March 14, 2023 • 25 mins
Physical Therapist Assistants provide physical therapy services under the direction and supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Employing the knowledge of the patient’s condition, the PTA performs hands-on treatments utilizing therapeutic exercises, manual therapy, pain relieving modalities and other functional activities. A PTA must use critical thinking and problem solving skills on a daily basis to treat a variety of patients of all ages and cultural backgrounds.
Physical Therapist Assistant occupational courses will be completed in four (4) semesters.
Occupational Therapy Assistants work under the direction of occupational therapists to help rehabilitate patients with injuries, illnesses, or disabilities through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). They help patients develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working. Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people who are recovering from injuries to regain necessary skills, and providing support for older adults who are experiencing physical or cognitive changes.
Occupational Therapy Assistant occupational courses will be completed in four and a half (4.5) semesters. Curriculum is delivered in a combination of face-to-face and distance learning formats.
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Episode Transcript
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Stephanie Puffer (00:02):
You have an opportunity to work in a way that
someone is grateful for you every single day. Grateful for
your knowledge. Grateful for your kindness. Not very many people
get to live their professional life like that. I think
that's a really special thing.
Charles Fowler (00:18):
One of the great things about this job is people
are always going to need you. You're never not going
to need somebody to help you get better. So there's
such a high demand for this job. When I graduated
and I started applying, I had, I think, five job
offers within about three weeks.
Regina Sitterley (00:33):
If you love people and love coaching and love setting
goals and love helping other people reach their goals, I
think that OT is the best career ever. I've been in OT
for 22 years and I love it.
Narrator (00:48):
98 7 Chat Tech. where 98.7% of our students earn a career.
Today's episode is jam packed with a look at the
Physical Therapist Assistant and Occupational Therapy Assistant programs at Chattahoochee
Technical College. We're going to call it PTA and OTA because,
like I said, we're jam packed. We're going to speak
to award winning current students, proud instructors, graduates, the program
(01:11):
directors of each program and employers. There's no time to waste.
So let's meet the Dean of Health Sciences, Stephanie Puffer.
Stephanie Puffer (01:18):
I've been the Dean for two years, and prior to
that I was the Program Director for the Physical Therapist
Assistant program. About six years before that, I was the
clinical coordinator for that program. I've done all the jobs
in those programs.
Narrator (01:31):
Now, what is the difference between OTA and PTA?
Stephanie Puffer (01:34):
Both of these professions are going to make a huge
difference in the lives of the people that they work with.
I often like to say that our paramedic students are
going to save lives and our OTA's and PTA's are going
to improve the quality of their lives. OTA specifically are
going to help people not only overcome an injury and
illness or disability, but they're specifically going to work with
(01:57):
them on what we call activities of daily living. So
all of those things that we, most of us take
for granted, the ability to be independent with feeding and
bathing and toileting and dressing, that's one of the key
focuses for OTA. They also work with their patients around
(02:18):
mental health. They work with a lot. There's more opportunities
to work with pediatrics. For someone who is interested in Pedes,
probably a few more opportunities to do that with OTA
than there is with PTA. OTAs can work in a
variety of settings everything assisted livings, hospitals, schools, skilled nursing facilities,
(02:40):
outpatient clinics, just an enormous number. Even workplaces like some
factories and that kind of thing, both work on like
stretching and movement exercises. But the goal for those exercises
are different. So the OTA is going to be work
on strengthening stretching but specific to help them accomplish one
of those activities of daily living, whereas PTA is more
(03:01):
likely to be doing that mobility for the bigger, most
more gross motor tasks. Although both professions can do fine
motor tasks, both professions can do like hand therapy and
that kind of thing. PTA is also focused a lot
on not just range of motion strength flexibility, but they
also work on things like improving their balance, improving coordination
(03:24):
and helping to relieve pain.
Narrator (03:26):
Can the student do either profession? Is there a type
of personality that works better as one or the other?
Stephanie Puffer (03:32):
The most creative people I've ever met in my whole
life have been occupational therapists or occupational therapist assistants, whereas
the students that are interested in PTA have a real
interest in how the human body works, a lot of
times they were athletes either in high school or in college,
although that is definitely not a prerequisite to being a PTA.
(03:52):
They also can have an enormous impact on the lives
of their patients.
Narrator (03:58):
Let's talk big picture and longevity here. How does the future of these
professions look?
Stephanie Puffer (04:03):
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has both professions growing as
much faster than average, more than 30% between 2020 and 2030.
The average salary for PTAs, according to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, is around $50,000. We're getting feedback that our
(04:23):
students are making about that 50 55,000 a year. For OTA,
also same thing much faster than average. Their median salary,
according to the BLS, is $60,000 a year right now.
And I think it's a little less than that in Georgia.
