Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Wallace Community College

08/18/2024

Recent graduates doing some marketing!

08/08/2024

08/02/2024

Today was orientation day! We welcomed 28 new PTA students! The 2nd year students provided lunch and a lot of good encouragement and support to help them get started. We are excited to start classes with this new group in a couple of weeks!

06/14/2024

Another fun day in lab! We talked about Functional Outcome Measures and the students learned how to administer the Romberg, Tinetti, Four Square Step Test, and Functional Reach.

06/06/2024

It was Empathy Lung day 🫁 Students were able to experience limited breathing capacity by going up and down stairs breathing only through a coffee stirrer and while wearing our Empathy Lung system. They were also able to see exactly what effect that limited capacity had on vital signs. This exercise is designed to help build empathy for COPD patients. It also provides an opportunity to address smoking cessation, as smoking accounts for over 70% of cases of COPD.

05/01/2024

Today is our students' last day on campus before they graduate next week. We are proud of this group and cannot wait to see what their future holds!

04/04/2024

Our students visited a local facility today to learn about aquatic therapy. Thank you, Sarah W., for sharing your knowledge and experience with our students!

04/04/2024

More electrical stimulation!

04/04/2024

Our students recently learned about electrical stimulation and its uses in rehabilitation.

10/26/2023

Our students learned a little about occupational therapy today from Caroline Hall, OTR/L and Director of Therapy Operations at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital. They participated in a relay where they had to:
1) put on a t-shirt using their non dominant arm and then an upper extremity sling,
2) cut a piece of meatloaf (theraputty) while wearing low vision googles and only using their nondominant hand,
3) put on a knee immobile and then put on a pair of underwear using a teacher and observing posterior hip precautions,
4) use a bottom buddy for personal hygiene,
5) put on a pair of socks using the nondominant arm and help of a sock aid while observing posterior hip precautions.

10/19/2023

Some of our 2nd year super heroes took on day 3! Another Sim Clinic is done!

10/18/2023

Day 2 super heroes are ready to go 🦸‍♀️

10/17/2023

It’s that time of year again! Our students spent yesterday setting up, and today was the first day of Super Hero Training Center! Our building is full of 1st graders this week, learning about health and wellness.

09/20/2023

Congratulations to these PTs and PTAs who completed the Level 2 Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program! Thank you to Ron Barredo, course instructor, and the Wallace College Foundation for the opportunity to host the course.

09/07/2023

Yesterday was our annual Disability Lunch. Students simulated different disabilities. Some were given assistive devices or orthotics, and others had special glasses that decreased their vision, or weights and gloves or socks on their hands to simulate decreased sensation. Students then had to navigate the building, serve themselves lunch, and take notes in class with their given disability. This is done to help build empathy towards our patients with injury and disability. The lecture was on Psychosocial Aspects of Disability and ADA.

09/01/2023

It’s College Colors Day in Alabama and our 1st year students showed up ready for the upcoming football season 🏈

05/09/2023

We had a graduation lunch today at River Nile Cafe. These ladies and gentlemen will walk across the stage tomorrow which signifies completion of an academic credential (AAS, Physical Therapist Assistant), the end of “student status”, and the beginning of a new journey as a physical therapist assistant! The faculty are very proud of these graduates and can’t wait to see, and hear about, the wonderful things they’ll do!

05/01/2023

Back to campus for clinical debriefing and a class photo (of their real personalities)...one last time! This group will graduate May 10th!

04/12/2023

More spring fling fun with a wheelbarrow race!

04/12/2023

WCC Spring Fling

03/09/2023

Our PTA students were introduced to electrical stimulation this week. They learned how to find motor points and then how to generate a muscle contraction.

02/16/2023

Southeast WOW

02/16/2023

PTA students enjoyed interacting with 10th and 12th grade students from area schools and showing them some of what physical therapist assistants do.

11/18/2022

2nd year PTA students were able to participate in Southeast Worlds of Work (WOW)

10/28/2022

Today our 1st year students threw a “Boo Brunch” to wish our 2nd year students well with their upcoming clinical! They did an awesome job and many dressed up in physical therapy related Halloween costumes 👻

10/19/2022

Our day 2 superheroes brought lots of energy to Sim Clinic today, and we are exhausted!

10/18/2022

Big shoutout to all of our day 1 superheroes 🦸‍♀️ Sim Clinic is well underway and we are excited for the rest of the week!

10/18/2022

Enjoying some outside time on this gorgeous day!

10/18/2022

2nd year PTA students working in the Superhero Training Center for Sim Clinic!