the distance education (expansion) program. Program requirements are the same for the distance education (expansion) students with the exception of the time required to complete the program. Students enrolled in the distance education (expansion) program will have two years (six semesters) to complete the technical program for successful graduation. A permanent full time advisor position was added to the program in Fall 2012. Gayle Hill serves as the PTA Program advisor and holds a bachelor’s degree in Education. For specific information on the on-campus or distance education (expansion) programs, please access the following website: http://www.sanjuancollege.edu/pta. Both the on-campus program and the distance education (expansion) programs are listed for review. For more information, please email a message to [email protected] or call (505) 566-3013.

Clinical Experiences
For thetraditional program, students complete the first full-time (a minimum of 40 hours/week) clinical externship (four weeks in an inpatient or outpatient setting), prior to the last academic semester for a total of 160 hours. Traditional students also complete two additional full-time (a minimum of 40 hours/week each) clinical externships (seven weeks each in an outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation setting) during the last spring semester for a total of 560 hours (total clinical hours=720). Students enrolled in the distance education (expansion) program may complete the full-time clinical externships near their area of residence. The first full-time (a minimum of 40 hours/week) clinical externship,in an acute setting and will complete two additional full-time (a minimum of 40 hours/week each) clinical externships (seven weeks each in an outpatient and rehabilitation setting) during the final or sixth semester of the program. Students enrolled in the distance education (expansion) program may complete their final two full-time clinical externships in one semester. Students enrolled in both programs are required to follow the schedule of their supervising CI(s) while on their clinical externships. San Juan College has approximately 2219 clinical sites, with current contracts, across the US.

Faculty
There are five full-time and three adjunct faculty members forthe distance education (expansion) programs. One of the full-time faculty members are engaged in clinical practice outside of the community college setting. The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:12 in the classroom and 1:10 in the lab for both programs.

Enrollment
Total enrollment at the college is approximately 9,700 students. The on-campus physical therapist assistant program admits 20 students per year for a total of 40 students in the first and second year on-campus program. The distance education (expansion) program admits 20 additional students for a total of 40 students in the first and second year distance education (expansion) program. The total student enrollment for both programs is approximately 80 students a year.

Admission
Applicants for the on-campus program or the distance education (expansion) program must meet the same requirements for admission. Applicants are evaluated on several criteria including minimum of a 2.75 college grade point average (however, the overall GPA for the last several years, has averaged a 3.6 or higher for application to the distance education (expansion) program, and 3.1 or higher for application to the on-campus program). Other items considered include clinical observation hours (minimum 5, that are not site specific), PTA Program application (in addition to the San Juan College application) completion of the Admissions Exam (in addition to the Accuplacer required by San Juan College), three professional letters of recommendation, and official copies of all college transcripts to the admissions office at San Juan College and faxed unofficial copies of transcripts to the PTA Program office (505-566-3767). Prospective PTA students are required to take a Human Body Structure and Function course (4 credits), in addition to a PTAP 116-Musculoskeletal Focus for PTA’s (3 credits), that are non-transferable. Evidence of a higher-level math class, freshman composition and other general education hours (total 25) must be on record at the end of the fall semester for which the student has applied to either program. Please refer to the San Juan College PTA Program website for more information. All applications and other information (5 clinical observation hours, references, Admission Exam, etc.) must be submitted before October 1 prior to the spring semester of the beginning of the technical program for applicants to the on-campus and distance education (expansion) programs. Students have until the end of the fall semester to complete all required prerequisite courses before the final decision is made for acceptance into the technical portion of either program, in January of every year. The program extends a preference to New Mexico residents who have acceptable qualifications (applicants from New Mexico will be awarded an additional 5% in the application point criteria). For complete application criteria, visit the PTA Program website at: www.sanjuancollege.edu/pta.

Outcomes
100 percent of students admitted to the traditional program in 2013 graduated from the traditional program. 80% of the expansion program completed and graduated from the program. Of those graduating from the on-campus and distance education (expansion) programs,100% passed the national licensing exam. Of students seeking employment following graduation from the on-campus and distance education (expansion) programs, 90.5% were employed (all outcomes are based on a three-year average).

Tuition, fees and financial aid
The cost of tuition for in-state students is $41/credit hour and $105/credit hour for out-of-state students. There is also a $155/semester institutional fee for residents and $275 institutional fee for out of state students.The PTA Program tuition and fees for the technical program courses are $4,599 for in-state students and $8214 for out-of-state students. Students enrolled in the traditional program are required to pay $600 for program fees (paid over four semesters) and for those enrolled in the distance education (expansion) program… students are required to pay an additional $1,500 for program fees (paid over six semesters). With tuition and fees for both programs, San Juan College’s PTA Program is one of the most economical programs in the country. Financial assistance is available through the college on a per-need and on a merit basis. For further information, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 505/566-3323.

Student life
San Juan College is located in Farmington, New Mexico, in the northwestern portion of the state and in the middle of the Four Corners area. It is situated in the High Mesa Desert and is 50 miles south of the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Farmington offers a strong community of physical therapists of all specialties who are active in the college and in professional development. Located amidst the Anasazi Indian Ruins, Farmington offers a variety of activities (i. e., exploring, hiking, river running, skiing, mountain biking, mountain climbing, golfing and world-class fishing) The friendly climate and people make Farmington a choice place to live, work and go to school.