But it's still it's still it's still a solid salary
for a two year degree. I mean, it's not an
(04:44):
easy two year degree, but it's a two year degree
going to make a good salary.
Narrator (04:48):
What's driving that growth?
Stephanie Puffer (04:49):
The biggest thing really is the aging baby boomers. And
we're living longer than ever. So that means our joints
are wearing out before our bodies wear out. So that's
joint replacement. So PTA work with hip and knee replacements, of course,
and and shoulder replacements. But OTAs also work with upper extremity.
So shoulder elbow hand patients.
Narrator (05:10):
You know what, my 70 year old grandmother, she's really
getting into pickleball. Maybe OTA is what she needs to
turn pro.
Stephanie Puffer (05:16):
Yes. Oh, pickleball. Absolutely. Yeah.
Narrator (05:21):
Thank you, Stephanie. Now let's roll out the red carpet.
It's time for our award winning student, Brianna Miller. Brianna,
come introduce yourself and get your crown. I don't really
have a crown. Sorry.
Brianna Miller (05:31):
Hello. My name is Brianna Miller. I am currently a
Occupational Therapy Assistant student at Chattahoochee Technical College, and I
graduate in December of 2023. I'm also the current GOAL student winner.
I was nominated by my Program Director and one of
my instructors, Dr. Amy Schaefer. It was amazing to be
(05:52):
able to be recognized for my leadership skills, and I'm
so grateful to be able to tell my story, tell
how I got to technical college. I didn't get here
on like a straight and narrow path, but I feel
like that's the beauty of technical colleges, is that you
don't have to take a straight and narrow path to
get here. You just have to get here.
Narrator (06:11):
How'd you get into occupational therapy?
Brianna Miller (06:13):
I got super sick. I had blood clots in my
lungs on December 31st of 2016, a month and a
half prior to that, my aunt, who I am super,
super close with, she had a major stroke. While I
was in the hospital. My aunt came to visit me
with her occupational therapist. I saw that and I was like,
(06:35):
That was so cool. Like, I want to do that.
And then as I think back further, my grandma, she
passed away from health complications with Alzheimer's. She was one
of the reasons I thought I wanted to go into PT,
but on top of helping people like get physically better,
I wanted to have that compassionate component of helping you
(06:56):
get better through meaningful activities and doing the things that
you love. I always have had a heart to help
people and I've always been super, super creative. Occupational therapy
kind of meets at a crossroads of caring about your
physicality muscles and being creative in the interventions that you
come up with and then having that compassion and that
empathy for people and understanding that you have meaningful things
(07:19):
that you need to do that aren't just waking up,
brushing your teeth, going to work, but hanging out with
your friends, having hobbies, all of that stuff. So having
that three point crossroads, that's kind of where occupational therapy
fits in.
Narrator (07:30):
Can you please explain what occupational therapy is?
Brianna Miller (07:33):
Occupational therapy Got it start in the early 1900s, late 1800s.
And it really picked up around the world wars because
they needed rehabilitation aids for soldiers coming back home and
having to learn how to deal with life and do
life with their new injuries. We help people get back
to those meaningful activities that you have to accomplish. Your
(07:55):
job of being a human being happy, healthy and whole.
Narrator (07:58):
What would you say is the most rewarding part of
being an OTA?
Brianna Miller (08:01):
Knowing that what I will do will be able to
give people the ability to live and enjoy life, like
be able to participate anywhere in no matter the size
is a win in occupational therapy, I feel.
Narrator (08:16):
What are student benefits of being in classes with the same cohort?
Brianna Miller (08:19):
While you're in school you grow a bond and you learn great interpersonal skills
with having a cohort that's from different backgrounds. We learn
that we are really good sample piece of what the
reward is going to look like. We're not going to
get people who think like us, who look like us,
who talk like us, who have every single of the
same beliefs like us. No matter what background your patient
(08:41):
comes from, no matter what background you come from, your
job is to help them. And the thing is, is
with occupational therapy, I have found that no matter what
a person's belief is, you will find a common ground.
Narrator (08:52):
Thanks, Brianna. Let's talk to an OTA graduate now. Hey, Casey,
tell us a little bit about yourself.
Casey Jones (08:57):
My name is Casey Jones. I am a coda slash L,
which means I am a certified occupational therapy assistants and licensed.
And I graduated from the Chattahoochee Tech program in 2018.
Narrator (09:12):
Can I get this education anywhere in Georgia?
Casey Jones (09:15):
Occupational therapy is not offered by many schools in Georgia.
At the time that I was looking for the program,
it was only offered by two schools total.
Narrator (09:24):
And why should a student choose Chatt Tech?
Casey Jones (09:26):
Well, at Chatt tech, the teachers really do care about
your success. I am still in contact with my old
teacher and I know she still manages the program. The
labs were very hands on and I still use a
lot of what I learned in the labs today. We
were able to custom fabricate splints and everything that you
would need for the therapy world. They were able to
(09:48):
offer it.
