Physical Therapist Assistant

A Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) works under the supervision of a registered Physical Therapist (PT). To enter this exciting field, a student must earn an Associate in Applied Science degree from an accredited program and pass the state licensure board examination.

Only 15 applicants are accepted into the technical portion of the program each year at NEO. Instructors work closely with the students to help them be successful. Our classes combine hands-on experience in a lab setting with lecture, providing students with the opportunity to learn by performing the new skills.

Acceptance to the technical portion of the Physical Therapist Assistant program is based on total points. The primary points are based on the composite ACT score and Grade Point Average in the prerequisite courses (see PTA Application Calculation).

This program is extremely competitive. If the prerequisite courses are to be completed in May, the application can be submitted by March 15 to be considered for the next class that will begin in the summer semester. After completing the general education and technical support courses and being accepted into the PTA program, students can complete the degree in the Physical Therapist Assistant program within 14 months.

For the past 10 years, our overall board pass rate is 97.4%.

• Application & Cost
• Class Schedule
• Financial Fact Sheet (pdf)

Careers

• Hospitals
• Schools/pediatrics
• Geriatrics
• Cardio/Pulmonary Care
• Wound & Burn Care
• Sports Medicine
• Long-Term Rehabilitation
• Home Health

Extracurricular Activities

Physical Therapist Assistant Club

Membership for the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Club is for any students interested in becoming a PTA, whether enrolled in the prerequisite or technical courses. Goals of the club are to:

• Promote the profession of health & wellness in the realm of physical therapy
• Increase awareness & promote the profession as a career by incorporating the core values as set forth by the American Physical Therapy Association
• Provide leadership opportunities for the second year students through community involvement, fundraising, & peer mentorship
• Support the second year students’ pursuit toward pinning & graduation ceremonies as well as the licensure preparation course for their national boards

Support the students in the technical program with a donation to help with equipment, training, the pinning ceremony, and the licensure preparation course for the national boards.

Accreditation & Pass Rates

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M 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 (918) 540-6361 or email dawn.smathers@neo.edu.

PTA Program Outcomes

Accreditation standards require reporting of a 2-year average from the previous graduation class.

Concerns/Complaints/Program Improvements Regarding the PTA Program

Patients, clinical sites, employers, and the general public have the opportunity to voice a complaint about a student or the program in general. All administrators, from the Director of the PTA Program, Department Chair for Nursing, Allied Health, and Physical Education, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs can be contacted to file a complaint or concern.

If an official complaint is submitted to the college, the procedure followed is essentially similar, but depends on the nature of the complaint and with whom it is filed. The original complaint would be filed by the administrator who received and responded to the complaint. In all cases, the complaint would be escalated to the Department Chair for Nursing, Allied Health, and Physical Education in addition to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Complaints regarding the Physical Therapist Assistant Program should first be addressed to the PTA Program Director, Dr. Dawn Smathers, PT, DPT via email at dawn.smathers@neo.edu or (918) 540-6361. Unresolved complaints or complaints about the program director should be directed to S. Kathleen Norman, MS, RN, the Department Chair for Nursing, Allied Health, and Physical Education. She can be reached at kathleen.norman@neo.edu or (918) 540-6312.

No retaliation will occur by either the PTA program or the College due to a complaint being filed.

If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of the informal complaint procedures, he or she may appeal to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Dustin Grover. He can be reached at dugrover@neo.edu or (918) 540-6202. For this appeal, the complaint should be written and submitted via email. The PTA program director will also submit a written statement, detailing the events of the informal procedure, and his or her response to the complaint. These materials should be submitted within two weeks following the informal procedure. After review of the written materials and conferences with each of the involved parties, the Vice President of Academic Affairs will render a decision on the matter within two weeks of receipt of these materials.

Complaints concerning the PTA Program will be housed in the PTA Program Office and filed under Program Complaints. These records will be held for three years. Complaints will be made available for review upon written request of interested parties unless the complaint is of a personal nature and law would prohibit such complaint from being made public.

If a student has a complaint related to the accreditation of the NEO A&M College PTA Program, he or she may contact the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education.

Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)

1111 North Fairfax Street

Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Telephone: 703-706-3245

Email: accreditation@apta.org

Website: http://www.capteonline.org

Physical Therapist Assistant

Department of Nursing, Allied Health, & Physical Education

Kathleen Norman Director of Nursing

• kathleen.norman@neo.edu
• 918-540-6312
• 107, Nursing Science Building

Klayton Bridges Instructor - Physical Therapy Assistant

• klayton.bridges@neo.edu
• 918-540-6396
• 2021, Cunningham Hall

Dawn Smathers Instructor - Physical Therapy

• dawn.smathers@neo.edu
• 918-540-6361
• 202, Cunningham Hall