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Overview
of
Physical Therapist Assistant
 Physical therapy is a health profession with the primary purpose of restoring, maintaining and improving the quality of life of the healthy and those with injury or dysfunction. Through the use of such tools as physical agents (i.e., heat, cold, ultrasound, traction, electrical stimulation), gait training, massage, and various forms of exercise, physical therapy professionals work in a variety of settings with a variety of patients. Some settings in which physical therapy is performed include hospitals, private clinics, rehabilitation units/center, nursing homes, schools, and private homes. Patients treated in physical therapy range from newborns to the geriatric population and sample diagnoses would include cerebral palsy, athletic injuries, back/neck problems, strokes, burns/wounds, post-surgical conditions, and spinal cord injuries.
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What do graduates of the program do?
 Physical therapist assistants must complete a two-year educational program, usually offered in a community or junior college. The graduates must then pass a PTA state licensure exam before they can work as a PTA.
Physical therapist assistants work under the supervision of a physical therapist. Their duties include assisting the physical therapist in implementing treatment programs according to the plan of care, training patients in exercises and activities of daily living, conducting treatments, using special equipment, administering modalities and other treatment procedures, and reporting to the physical therapist on the patients.
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What is the job outlook for graduates?
 While the job market for PTA’s has decreased over the last few years, there is still a need for PTA’s in the healthcare setting especially in rural areas. The competition for these jobs has increased slightly, however, to date, all graduates of the PTA program wishing to find employment in the field have done so. The current job growth for PTA’s in the state of Texas is 47%.
The Bureau of the Department of Labor statistics show the need for PTA's is expected to grow much faster than the average rate through the year 2012.
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What kind of salary can graduates
expect?
 According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national median salary for Physical Therapisst Assistant (PTA) is $41,360. Local salaries vary.
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How long does it take to complete the program?
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Kilgore College is a two-year associate degree program combining academic and clinical course work and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
The PTA program admits one class every year to begin in the fall. Class size is currently limited to 14 students and there are usually between 20-40 applicants each year. All PTHA courses must be taken in sequence and can be taken only in the semester identified.
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Click here for PTA applicant information packet Fall 2008. (pdf)
Click here for Cost Analysis 2008. (pdf)
For more information regarding Physical Therapy:
As a career contact the American Physical Therapy Association at 1-800-999-APTA or on the Internet at www.apta.org. Also the email address and telephone number listed below is for anyone who would like to speak to the program instructor.
WATCH THE PHYSICAL THERAPY MOVIE
Please choose your media player:
 Download/view a brief KC Allied Health video in mpg (requires Quicktime)
Download/view a brief KC Allied Health video in wmv (Windows Media Player)
 Carla Gleaton, P.T., M.Ed.
PTA Program Director & Instructor
Office: TV 113-A
Phone: (903) 983-8148
FAX: (903) 988-7541
cgleaton@kilgore.edu
Location: Technical Vocational Building (TV)
Program qualifies for the Texas Two-Step Project.
Credits will apply towards a bachelor's degree.
Phy_Ther 11/14/07 v21
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