3 Physical therapy assistant schools in Texas.

Let’s begin with Houston Community College. This school features a five semester program for physical therapy assistant courses. These courses train the students for the job of providing aid under supervision of a licensed physical therapist. The types of aid performed include:  whirlpool exercises, massage therapy, and therapeutic exercise. The offered classes include neurology, pathophysiology, therapeutic exercise and current physical therapy concepts. Students in these courses are also expected to get hands on experience by training inside an actual physical therapy clinic. All students must pass a drug screening and criminal background check and should have 24 hours experience, either hands-on or simply observational, through in-patient and out-patient physical therapy sessions. All students pay a liability insurance fee which protects against malpractice issues.

Lone Star College System’s Physical Therapy Assistant Program (The Woodlands, TX) features courses in healthcare communication, anatomy, rehabilitation, ethics and lifespan development. Hands-on clinical experience is a featured part of this program and is considered a valuable addition to every student’s schooling. The physical therapist assistant program of this school is extremely competitive and students achieving high scores in their general education before applying are usually considered for admission first. All students must have CPR certification, health and malpractice insurance and all of their required vaccinations as well as passing a background check. All students must also have at least 40 hours of experience with a licensed physical therapist. This includes volunteer or paid work or experience as an observer only.

Northeast Texas Community College only accepts 16 students per year into the physical therapy assistant program so competition is fierce. The qualifications are severe as well, featuring a minimum of 60 hours of observation under a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant in 3 different areas of physical therapy. Students must also have at least a 2.5 GPA in all NTCC courses and be able to provide the results of their Health Occupations Beginning Entrance Test at application. Any students with felonies must fill out a Criminal History Evaluation Form to be submitted to the Board for review. The review costs $50.00. The CHE Form is found on the website www.ecptote.state.tx.us. Students applying for these courses must have top scores on the HOBET and complete an on-site writing assignment for a mandatory interview with the admissions committee. They also must present reference letters, an essay, and have an advanced degree as an in-district resident.

There are other good schools in Texas that feature physical therapy assistant courses as well, but these three offer a general idea of what the state of Texas requires for its students in this field. Some schools are tougher than others but all in all, the education level is top notch throughout the state. These schools are well known for graduating extremely hirable workers who are very knowledgeable in their chosen field. So, the great state of Texas has more than just oil fields going for it. It also has year after year of graduates who are making the physical therapy field the powerful entity that it is today in the lives of those who need it.