Quincy Sun // Published February 5, 2020 // By Quincy Sun Staff

Quincy, MA: Quincy College will host Physical Therapist Assistant Open Houses for prospective students throughout the Spring at Quincy College’s Plymouth Campus at 36 Cordage Park Circle, Plymouth, MA. These events are free and open to the public.

The Physical Therapist Assistant Open Houses will be held Thursday, March 19, 2020 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm in the PTA Classroom/Lab and Tuesday, April 14, 2020 from 9:00am to 12:00pm in Room 231.

Prospective students will be able to meet program faculty, tour the physical therapist assistant lab space, speak with a representatives from academic advising and financial aid, and hear from current PTA students.

The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program is a two year, five semester Associate Degree program. PTA graduates work under the direction and supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. The PTA program is a combination of foundational education courses, technical education courses, and clinical experiences. Previous Clinical work has been done in facilities across the South Shore including South Shore Hospital, Long Pond Physical Therapy, The US Department of Veteran Affairs, and several other clinical sites in Southeastern MA and Cape Cod.

Students complete three clinical affiliations during the program, focused on different populations that a PTA may work with. This allows the student to network and frequently creates job leads post-graduation. PTAs are employed by hospitals, outpatient facilities, and rehabilitation facilities and can work in areas specializing in a wide range of topics including geriatrics, pediatrics, neurology, and orthopedics.

Dr. Kathleen Cook, PT, DPT, joins Quincy College as the Physical Therapist Assistant Program Chair at the Quincy College at Plymouth Campus. Dr. Cook has been a physical therapist for 31 years. She obtained both her PT, and DPT degrees from Simmons University. She has more than 18 years of academic experience in several PTA programs including Washtenaw Community College, where she helped develop the program, Henry Ford Community College, in MI, and Northern Virginia Community College, VA, and most recently served as the Program Director and Director of Clinical Education at Bay State College. Her clinical background includes various settings including Skilled Nursing Facilities, Rehabilitation Hospitals, Outpatient Services, Acute Care, Home Care, and Long Term Care. Dr. Cook has been an APTA member for 32 years.

The Fall 2020 PTA program application is now open; the application deadline is May 29, 2020.

Registration is encouraged for Quincy College PTA open house events, please visit https://forms.gle/Q4rcioo6vigjYxzC9 to register.

For more information about the Quincy College Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program, visit the PTA website at http://www.quincycollege.edu/pta.