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    Sep 07, 2024  
2024-25 Academic Catalog 
    
2024-25 Academic Catalog

Physical Therapist Assistant, AAS - Partnership Agreement with Germanna Community College


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Program Description/Purpose:  The Germanna PTA Program at Laurel Ridge is conducted at the Luray-Page County Center (Jenkins Hall) via distance education along with students at GCC. Labs will be conducted at either Jenkins Hall or the Page Memorial Hospital rehabilitation facility in Page County. Students are placed in clinical education experiences throughout the Laurel Ridge service region and nearby areas.

The associate of applied science degree with a major in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), awarded by GCC, is designed to prepare successful graduates with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes expected of entry-level physical therapist assistants. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be eligible to take the national physical therapist assistant licensure examination administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT).

Accreditation Status: The Physical Therapy Assistant Program at Germanna Community College (including the offering at Laurel Ridge 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 you need to contact the program/institution directly, please call (540) 423-9844 or email ptassistant@germanna.edu. To contact the Germanna PTA Program at Laurel Ridge, please call (540) 843-0798 or email Dr. Rekha Parameswaran at rparameswaran@laurelridge.edu.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must meet the general admission requirements for admission to both Laurel Ridge Community College for general education credits and Germanna Community College for core PTA program courses. For application information, materials, and additional program information, please see:

Germanna Community College Catalog Pathway: Health Science website at:

https://www.germanna.edu/pathways/health-science/physical-therapist-assistant, and the

PTA program website at:

https://www.germanna.edu/physical-therapist-assistant.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Graduates will demonstrate the ability to collect and review data and administer evidence-based interventions within the limits of the PTA scope of work and as outlined by the physical therapist in the plan of care.
  2. Graduates will demonstrate written and verbal communication related to the practice of physical therapy that is effective, professional, and presented in a manner appropriate to the intended audience.
  3. Graduates will apply critical thinking and decision-making skills to the provision of physical therapy care to ensure patient safety and to appropriately progress the plan of care developed by the physical therapist.
  4. Graduates will adhere to federal and state regulations, facility policies and procedures, and will meet standards of performance-based and values-based behaviors expected of the entry-level physical therapist assistant.

Courses are displayed under the semester in which they are regularly offered and are recommended to be taken in this sequence to ensure timely graduation. It is possible that a course shown in a particular semester may not be offered due to low enrollment or other factors.

Program Curriculum


Students progress sequentially through the PTA curriculum, designed to prepare the student with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for the physical therapist assistant. The curriculum includes classroom and lab components and three full-time clinical education experiences. Progression to the subsequent semester depends on passing each PTH-prefix course with a C or better, maintaining an overall 2.5 or better GPA, and meeting course-specific requirements in each syllabus. Students are given an opportunity for remediation if they are in danger of not passing a course.

It is highly recommended for students, if able, to complete co-requisite courses of BIO 142  and SOC 200  before program application; however, there is time allotted in the program semesters to complete these courses. HLT 105  is also a co-requisite course required for graduation, but it is recommended that students wait until receipt of “conditional acceptance” in May of the application year to take this credit. This allows certification to remain valid throughout a student’s tenure in the program.

Program Total: 68 Credits


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