Physical Therapist Assistants, under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist, assist with specific components of treatment interventions. Their duties may include a variety of interventions including therapeutic exercises, functional training in both self-care and work reintegration, use of adaptive equipment, wound management, and the use of physical agents. They attain their requisite skills through extensive academic and clinical education. The Physical Therapist Assistant program is competency-based and provides sequential learning experiences progressing from theoretical to applied using patient simulations in the laboratory and finally to actual patient treatments in clinical education centers. During clinical education courses, students may practice at facilities throughout Maine under the supervision of clinical instructors.

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Kennebec Valley 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 207-453-5147 or email pta@kvcc.me.edu .

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program has specific admission requirements.  Please refer to the following link for additional information:

Check Your Prerequisites – KVCC (me.edu)

Criminal Background Check

Applicants to certain programs should be aware that a criminal background check will be required while they are enrolled in the program or as a condition of employment in the field. Certain internship and/or practicum sites, such as health care facilities, may limit or deny clinical privileges to those who have a prior or current criminal record; and certain licensing boards may refuse to issue a license to practice based upon prior or current criminal offense(s). To learn more about whether the program or profession in which you are interested has such requirements or limitations, please see the Department Chair or Program Director.

Program Information

Accreditation

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Kennebec Valley 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 207-453-5147 or email pta@kvcc.me.edu

External Complaint Policy

Career Opportunities

PTAs work at:

Hospitals
Rehabilitation Centers
Skilled Nursing Facilities
Outpatient Clinics
Home Care Agencies
Community Health Centers
Pediatric Facilities
Private Practices
Sports Medicine Clinics

Requirements & Outcomes

Program Outcomes

Student Outcomes

Rates are based on a 2-year average (2019-2020):

  • Graduation rate:  94%
  • Ultimate pass rate on licensing examination:  96%
  • Employment rate: 100%

Contact

For more information, please contact:

 Enrollment Services

 (207)453-5822

 Enrollment@kvcc.me.edu

Program Faculty

Jenna Ogden, Physical Therapist Assistant Department Chair

(207) 453-5147

jogden@kvcc.me.edu

 

Jessica Gleason, Physical Therapist Assistant Faculty and Clinical Coordinator

(207) 453-5142

jgleason@kvcc.me.edu

Additional Information

Additional PTA Information & Resources

All non-physical therapy courses required for the physical therapist assistant program, except the Humanities elective, must be completed prior to the spring semester of the second year in order to participate in Clinical Education II (PTS218). General education courses supportive to the Program may be taken prior to or concurrently with technical (PTS) courses. Students must achieve a minimum grade of “C” and/or “Pass” in all required general education and technical (PTS) courses in order to progress through the curriculum.

Clinical education centers are statewide. Students may be assigned to a clinical education center that requires the student to commute a distance from home or assume a temporary residence near the center.

A criminal background check is required while enrolled in the Program, and as a condition of employment in the field; health care facilities may limit or deny clinical privileges to those who have a prior or current criminal record; and licensing boards may refuse to issue a license to practice based upon a prior or current criminal offense.

Technical Requirements

For students to successfully complete the Physical Therapist Assistant program, they must be capable of performing with or without reasonable accommodation the following:

  1. The physical ability to lift, move, and reposition patients; safely guard patients when standing and ambulating patients on level surfaces and stairs.
  2. A visual acuity with corrective lenses to identify equipment calibrations, distinguish color changes of a patient’s skin, and collect patient data.
  3. The manual dexterity to manipulate instrument dials and perform various therapeutic interventions.
  4. The tactile ability to palpate pulses and palpate specific components of the musculoskeletal system.
  5. A hearing ability with auditory aids to understand the normal speaking voice without viewing the speaker’s face, hear timers and call bells from  patients, take/hear blood pressure and lung sounds with a stethoscope, and hear alarms and emergency signals.
  6. Effective communication when explaining procedures, receiving information verbally and from written documentation; documenting in a patient’s  chart; exhibiting appropriate interpersonal skills; and recognizing and responding appropriately to nonverbal behavior of self and others.
  7. The ability to function safely under stressful conditions and the ability to adapt to an ever changing environment inherent in clinical situations  involving patient care.
Additional Program Requirements

Students who have been accepted must:

  1. Obtain a KVCC/SPTA polo and a KVCC/SPTA name pin. You will also need a stethoscope, sphygmomanometer, watch with a sweep second hand, a gait belt, and goniometer.
  2. Hold current Basic Life Support certification (CPR for the Healthcare Provider from the American Heart Association or Professional Rescuer from the American Red Cross).
  3. Provide proof of immunization against diphtheria and tetanus; measles, mumps, rubella and varicella. Also, Hepatitis B (series and titer) and a negative test for tuberculosis.
  4. Agree to work American Data Bank (Complio) to document and track immunization records. Complio will also perform a criminal background check as required by the PTA program. Each student is responsible for the cost of this service.
  5. Have Internet access for online/Brightspace enhanced courses and/or discussions.
  6. Assume responsibility for transportation and/or other living costs to and from clinical sites.