Narrator (09:49):
Can you talk a little bit about the continued benefit
of being in a cohort?
Casey Jones (09:53):
The cohort allows for more developed friendships and friendships that
lasts due to the fact that we're in the same intense.
two year program and it's us together and we're going
through the same problems and difficulties, and then we're in
the same field. And the therapy world we all know
each other. I'm still in contact with all of my cohort,
just about even. We refer each other to jobs and
(10:16):
help each other out with questions in case of specialties
that we run into that one of us might be
specialized in at this point that we weren't specialized in. Now,
therapy offers a lot of specializations, and as we all
went down our own path, we were able to share
with one another. The cohort class is really fantastic for
(10:37):
networking your career.
Narrator (10:38):
What are some of the personal qualities that help a
potential student?
Casey Jones (10:41):
If you are joining this program, it is good to
be empathetic, compassionate, quick learner, able to think on your
feet and flexible.
Narrator (10:52):
What do you like most about being an OTA?
Casey Jones (10:54):
The fact that I am able to change someone's life
and affect it permanently. For example, if I have a
patient that someone told them they would never walk again
and then three months later I'm able to get them
walking again and they start crying. Those moments are what
makes me happy with my career.
Narrator (11:11):
Let's talk to the lead instructor of the OTA program, Dr.
Amy Schaffer. What advice do you have for someone who
might be thinking about restarting their career?
Amy Schaffer (11:18):
I think the hardest part of making that decision to
go back to school, if it's, you know, changing the
trajectory of what you were doing, is to give yourself
permission that it's okay to change your goal and realize
that maybe the goal that thought I wanted isn't quite
the goal that I want anymore now that I've gotten
this close to achieving it. So that was the hardest
part for me, was it wasn't giving me the inner
(11:39):
peace of going to work every day that I have
now in the field. And one of the great things
I think here about Chatt Tech is that there's a lot
of people here that are in that same space that
everybody's not brand new. Fresh from high school and in classes,
we have students from high school on up. Some folks,
even in their 60s or 70s, they're taking classes here
(12:02):
that have realized like, this is an opportunity for me
to to change my goal or to achieve a goal
that I started a long time ago. And it's comfortable.
Like if you walk down the halls here, you fit
in no matter what your age, no matter what you
look like, there's somebody else like you going to school here.
Narrator (12:15):
Can you give us a little more explanation on the
types of things students are going to be studying.
Amy Schaffer (12:19):
A lot about different medical conditions, both physical and mental health,
as well as cognitive health conditions. We have courses in
pediatric development and pediatric health care issues. We have, of course,
in geriatric issues where you learn about the older adult
aging process. We also have classes that develop ones what
(12:43):
we call therapeutic use of self, which is using your
personality as part of your skilled intervention. We also cover,
of course, things such as preparing for your career, interviewing
licensure regulations, certification regulations and entering the profession.
Narrator (12:59):
Go ahead and brag about Chatt Tech facilities or lab life
for the OTA program.
Amy Schaffer (13:03):
In our lab, we have a blend of work areas
that mimic the home environment, but also mimic areas that
one might see out. We have a fully functional kitchen
with a refrigerator, stove oven, dishwasher, sink, kitchen cabinets that
also doubles as our orthotics fabrication lab. So we use
the countertops as a workspace for one more fabricating orthotics.
(13:26):
We have a designated hospital room simulation area, a bariatric
lab to simulate working with persons of size. We have
a student breakroom space in our classroom. We're really fortunate
that all of our students have access to a computer
workstation in our classroom, but we also have some group
(13:48):
work tables so that we can easily move from rows
of computers and students to where they can have a communal,
rounded table space to work face to face with one another.
Narrator (13:57):
All right. Now, here's the question I think a lot
of people listening are probably wondering, when do I start
making the big bucks?
Amy Schaffer (14:03):
Before you can make the big bucks you have to sit
for what is called our national certification exam, which all
occupational therapy practitioners must take in successfully pass before they
can obtain their state license, which would allow them to
practice occupational therapy in the state of Georgia. And at
that point, they're ready to go out into the field
(14:25):
and work for occupational therapy. Gives you the opportunity to
find that niche that makes you happy, but it also
gives you the opportunity to reinvent yourself later. If you're
tired of that niche and move on to a different
place in the therapy space. That's one of the wonderful
things about occupational therapy is that you have the opportunity
to mold yourself and remake yourself and still be working
(14:49):
in the field that you love.
Narrator (14:50):
Let's speak with an employer in the industry with the
owner of Home Therapy Solutions. Please stand up.
Regina Sitterley (14:55):
Yup. I'm Regina. My company is called Home Therapy Solutions.
