Blinn College District’s Physical Therapist Assistant Program to host information sessions
PTA Program prepares students for high-paying, high-demand healthcare careers
May 23, 2018
The Blinn College District Physical Therapist Assistant Program invites prospective students to learn more about the program and the opportunities it offers for a high-demand career in the healthcare industry.
Blinn will host information sessions at 6 p.m. at the Health Science Center Clinical Building I, located at 8447 Riverside Parkway (State Highway 47) in Bryan on the following dates:
- Wednesday, May 30, 2018
- Wednesday, July 18, 2018
- Thursday, August 23, 2018
- Tuesday, September 11, 2018
- Tuesday, October 16, 2018
- Wednesday, November 14, 2018
- Tuesday, December 11, 2018
- Tuesday, January 15, 2019
The program recommends all students applying to enter the program in Fall 2019 attend one of the information sessions to aid them in completing the extensive application process. Applications for the next cohort will be accepted January 1, 2019, through March 1, 2019.
Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, Blinn’s Physical Therapist Assistant Program is a two-year program that instructs students in various treatment procedures, including rehabilitation techniques, therapeutic exercises, and patient training and education. After completing approximately 63 semester hours, students earn an Associate of Applied Science degree and qualify to take the national licensure exam.
Physical therapist assistants (PTAs) help people of all ages with medical issues or health-related conditions that limit their ability to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. Among their responsibilities, PTAs teach patients exercises to improve their mobility, strength, and coordination; train patients to walk with crutches, canes, or walkers; and provide patient treatments, such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, heat, cold, and massage.
While physical therapists conducts the initial evaluation and diagnostic testing, and develop the patient’s plan of care, PTAs work one-on-one with the patient to meet the goals set by that plan.
PTAs are in high demand throughout the nation and the region, with employment projected to grow 31 percent from 2016-2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Program graduates can expect to earn an average salary of $70,450 in the state of Texas after passing the national licensure exam.
Jobs abound in a variety of settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics or offices, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, education or research centers, schools, hospices, workplace environments, fitness centers, sports training facilities, and military settings.
“Our graduates enter a career field that is very appealing, is in very high demand, and has extremely high salaries,” Program Director Dr. Christy Gantt said. “They never struggle for job placement and typically have multiple job opportunities.”
For more information or to register for an info session, visit: www.blinn.edu/physical-therapist-assistant.
