General Program Description
The PTA program commences during the summer semester of the academic calendar and after three didactic semesters, the students begin their first full-time clinical rotation which is five weeks in length. Students return for one more didactic semester and conclude the program with two fulltime clinical experiences and a capstone course to prepare the individual for the licensure examination. The PTA Program at Rhodes State College provides students with ample lab time and equipment to assist them in the learning process.
Clinical Experiences
The program requires students to complete three clinical rotations; one integrated clinical experience and two full-time terminal experiences. To assure a variety of clinical education experiences, each student must participate in an outpatient rotation, a skilled nursing facility and a hospital rotation. PTA students first complete a five (5) week clinical rotation during the summer semester between the first and second year of the curriculum. Clinicals II and III are full time terminal experiences. Clinical rotation II is a six (6) week experience followed by a seven (7) week rotation for Clinical III. Both of these experiences are scheduled during the final Spring Semester of the curriculum. The comprehensive clinical education experience at Rhodes State College provides the PTA student with 720 contact hours of direct patient care and teaching to develop competence in carrying out a plan of care developed by the physical therapist. Each progressive clinical rotation increases the level of skill attainment and competency.
Faculty
The program employs two full time faculty members and two part time faculty. The two full time faculty members consist of the program chair and the ACCE. The program chair is a physical therapist and the ACCE is a PTA which ensures the development of the physical therpist/physical therapist assistant relationship within the programmatic curriculum.
Enrollment
Current enrollment is approximately 4,000 students at a shared campus between the Ohio State University and Rhodes State College. The PTA program accepts 30 students annually.
Admission
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program is a selective, limited enrollment program. The program utilizes a three phase application process. During Phase I, the student must apply to Rhodes State College. If a student has tranferable college credit, official transcripts from previous colleges must be sent directly to Rhodes State College. During Phase II of the application process, the student must perform the following: (1) Complete the HOBET exam, (2) Attend a mandatory Allied Health Orientation session, (3) Complete 40 hours of observation in two different clinical settings with a licensed PT or PTA, (4) Sign the informed consent packet, (5) maintain a minimum of a 2.5 GPA, and (6) schedule and complete an academic advising consultation/appointment with a Rhodes State College Allied Health advisor. In Phase III, the student’s file is forwarded to the Chair of the PTA Program and is scored on a rubric that utilizes the following categories: GPA – 20 points, HOBET score – 20 points, and Bonus items – up to 10 points.
Outcomes
Outcome data for the Graduating Classes of 2010-2012 Three year graduation rate: 74% Three year ultimate licensures pass rate: 89.47% Three year employment rate: 100%
Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition charges are $153.77 per credit hour. Students pay for every credit hour registered. A non-refundable fee of $25 is charged to each applicant for admission to full-or part-time status. The application fee is charged only once, as long as a student enrolls and pays fees within two years of the application. Financial aid is available to students by completing the FAFSA via the internet at www.fafsa.gov. After finanacial need has been established, a student’s need may be met through one of several funds or through a financial aid package consisting of a combination of funds and programs.
Student life
The student PTA Group is open to all PTA students. PTA students are invited to attend chapter and district-level meetings of APTA. Students are encouraged to take part in social and athletic programs, intramurals, and campus government. There is no on-campus housing available to students. Airline service is available at Dayton International Airport and Toledo Express Airport. The shared campus of Ohio State University/Rhodes State College is conveniently located east of Interstate 75 on Ohio Route 309.