We've been.
In business now for two and a half years. I'm
an occupational therapist by trade. I graduated in 2002, and
almost all of my experience has been in home health.
In other words, working in the home with senior citizens.
Narrator (15:18):
Tell us a little bit about your company.
Regina Sitterley (15:19):
Home Therapy Solutions is all about empowering seniors to stay
at home. So the significant majority of our population, you know,
the average age is probably about 80. I would say
my favorite people are about 90, though.
Narrator (15:34):
Can you imagine how much of a pickleball hero my
grandmother is going to be when she's 90? What was
your motivation for creating this company?
Regina Sitterley (15:40):
To me, occupational therapy in the home is exactly what
occupational therapy should be, especially with seniors, because their activities
of daily living all are in the home. So it
makes perfect sense that we would see them in their
most functional environment. We have very few competitors in our
(16:03):
area doing this. You could go to an outpatient clinic.
Of course, that's not going to be very functional because
it's in a setting that's not their own setting. So
this the mobile outpatient is a very new concept.
Narrator (16:16):
And what's the most important thing that you look for
in hiring?
Regina Sitterley (16:19):
We are extremely independent. I might not ever see another
clinician until we have a team meeting. So I need
someone who is very competent and independent as well as
a good communicator, having an education that I can count
on and trust. You know, I know that the therapist
(16:39):
when when one of our team members goes to see
a patient, I know that that patient is getting good
quality care. I believe they have a very collaborative environment
where they feel free to say, Here's what I'm dealing with.
What do you think about this?
Narrator (16:54):
Thanks, Regina. Now let's talk to the PTA lead instructor, Dr.
Aaron Freeman. Dr. Freeman, tell us a little bit about
your background.
Aaron Freeman (17:01):
I started a Chatt Tech about two years ago. My background is in clinical
practice as a physical therapist. I worked at Piedmont Hospital
for several years as their lead spine therapist. Before that,
I worked in an outpatient clinic for several years. I
started at Tech as an adjunct instructor, just teaching one
class part time, and then eventually I moved out to
(17:22):
be the program director again, like I said about two
years ago,
Narrator (17:25):
What's one quality that a PTA student can't live without?
Aaron Freeman (17:28):
I do think you do need to have a drive
to work with the general public, to work with often
people who are not feeling well because that's the whole
reason why they're in physical therapy is because they have
some sort of health or medical problem. I have a
big love for not having a desk job and I
don't work alone or in a lab. That's something that
you would want to prefer as well, is that you
(17:49):
also would want to work with the public and not
work alone.
Narrator (17:52):
Chatt Tech is a very hands on school and PTA
is a very hands on profession. I feel like there
might be a good bit of bookwork in class though,
am I right?
Aaron Freeman (17:59):
That's a little bit of a loaded question because of
all the hands on knowledge that we use, of which
there's quite a bit. We teach physical like manual skills
how to do things like massage and joint mobilizations and
passive movements where you move the person's body for them.
So we teach lots of physical manual movements, but they're
(18:22):
also all based in academic knowledge because you can't safely
do massage or you can't safely do like advanced joint
mobilization technique without understanding the anatomy and the physiology and
the pathology of everything that's behind those movements. It's behind
those motions. So it's a little bit of a loaded question.
We have a. I would say it's it's a pretty
(18:45):
good mix of academic and physical knowledge. That's actually something
that a lot of people really enjoy about the profession
is you take all of your academic knowledge, we teach
all these things and then we turn it around and
use it and apply it.
Narrator (19:00):
And what does the job market look like right now?
Aaron Freeman (19:02):
Well, right now the job market is red hot for
physical therapy assistance. There are so many openings, the job
market is so hot that they're willing to hire people
who don't who literally can't even practice yet. They're just
hoping that they will pass their exam and they'll be ready.
Narrator (19:17):
Thanks, Dr. Freeman. Finally, let's speak with a graduate of
the PTA program, Charles Fowler. Tell us a little bit
about yourself and when you graduated from Tech.
Charles Fowler (19:24):
Hi, my name is Charles Fowler. I graduated from the
Chattahoochee Technical College Physical Therapist Assistant program in December of 2022,
and I am currently employed as a physical therapist assistant
with PT Solutions.
Narrator (19:37):
What made you choose PTA?
Charles Fowler (19:39):
I have always been interested in helping people recover from
injuries or kind of improve their physical fitness. I got
very interested into in the gym and working out about
9 or 10 years ago. And then I have been
through physical therapy myself with football injuries in high school,
which is a pretty common theme for a lot of people.
(20:01):
They get injured and they experience the patient side of
physical therapy and then they get interested in becoming a
physical therapist or a physical therapist assistant themselves. And so
that's what ended up drawing me to Chattahoochee Tech. As
I looked around, I saw that they had a great program.
