Physical Therapist Assistant Technology

Program Information

Location of Program:

Forrest County Campus

Program Start:

Fall Semester

Program Instructor Contact Information:

Tracie Thornton, Department Chair/Instructor
601.554.5486
tthornton@prcc.edu

Brief Description of Program:

The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program is a two-year program of study that prepares students to work within the practice of physical therapy under the supervision of a physical therapist. PTAs are employed in hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, extended care facilities, home health agencies and other health care settings. Admission to the program is selective and competitive. Upon satisfactory completion of the program, students earn the Associate in Applied Science degree and. are eligible for state licensing.
PRCC PTA
Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Pearl River Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call Tracie Thornton at 601-554-5486 or email tthornton@prcc.edu. Accreditation Status: The PTA program at PRCC was originally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) for a five-year period from May 4, 1994. The program received reaffirmation of accreditation on May 31, 2019, for a period of ten years.  Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Pearl River Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org.   

PTA Program Outcomes Data 

DATA CATEGORY

FIRST TIME

ULTIMATE

Board Pass Rate for 2024

87.5%

100%

Board Pass Rate for 2023

81.3%

100%

Board Pass Rate for 2022

95%

95%

Average 2-year graduation rate for 2023 and 2024

100%

100%

Average 2-year board passage rate for 2023 and 2024

84.4%

100%

Average 2-year employment rate

100%

100%

Average graduation rate for 2023 and 2024

100%

100%

Possible careers in this program:

Careers include but are not limited to Physical Therapist Assistant.

What a student can expect from a career in this field:

The PTA graduate will work with a variety of patient diagnoses such as orthopedic, neurological, wounds, and trauma to a varied patient population including pediatrics, geriatrics, pre and post-partum patients, athletes, post-operative patients, as well as many others under the supervision of a physical therapist.

Essential requirements of a person in this career field:

The graduate must be able to multi-task, demonstrate high energy for a fast paced work environment, communicate well, and display a superior level of ethics to provide quality health care.

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Mission of Program:

In keeping with the mission of the college, the mission of the Pearl River Community College Physical Therapist Assistant Program is to improve the quality of life for the community by implementing a quality educational program to produce competent, caring, and ethically responsible entry-level physical therapist assistants. The program includes a distribution of both general education and PTA courses to maximize the intellectual, psychosocial, and professional development of each student. The PTA program believes that each student has the potential for growth and strives to facilitate the process of personal progression to stimulate a lifelong commitment to professional development.

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Goals of Program:

The PTA program will provide students with quality education in contemporary PT practice taught by qualified faculty, appropriate clinical experiences, and curricula modeled from the Mississippi Curriculum Framework: Postsecondary Physical Therapist Assistant and The Standards and Required Elements for Accreditation of Physical Therapist Assistant Education Programs.

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