Career Tips & Advice

PTA's Role in Competition

Concorde Staff

Concorde Staff

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Updated December 27, 2016. The information contained in this blog is current and accurate as of this date.
physical therapist assistant

Oftentimes, when we think about competition, we think about professional sports. So, it might come as some surprise to hear that Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs) are rarely utilized as health care practitioners in professional competition.

"PTAs are utilized in the realm of college sports all the way down to weekend warriors and childhood," said Wanda Peresic, PT, DPT, MS, Concorde's Director of Physical Therapist Assistant Programs in Kansas City, MO. "Competition begins very early in life when we start participating in pre-little league, little league, gymnastics, etc. as toddlers and early childhood."

 

Physical therapist assistant drawn to athletics

According to Peresic, one of the main reasons why people want to become a physical therapist assistant is their exposure to physical therapy through athletics.

"When prospective students are asked of their future goals, many will state sports medicine," Peresic said. "Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that is used to treat athletes and their injuries. It differs from orthopedic medicine in the fact that sports medicine is dealing with the holistic approach to the athlete, including the mental component."

 

Obtaining employment in sports medicine

What does the physical therapist assistant need to do to obtain employment in the sports medicine field? Students in Peresic's program are first encouraged to get a bachelor's degree after graduation in athletic training.

"The combination of the two degrees will improve your marketability as a PTA," she said.

Second, the American Physical Therapy Association has the PTA Advanced Proficiency Pathway program in which the PTA can work on obtaining proficiency in many areas of physical therapy including orthopedics. Third, it's important to take additional college or continuing education courses that specifically focus on athletic injuries. Last, but not least, it is important and beneficial to volunteer in a clinic that does sports medicine.

 

The role of the physical therapist assistant in sports medicine

So, the question comes back around - how does the physical therapist assistant play a role in competition?

"The answer is very simple," Peresic said. "We play an active role in helping the patient to heal the wound, whether internal or external, improve one's strength and mobility and, lastly, to return the person to the function that is needed to compete... whether it is in life or in sports."

 

Take The Next Step Towards a Brighter Future

Interested in learning more about our Physical Therapist Assistant program? We have a Concorde representative ready to talk about what matters most to you. Get answers about start dates, curriculum, financial aid, scholarships and more!

  1. Program length may be subject to change dependent on transfer credits and course load. Please refer to current course catalog for more information. Concorde does not guarantee admittance, graduation, subsequent employment or salary amount.

  2. Professional certification is not a requirement for graduation, may not be a requirement for employment nor does it guarantee employment.

  3. Financial aid is available to those who qualify but may not be available for all programs. Concorde does not guarantee financial aid or scholarship awards or amounts.

  4. Clinical hour requirements and delivery may vary by campus location and may be subject to change. Concorde does not guarantee clinical site assignments based upon student preference or geographic convenience; nor do clinical experiences guarantee graduation, post-clinical employment or salary outcomes.

  5. Registration and certification requirements for taking and passing these examinations are not controlled by Concorde, but by outside agencies, and are subject to change by the agency without notice. Therefore, Concorde cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take these exams, at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.

  6. Externships are a non-paid in-person learning experience, whose length and location may be subject to change. Concorde does not guarantee externship placement, graduation, post-externship employment or salary outcomes.