It was very highly spoken of, so I got interested and applied.
Narrator (20:21):
How did Chatt Tech become such a good resource for
the PTA industry?
Charles Fowler (20:25):
I think a big reason of that is because they
keep things so personal in the program. They don't accept
a whole lot of people, the people they do accept.
It's very difficult to get into that program because they
keep the classes so small so that they can give
you as much time and attention as you need to
(20:45):
make sure that you are getting through the class. Something
that Chattahoochee Tech does really well is they keep the
classes small and they help each individual person get through
the program. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. I'm
I'm not good if I have to sit in a
classroom and listen to a lecture, I'm going to miss
half the information versus when we're in the lab and
(21:07):
we're doing stuff hands on. I pick it up really,
really quick. And my teachers always noticed that. So they
knew to help me with lecture stuff. They knew to
give me study tips. They knew to try and help
me focus on getting information from the lecture because they
knew once I was in the lab they didn't have
to pay as much attention to me because they could
(21:28):
just show it to me once and I was going
to get it. And I think that's something that they
did really, really well, that other schools may not do
so well because they're just trying to fit as many
students as possible into each cohort every year.
Narrator (21:39):
What did you find the most interesting at Chatt Tech?
Charles Fowler (21:41):
When we first got accepted into the program, one of
the first things you do is you have an orientation
day and part of that is the previous cohort. So
the current seniors come in and do a Q&A session.
And one of the things the seniors in that class
talked about was how close they became with their classmates.
And they said they become like your family and they
(22:02):
are the people you rely on going through this course
because nobody else understands, none of your family understands, none
of your friends understand because this is a specialized field
and the only people who are experiencing it with you
are your classmates. And I sat there and listen to
that and I was like, Yeah, sure, whatever. I'm kind
of an introvert, so I'm not really going to become
(22:23):
good friends with my classmates. I'll just go through and
do the work. But by the end of it you do.
You become so close with all of your classmates because
you're all going through this incredibly difficult and stressful program,
and the only people that get it are the people
who are sitting next to you while you're taking your
final and you're stressing out. So for someone like me
(22:43):
who like I was saying, I do really well in
the lab, I could help people get their palpation skills down.
I could help them remember the special tests. I had
no problem if somebody was doing something to me. I'm like, Well,
you're not really on that muscle. You're kind of on
this muscle. Move your hand here. And it was like, Oh,
thank you, I understand it. And then you flip it.
And I would ask that same person who was having something,
(23:05):
who was struggling in lab, I'd turn around and be like,
I need a mnemonic to remember this set of muscles
or something. And they would have something. They're like, Oh, well,
I used this and it really helped me remember it.
And I was like, Oh my goodness, thank you. Now
I can start studying that and stop worrying about how
I can't remember things. So having those friends together really
(23:26):
helps you throughout the whole program.
Narrator (23:28):
Charles Why should a student choose PTA?
Charles Fowler (23:31):
First off, there's so much demand for this. We are
always going to be in need. People are always going
to hurt themselves. They're always going to injure themselves. And
people need to know how to get better because if
you just sit on the couch. And hope that your
body is going to heal. It'll heal, but you're not
going to be where you want to be and you're
not going to heal as well as you could. I
think that's one of the great things about this job,
(23:52):
is people are always going to need you. You're never
not going to need somebody to help you get better.
So there's such a high demand for this job. When
I graduated and I started applying, I had, I think,
five job offers within about three weeks. Sometimes you just
get to sit there and to watch people's faces when
you explain to them how much they have gotten better
or to see them come in on their last day
(24:13):
of therapy and they're like, When I came in here,
I could barely walk. And now I'm back running. And
that look on their face and that appreciation they express
to you makes everything worth it.
Narrator (24:23):
Stephanie Chat Tech has a lot of street cred with
this program. What makes it special?
Stephanie Puffer (24:28):
Those students, those students are passionate about what they want
to do, as are our faculty in both of those programs,
very passionate and protective over their profession. Their standards are
and ethical integrity is extremely high. So our students come
out really knowing what they're doing. And that's very well
known in the community. I have graduates that have gone
(24:51):
through the PTA program that have told me time and
time again they're on an interview for their first job
and they say that their employer pretty much says, well,
you graduated from Chatt Tech, we know we're going to hire you.
So that really means something in our community.
Narrator (25:05):
Both PTA and OTA are thriving career opportunities in the
medical field, and both professions can improve their patients quality
of life. Physical therapists assistants help patients who are injured
or seriously ill cope with pain, increase range of motion
and improve endurance, while occupational therapy assistants focus on activities
that are important to their patient's daily lives. OTA's will
need to be creative and those who are structured may
(25:26):
enjoy life as a PTA. If you'd like to learn
more about either of these rewarding careers, visit Chattahoochee Tech. Edu.
