Physical Therapy Assistant Program (PTA) Program

Admission Procedures

***ALL MATERIALS DUE BY MAY 31, 2024, FOR GENERAL ADMISSIONS FOR FALL 2024***

Minimum Application Requirements

STUDENTS MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMPLETED IN ORDER TO APPLY TO THE PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT PROGRAM. (This is compliant with CAPTE standards.)

1. SCC General Admissions Application
   Students complete the application to the college online.
   NOTE: There is no separate admission application for the PTA program. Students who register for the PTA Admission Test or have their official transcripts for the required PTA admissions test submitted by the vendor to SCC are considered for admission to the PTA program.
2. Official Transcripts
   Provide Surry Community College Admissions Office with official transcripts and records:
   1. High school or High School Equivalency scores
   2. All colleges attended, if applicable
3. Placement
   Meet or exceed the benchmark scores for the placement test(s) or successfully complete all developmental prerequisites. Students have numerous ways to demonstrate they are college ready, as indicated below.
   1. RISE for High School/High School Equivalencies: An applicant who has graduated from a US high school within the past 10 years and has 2.8 or higher unweighted GPA, or has a GED taken since 2014 with a score of 17- or higher in every section, or has HiSet scores with a 15 in every section and a minimum of a 4 on the essay

OR

2. SAT/ACT scores (valid for 10 years): Specific scores will meet the English/Reading and/or Math requirements
   For tests taken prior to March 2016:
   SAT Critical Reading - 500+ OR SAT Writing - 500, or ACT Reading - 22+ OR ACT English - 18+ will meet required competency in English/Reading
   SAT Math - 500+ OR ACT Math - 22+ will meet required competency in Math
   For test taken in March 2016 or later:
   SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing - 480+, or ACT Reading - 22+ OR ACT English - 18+ will meet required competency in English/Reading
   SAT Math - 530 OR ACT Math - 22+ will meet required competence in Math

OR

3. Completion of College level English and Math from a regionally accredited college or university
   A grade or “C” or higher in a college level English composition and math course that meets program requirements

OR

4. Completion of an associate’s or bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited US college

OR

5. Placement Test Scores (all scores are valid for 10 years):
   While discontinued at Surry Community College in 2019, the NC-DAP Math (DMA) and NC­-DAP Reading and English (DRE) tests will be valid for 10 years. The following are the required NC-DAP scores:

Applicants who have taken the NC-DAP for math must demonstrate mastery in DMA 010, 020, 030, 040 and 050. Applicants who have taken the NC-DAP Reading Comprehension and Sentence Skills must demonstrate mastery in DRE 096, 097 and 098.

If DRE/DMA or DMS shell courses from other NC community colleges are being used to meet this requirement, submission of the placement test scores will also be required by the deadline.

The following tests may also be used to meet English, Reading or Math competencies if taken within the past 10 years:

RISE placement testing is available for applicants who a) graduated more than 10 years ago from high school, or b) do not meet the GED/HiSet requirements, or c) do not meet any of the above criteria completely, including those without a valid unweighted high school GPA, the RISE assessment is available.

If an applicant is eligible to take the RISE placement test, the following scores must be met:

Important Information

Applicants who do not meet any of the above methods completely must enroll in either or both the English (ENG 002  grade of P2) and Math (MAT 003  grade of P2) transition courses and complete them by the specified deadline to be eligible for consideration.

Applicants who are required to take a co-requisite course with the program-level English and/or Math must pass the program-level course with a grade of C or better by the specified deadline to be eligible for consideration.

4. GPA
   Achieve and maintain an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher in all college courses. For high school students who have not completed any post-secondary courses, the student must have at least a 3.0 GPA in their high school courses.
5. Science Courses
   Students who have not successfully completed BIO - 168 Anatomy and Physiology I  must have completed Biology and Chemistry with a grade of “C” or better in high school or BIO 111  and CHM 092 or CHM 131  (preferred) and associated lab component with a grade of “C” or better in order to take BIO - 168 Anatomy and Physiology I .
6. Experience
   Complete a minimum of 20 observation/volunteer hours in a physical therapy clinical setting under the supervision of a licensed PT or PTA. These hours must be documented and signed off on by the PT or PTA. A form to document these clinical hours is available for download on the SCC PTA website.

