Where can I learn more about the PTA program at LWIT?
An online PTA Information Session is available.
On campus, LWIT hosts quarterly PTA Information Sessions.
When does the PTA program start?
The PTA program begins one cohort a year annually in summer.
How do I apply to the PTA program?
The PTA program requires a special application for admission. Admission to the PTA program is selective.
Click HERE to read the PTA program application from 2013 admissions. The application for 2014 has not yet been published.
Interested students may make an appointment to meet with an adviser in the LWIT Advising department on the Kirkland campus. For more information, please contact Advising or (425) 739-8300. Advisers are available to help you plan out the courses you need to take in order to apply to the PTA program.
When is the application deadline?
The deadline to apply for the 2013 cohort has now passed. The deadline to apply for the 2014 cohort is estimated to be in spring 2014.
What courses need to be completed in order to apply to the PTA program?
Minimum prerequisite courses for the PTA program are:
MEDA 116 Medical Terminology (5 credits)
BIOL&175 Survey of Anatomy & Physiology (5 credits with lab)
PHYS&114 General Physics I (5 credits with lab)
ENGL&101 English Composition (5 credits)
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher is required for the PTA prerequisite courses with a minimum 2.0 earned in each course.
BIOL&175 and PHYS&114 must have been taken within the last seven years.
What are other requirements to apply to the PTA program?
The PTA program application will list the details of all application requirements. Some requirements include:
Completion of HIV/AIDS 7 hour training certificate
Observation/work hours in Physical Therapy settings
References from instructors/supervisors
Typed essay
Signed technical standards form
What is the Accreditation Status of the PTA program?
When does the program meet? Is it part-time or full-time?The Physical Therapist Assistant program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA, 22314; phone: (703) 706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: www.capteonline.org.
The program is a full-time, daytime program with both morning and afternoon courses held Monday - Friday. Clincial affiliation courses require 40 hour/week rotations off-campus in community facilities.
Where is the program located?
Lecture and laboratory courses are held on the Kirkland campus of Lake Washington Institute of Technology. Clinical affiliations occur in a variety of off-campus settings and can range from Tacoma to Bellingham. Students are expected to provide their own reliable transportation to attend clinical affiliations and other off-campus experiences.
What do PTAs do?
Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs), provide physical therapy treatments under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist (PT). PTAs help people of all ages who have health-related conditions which limit their ability to move and perform functional activities in daily life.
Where do PTAs work?
The PTA program prepares students to provide entry-level, skilled patient care in a variety of settings. Some of these settings may include hospitals, rehabilitation centers, long-term care facilities, outpatient clinics, sports medicine clinics, and school-based systems.
What will I learn in the PTA program?
The PTA program teaches students how to provide physical therapy treatment interventions and associated data collection skills under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist.
The PTA program teaches physical therapy treatments for patients with problems of the musculoskeletal (bones, muscles, ligaments), neurologic (nerves, brain, spinal cord), cardiac (heart), pulmonary (lungs), and/or integumentary (skin) systems.
Some of the physical therapy treatment interventions taught in the PTA program include:
Functional training (e.g. gait training, wheelchair managment, and developmental activities)
Posture awareness and body mechanics training
Training patients and caregivers how to use and care for prosthetics and orthotics during functional activities
Training patients and caregivers how to use and care for assistive and adaptive devices
Therapeutic exercises for mobility, strength, balance and coordination
Breathing exercises and coughing techniques
Manual therapy (passive range of motion, therapeutic massage)
Physical agents (heat, ultrasound, cryotherapy, compression therapies, athermal agents, hydrotherapy, traction, and biofeedback)
Electrotherapeutic agents (electrical stimulation)
Wound management (application and removal of dressings or agents)
The PTA program also teaches skills which support physical therapy treatments and a career as a physical therapist assistant including:
Communication
Safety
Understanding and implementing the plan of care
Patient education
Documentation
Information for billing and reimbursement
Social responsibility
Individual and cultural differences
Behavior and conduct
Career development
All programs at LWIT aim to provide students with workplace skills that include Communication, Critical Thinking, Intercultural Appreciation, Teamwork, and Technical and Information Literacy. Each program includes coursework which teaches and assesses student performance in these global outcomes.
Does becoming a PTA prepare me to transfer to a PT program?
Not directly. PTA programs are not designed to prepare individuals to continue directly into a degree as a Physical Therapist (PT). PT programs are graduate (doctoral) level programs which require a Bachelor's degree and multiple prerequisites to apply. The American Physical Therapy Association has resources which can help you explore different careers in the field of physical therapy (American Physical Therapy Association) and (PTA to PT: A Career Change).
What about licensure after graduation?
Graduates of the LWIT PTA program are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) for the Physical Therapist Assistant and to apply for state licensure. Licensure is required in the state of Washington and in most states in the United States.
|
Degrees and Certificates |
Credits |
Estimated Program Length* |
Admission Dates |
|
92 |
6 quarters |
Summer |
*Program length is estimated. See your counselor or adviser.