Thanks for listening to 98 7 Chatt Tech where 98.7% of
our students earn a career.
You have an opportunity to work in a way that
someone is grateful for you every single day. Grateful for
your knowledge. Grateful for your kindness. Not very many people
get to live their professional life like that. I think
that's a really special thing.
Charles Fowler (00:18):
One of the great things about this job is people
are always going to need you. You're never not going
to need somebody to help you get better. So there's
such a high demand for this job. When I graduated
and I started applying, I had, I think, five job
offers within about three weeks.
Regina Sitterley (00:33):
If you love people and love coaching and love setting
goals and love helping other people reach their goals, I
think that OT is the best career ever. I've been in OT
for 22 years and I love it.
Narrator (00:48):
98 7 Chat Tech. where 98.7% of our students earn a career.
Today's episode is jam packed with a look at the
Physical Therapist Assistant and Occupational Therapy Assistant programs at Chattahoochee
Technical College. We're going to call it PTA and OTA because,
like I said, we're jam packed. We're going to speak
to award winning current students, proud instructors, graduates, the program
(01:11):
directors of each program and employers. There's no time to waste.
So let's meet the Dean of Health Sciences, Stephanie Puffer.
Stephanie Puffer (01:18):
I've been the Dean for two years, and prior to
that I was the Program Director for the Physical Therapist
Assistant program. About six years before that, I was the
clinical coordinator for that program. I've done all the jobs
in those programs.
Narrator (01:31):
Now, what is the difference between OTA and PTA?
Stephanie Puffer (01:34):
Both of these professions are going to make a huge
difference in the lives of the people that they work with.
I often like to say that our paramedic students are
going to save lives and our OTA's and PTA's are going
to improve the quality of their lives. OTA specifically are
going to help people not only overcome an injury and
illness or disability, but they're specifically going to work with
(01:57):
them on what we call activities of daily living. So
all of those things that we, most of us take
for granted, the ability to be independent with feeding and
bathing and toileting and dressing, that's one of the key
focuses for OTA. They also work with their patients around
(02:18):
mental health. They work with a lot. There's more opportunities
to work with pediatrics. For someone who is interested in Pedes,
probably a few more opportunities to do that with OTA
than there is with PTA. OTAs can work in a
variety of settings everything assisted livings, hospitals, schools, skilled nursing facilities,
(02:40):
outpatient clinics, just an enormous number. Even workplaces like some
factories and that kind of thing, both work on like
stretching and movement exercises. But the goal for those exercises
are different. So the OTA is going to be work
on strengthening stretching but specific to help them accomplish one
of those activities of daily living, whereas PTA is more
(03:01):
likely to be doing that mobility for the bigger, most
more gross motor tasks. Although both professions can do fine
motor tasks, both professions can do like hand therapy and
that kind of thing. PTA is also focused a lot
on not just range of motion strength flexibility, but they
also work on things like improving their balance, improving coordination
(03:24):
and helping to relieve pain.
Narrator (03:26):
Can the student do either profession? Is there a type
of personality that works better as one or the other?
Stephanie Puffer (03:32):
The most creative people I've ever met in my whole
life have been occupational therapists or occupational therapist assistants, whereas
the students that are interested in PTA have a real
interest in how the human body works, a lot of
times they were athletes either in high school or in college,
although that is definitely not a prerequisite to being a PTA.
(03:52):
They also can have an enormous impact on the lives
of their patients.
Narrator (03:58):
Let's talk big picture and longevity here. How does the future of these
professions look?
Stephanie Puffer (04:03):
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has both professions growing as
much faster than average, more than 30% between 2020 and 2030.
The average salary for PTAs, according to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, is around $50,000. We're getting feedback that our
(04:23):
students are making about that 50 55,000 a year. For OTA,
also same thing much faster than average. Their median salary,
according to the BLS, is $60,000 a year right now.
And I think it's a little less than that in Georgia.
But it's still it's still it's still a solid salary
for a two year degree. I mean, it's not an
(04:44):
easy two year degree, but it's a two year degree
going to make a good salary.
Narrator (04:48):
What's driving that growth?
Stephanie Puffer (04:49):
The biggest thing really is the aging baby boomers. And
we're living longer than ever. So that means our joints
are wearing out before our bodies wear out. So that's
joint replacement. So PTA work with hip and knee replacements, of course,
and and shoulder replacements. But OTAs also work with upper extremity.
So shoulder elbow hand patients.
Narrator (05:10):
You know what, my 70 year old grandmother, she's really
getting into pickleball. Maybe OTA is what she needs to
turn pro.
Stephanie Puffer (05:16):
Yes. Oh, pickleball. Absolutely. Yeah.
Narrator (05:21):
Thank you, Stephanie. Now let's roll out the red carpet.
