May is Physiotherapy Month and today is PTA Day

Posted on Tuesday, May 10th, 2022

Did you know that May is National Physiotherapy Month? Algonquin College offers two different physiotherapy programs to learners.

We asked program coordinator Tim Tosh to share a bit more about this field and the College’s programs.

What is physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is all about keeping you moving and helping you to make the most of your function, and well-being. As you can imagine, this means different things to different people. For some, it means visiting your local clinic to help get you back to your regular activities after an injury. For others, it means working to keep doing the things that make you happy and prevent injury. More recently, it means supporting and enabling the recovery of individuals who are dealing with the symptoms of long COVID. One thing is for sure, if you are looking to restore your mobility and get back to doing the things you love, physiotherapy can help.

What types of programs are offered by the College?

Algonquin College offers a two-year occupational therapist assistant physiotherapist assistant (OTA PTA) diploma. The OTA PTA plays a vital supporting role in the assessment, planning and implementation of therapeutic care for patients.

What makes the program unique and different from other programs available?

The College has a state-of-the-art apartment space with an adult day program as well as an on-site physiotherapy clinic. The College’s gym space is also used to host fine motor clinics that support school aged children from the community. These, and other opportunities allow our students to work with individuals with different conditions and put their training into practice without ever leaving the campus. 

What types of places are available for students to do their clinical placements?

With 600 hours of clinical placement during the program, students can increase their understanding of the field and gain confidence assisting the physiotherapist and occupational therapist in various healthcare facilities. Facilities include: hospitals, community organizations, rehabilitation facilities, private clinics and long-term care.

Do you see an increase in enrolment from year to year?

The program enrolment has remained stable over the past few years. A limited enrolment allows us to keep the lab sizes small so that students can interact and receive feedback from their professors. It also allows students to make connections in the community as they explore a variety of clinical experiences throughout their training. 

Once students graduate from Algonquin College what are their chances of finding a job after graduation?

Students receive dual training in both occupational therapy and physiotherapy. This means that there are many options for them upon graduation. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen an increase in demand for our graduates as health care organizations look to fill their vacant positions.  

Who is a typical student?

Every year, I am impressed with the diversity I see across our classroom. Often there is a good mix of students coming from high school and university programs as well as those from other fields looking to start a new career. I find that, regardless of their background, each of our students has the same goal of wanting to help people. What’s great about the program is that our students are learning not just how to help people, but how to teach others to help themselves.

Who should apply?

The program is well-suited for students who enjoy the challenges of working with and helping people. This means accepting people of all ages and varying backgrounds. You should also possess good communication and problem-solving skills. Finally, you should enjoy working in a team and completing physical and hands-on work.

Watch our video to mark PTA Day, today, May 10 highlighting one of our PTA graduates.

To learn more visit https://www.algonquincollege.com/healthandcommunity/program/occupational-therapist-assistant-physiotherapist-assistant/


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