Physical Therapist Assistant Program - Tarrant County College

• PTHA courses MUST be taken in the order shown in the catalog curriculum page (these courses are offered ONLYduring the semester shown in the curriculum.• The student MAY NOT be allowed to progress to the next semester in the program until s/he successfully completesall courses (PTHA, general education, and specialized) required for the previous semester.• Only students who have been accepted to the program may take the PTHA courses. Audits of these courses are notpermitted.CLINICAL ROTATIONSClinical rotations are a mandatory component of the PTA program. The program utilizes many clinical sites in theFort Worth-Dallas Metroplex – Tarrant, Dallas, Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise counties. Although not firstpriority, efforts are made to place the student as close as possible to his/her home. City bus services are notavailable at all clinical sites. Students must have reliable transportation to clinical and should prepare forlengthy drive times to clinical. Students are not paid for clinical work.The student’s clinical schedule is set by TCC’s Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education and the clinical facilitypersonnel. Hours are during typically physical therapy business hours (daytime). Start and stop times aredependent upon the individual clinical and/or clinical instructor’s schedule. An eight hour day is typical; start timesas early as 7am and stop times as late as 7pm are possible. Clinical days vary by semester but are typically duringthe weekdays. However, weekend days may be required. Note: To pass a clinical course, it is mandatory tocomplete the assigned clinical hours and days.Typical Clinical ScheduleSemester Course DaysSummer after 1 st yr (second half of semester) PTHA 1260 Mon through ThursFall of 2 nd yr (first half of semester) PTHA 2260 Mon, Wed, FriFall of 2 nd yr (second half of semester) PTHA 2261 Mon, Wed, FriSpring of 2 nd yr (second half of semester) PTHA 2363 Mon through FriScreening RequirementsCriminal background checks and drug screenings are mandatory after acceptance into the program but beforeclasses begin. Felony convictions will prevent the applicant from ultimate acceptance into the program;misdemeanor convictions may or may not. The student is responsible for all fees associated with these procedures(approximately $80 total, unless further assessment of prescription drugs is required, an additional $50). All alliedhealth departmental policies regarding screening apply. Students may be required to complete additionalscreenings from individual clinical sites; cost is usually covered by the clinical site, but occasionally the student mayincur the cost. Failure to meet the criteria in any screening will result in immediate termination from the program.Note: Satisfying the criminal background check for the program does not guarantee that thegraduate satisfies the criteria for taking the Texas PTA licensure exam. If you have a felony,misdemeanor conviction, jail-time associated with a crime, or deferred adjudication, you mustcontact the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners before applying to the program(www.ecptote.state.tx.us) to ensure you are eligible to take the licensure exam after graduation.There is a form on their website to complete (“Request Criminal History Evaluation Letter”).Physical Therapist Assistant Program– 2013 Admissions Information Booklet - Revised Oct 2012Page 9