It's time for our award winning student, Brianna Miller. Brianna,
come introduce yourself and get your crown. I don't really
have a crown. Sorry.
Brianna Miller (05:31):
Hello. My name is Brianna Miller. I am currently a
Occupational Therapy Assistant student at Chattahoochee Technical College, and I
graduate in December of 2023. I'm also the current GOAL student winner.
I was nominated by my Program Director and one of
my instructors, Dr. Amy Schaefer. It was amazing to be
(05:52):
able to be recognized for my leadership skills, and I'm
so grateful to be able to tell my story, tell
how I got to technical college. I didn't get here
on like a straight and narrow path, but I feel
like that's the beauty of technical colleges, is that you
don't have to take a straight and narrow path to
get here. You just have to get here.
Narrator (06:11):
How'd you get into occupational therapy?
Brianna Miller (06:13):
I got super sick. I had blood clots in my
lungs on December 31st of 2016, a month and a
half prior to that, my aunt, who I am super,
super close with, she had a major stroke. While I
was in the hospital. My aunt came to visit me
with her occupational therapist. I saw that and I was like,
(06:35):
That was so cool. Like, I want to do that.
And then as I think back further, my grandma, she
passed away from health complications with Alzheimer's. She was one
of the reasons I thought I wanted to go into PT,
but on top of helping people like get physically better,
I wanted to have that compassionate component of helping you
(06:56):
get better through meaningful activities and doing the things that
you love. I always have had a heart to help
people and I've always been super, super creative. Occupational therapy
kind of meets at a crossroads of caring about your
physicality muscles and being creative in the interventions that you
come up with and then having that compassion and that
empathy for people and understanding that you have meaningful things
(07:19):
that you need to do that aren't just waking up,
brushing your teeth, going to work, but hanging out with
your friends, having hobbies, all of that stuff. So having
that three point crossroads, that's kind of where occupational therapy
fits in.
Narrator (07:30):
Can you please explain what occupational therapy is?
Brianna Miller (07:33):
Occupational therapy Got it start in the early 1900s, late 1800s.
And it really picked up around the world wars because
they needed rehabilitation aids for soldiers coming back home and
having to learn how to deal with life and do
life with their new injuries. We help people get back
to those meaningful activities that you have to accomplish. Your
(07:55):
job of being a human being happy, healthy and whole.
Narrator (07:58):
What would you say is the most rewarding part of
being an OTA?
Brianna Miller (08:01):
Knowing that what I will do will be able to
give people the ability to live and enjoy life, like
be able to participate anywhere in no matter the size
is a win in occupational therapy, I feel.
Narrator (08:16):
What are student benefits of being in classes with the same cohort?
Brianna Miller (08:19):
While you're in school you grow a bond and you learn great interpersonal skills
with having a cohort that's from different backgrounds. We learn
that we are really good sample piece of what the
reward is going to look like. We're not going to
get people who think like us, who look like us,
who talk like us, who have every single of the
same beliefs like us. No matter what background your patient
(08:41):
comes from, no matter what background you come from, your
job is to help them. And the thing is, is
with occupational therapy, I have found that no matter what
a person's belief is, you will find a common ground.
Narrator (08:52):
Thanks, Brianna. Let's talk to an OTA graduate now. Hey, Casey,
tell us a little bit about yourself.
Casey Jones (08:57):
My name is Casey Jones. I am a coda slash L,
which means I am a certified occupational therapy assistants and licensed.
And I graduated from the Chattahoochee Tech program in 2018.
Narrator (09:12):
Can I get this education anywhere in Georgia?
Casey Jones (09:15):
Occupational therapy is not offered by many schools in Georgia.
At the time that I was looking for the program,
it was only offered by two schools total.
Narrator (09:24):
And why should a student choose Chatt Tech?
Casey Jones (09:26):
Well, at Chatt tech, the teachers really do care about
your success. I am still in contact with my old
teacher and I know she still manages the program. The
labs were very hands on and I still use a
lot of what I learned in the labs today. We
were able to custom fabricate splints and everything that you
would need for the therapy world. They were able to
(09:48):
offer it.
Narrator (09:49):
Can you talk a little bit about the continued benefit
of being in a cohort?
Casey Jones (09:53):
The cohort allows for more developed friendships and friendships that
lasts due to the fact that we're in the same intense.
two year program and it's us together and we're going
through the same problems and difficulties, and then we're in
the same field. And the therapy world we all know
each other. I'm still in contact with all of my cohort,
just about even. We refer each other to jobs and
(10:16):
help each other out with questions in case of specialties
that we run into that one of us might be
specialized in at this point that we weren't specialized in. Now,
therapy offers a lot of specializations, and as we all
went down our own path, we were able to share
with one another. The cohort class is really fantastic for
(10:37):
networking your career.