Physical Therapist Assistant Courses

In addition to the PTA courses, the following General Education courses are required for an AAS in Physical Therapist Assistant:

• BIO 168 *
• BIO 169 *
• ENG 111 *
• ENG 112 , ENG 113 , or ENG 114  
• HUM Elective (3 hours)
• MAT 152 *
• PSY 150 *
• WBL 110  

*Students earning a grade of B or higher in these courses will earn points toward admission.

REQUIRED GRADES AND LENGTH OF TIME SINCE COMPLETING ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I IF TAKEN PRIOR TO ADMISSION.

• Students must have achieved at least a “C” in all curriculum courses with no more than three attempts. BIO 168  and BIO 169  completion must have been within the last five years.

TEST FOR ESSENTIAL ACADEMIC SKILLS FOR ALLIED HEALTH (TEAS)

• Students should contact the Instructional Assistant for Health Sciences (336-386-3275) to register for the test no later than noon on the day prior to the scheduled test.
• The cost of the test is approximately $70.00 and payment must be paid at the time of registration with cash, check, or money order made out to Surry Community College.
• Taking the TEAS test does not automatically qualify the student for admission to the PTA program.
• Students will receive their score at the conclusion of the test and will know if they have met the minimum score required to continue in the admissions process. The minimum required score is 59.4.
• Once the test has been completed, the Associate Dean of Health Sciences will provide Student Services with a list of students who have taken the TEAS test. Student Services will conduct an audit of the student’s file to ensure all criteria for admission have been met.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION TO THE PTA PROGRAM

• Phase I: Students will be ranked based on their GPA, grades earned in BIO 168 , BIO 169 , MAT 152 , ENG 111 , and PSY 150 , work experience as a Physical Therapy Aide/Tech or currently licensed Massage & Bodywork Therapist, bachelor’s degree in allied health related field*, associate degree in science*, and TEAS test score.
• Phase II: Applicants who have successfully completed Phase I will be selected to continue to Phase II, where they will be interviewed and required to write an essay.
• Final Admissions: Applicants who successfully complete Phase II will be eligible for the final admissions phase, where applicants are ranked according to their performance in phases I and II.

*Allied health related fields include: Exercise physiology, athletic training, orthotics, prosthetics, COTA, respiratory therapy, speech language pathology, etc. NOT included among “Allied Health” are certified nurse aides, personal trainers, etc.

Admission Notification

• Students who are accepted for final admission into the PTA program will be notified by mail in late June. Medical forms, acceptance forms, and orientation information will be included in the acceptance packets.
• Students must return acceptance forms by the designated date in order to maintain their admitted status.
• Students who are not admitted into the PTA program who wish to be considered for the following year must reapply and retake the TEAS test.
• Once all seats are filled, alternate students will be chosen by rank if an accepted student declines or is disqualified.
• Only one prior admission to the SCC PTA program will be permitted.
• Final admission status is contingent upon completion of the required items (see Additional Admission Requirements).

Additional Admission Requirements

Admission into the PTA program is contingent upon completion of the following items by the dates requested. Prospective students must submit:

1. A completed medical form with test results and the most recent dates of immunizations/proof of immunity, including positive Hepatitis B titer or signed declination form; positive varicella (Chicken Pox) titer or recent immunization; positive MMR titer or proof of two vaccinations of MMR; and Tetanus booster within the last eight years. The completed medical form must be submitted to the vendor contracted by the Health Sciences Division no later than the designated date for PTA students.
2. Evidence of appropriate health and/or accident insurance (or can be purchased through school).
3. Malpractice insurance dues must be paid by designated date and may be included in fees paid with tuition.

Criminal Background Check & Drug Screen

Criminal background checks and drug screening are required by MOST clinical agencies. PTA students prohibited from participating in a clinical internship based on their criminal background check and/or drug screen will be dismissed from the PTA program due to their inability to progress.

The Physical Therapist Assistant program at Surry 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: https://www.capteonline.org/.

Technical Standards and Health Requirements: Physical Therapist Assistant Students

All Students in this program are expected to meet certain essential functions/technical standards which are essential for successful completion of all phases of the program and which reflect industry requirements and standards. To verify the students’ ability to perform these essential functions, students may be required to demonstrate the following technical standards: