Southwests Physical Therapist Assistant Graduates Notch a Perfect Pass Rate on the National License Exam

For more information, contact:
Robert Miller
901-333-4368
rgmiller1@southwest.tn.edu

Seventeen out of 17 current graduates at Southwest Tennessee Community College recently passed the national licensure exam for Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA) the first time. A 100 percent pass rate had not happened in well over 15 years.

"This is a significant achievement. The exam itself is very expensive if it has to be retaken. If a student does not pass on the initial attempt, they cannot take the exam for an additional three months, resulting in a significant loss of income. Also, there is the additional stress and difficulty regaining confidence in one's ability to pass," says Eddy Zeno, PTA coordinator.

Zeno believes that, in addition to what his program has been doing for the past several years, technology access fees at the college have begun funding online practice exams for his students. The additional resources have helped PTA students reach this high level of success.

To date, six of the new PTA graduates have accepted job positions in their chosen field. Not all have interviewed for positions. There is a large job demand and so based on previous years, Zeno expects 100 percent employment as PTAs within six months.

In 2015, the program was reaccredited for another 10 years. Future plans are to make more courses web-assisted. End of semester oral exams are a new tool utilized to have students recall information and apply it to new situations. Zeno also plans to introduce some additional assessment tools and recent advances in treatment into the program.

For information about the program visit the Physical Therapy Assistant departmental page.

For additional details, contact Eddy Zeno at 901-333-5394 or via email at ezeno@southwest.tn.edu.