Narrator (10:38):
What are some of the personal qualities that help a
potential student?
Casey Jones (10:41):
If you are joining this program, it is good to
be empathetic, compassionate, quick learner, able to think on your
feet and flexible.
Narrator (10:52):
What do you like most about being an OTA?
Casey Jones (10:54):
The fact that I am able to change someone's life
and affect it permanently. For example, if I have a
patient that someone told them they would never walk again
and then three months later I'm able to get them
walking again and they start crying. Those moments are what
makes me happy with my career.
Narrator (11:11):
Let's talk to the lead instructor of the OTA program, Dr.
Amy Schaffer. What advice do you have for someone who
might be thinking about restarting their career?
Amy Schaffer (11:18):
I think the hardest part of making that decision to
go back to school, if it's, you know, changing the
trajectory of what you were doing, is to give yourself
permission that it's okay to change your goal and realize
that maybe the goal that thought I wanted isn't quite
the goal that I want anymore now that I've gotten
this close to achieving it. So that was the hardest
part for me, was it wasn't giving me the inner
(11:39):
peace of going to work every day that I have
now in the field. And one of the great things
I think here about Chatt Tech is that there's a lot
of people here that are in that same space that
everybody's not brand new. Fresh from high school and in classes,
we have students from high school on up. Some folks,
even in their 60s or 70s, they're taking classes here
(12:02):
that have realized like, this is an opportunity for me
to to change my goal or to achieve a goal
that I started a long time ago. And it's comfortable.
Like if you walk down the halls here, you fit
in no matter what your age, no matter what you
look like, there's somebody else like you going to school here.
Narrator (12:15):
Can you give us a little more explanation on the
types of things students are going to be studying.
Amy Schaffer (12:19):
A lot about different medical conditions, both physical and mental health,
as well as cognitive health conditions. We have courses in
pediatric development and pediatric health care issues. We have, of course,
in geriatric issues where you learn about the older adult
aging process. We also have classes that develop ones what
(12:43):
we call therapeutic use of self, which is using your
personality as part of your skilled intervention. We also cover,
of course, things such as preparing for your career, interviewing
licensure regulations, certification regulations and entering the profession.
Narrator (12:59):
Go ahead and brag about Chatt Tech facilities or lab life
for the OTA program.
Amy Schaffer (13:03):
In our lab, we have a blend of work areas
that mimic the home environment, but also mimic areas that
one might see out. We have a fully functional kitchen
with a refrigerator, stove oven, dishwasher, sink, kitchen cabinets that
also doubles as our orthotics fabrication lab. So we use
the countertops as a workspace for one more fabricating orthotics.
(13:26):
We have a designated hospital room simulation area, a bariatric
lab to simulate working with persons of size. We have
a student breakroom space in our classroom. We're really fortunate
that all of our students have access to a computer
workstation in our classroom, but we also have some group
(13:48):
work tables so that we can easily move from rows
of computers and students to where they can have a communal,
rounded table space to work face to face with one another.
Narrator (13:57):
All right. Now, here's the question I think a lot
of people listening are probably wondering, when do I start
making the big bucks?
Amy Schaffer (14:03):
Before you can make the big bucks you have to sit
for what is called our national certification exam, which all
occupational therapy practitioners must take in successfully pass before they
can obtain their state license, which would allow them to
practice occupational therapy in the state of Georgia. And at
that point, they're ready to go out into the field
(14:25):
and work for occupational therapy. Gives you the opportunity to
find that niche that makes you happy, but it also
gives you the opportunity to reinvent yourself later. If you're
tired of that niche and move on to a different
place in the therapy space. That's one of the wonderful
things about occupational therapy is that you have the opportunity
to mold yourself and remake yourself and still be working
(14:49):
in the field that you love.
Narrator (14:50):
Let's speak with an employer in the industry with the
owner of Home Therapy Solutions. Please stand up.
Regina Sitterley (14:55):
Yup. I'm Regina. My company is called Home Therapy Solutions.
We've been.
In business now for two and a half years. I'm
an occupational therapist by trade. I graduated in 2002, and
almost all of my experience has been in home health.
In other words, working in the home with senior citizens.
Narrator (15:18):
Tell us a little bit about your company.
Regina Sitterley (15:19):
Home Therapy Solutions is all about empowering seniors to stay
at home. So the significant majority of our population, you know,
the average age is probably about 80. I would say
my favorite people are about 90, though.
Narrator (15:34):
Can you imagine how much of a pickleball hero my
grandmother is going to be when she's 90? What was
your motivation for creating this company?
Regina Sitterley (15:40):
To me, occupational therapy in the home is exactly what
occupational therapy should be, especially with seniors, because their activities
of daily living all are in the home. So it
makes perfect sense that we would see them in their
most functional environment. We have very few competitors in our
(16:03):
area doing this. You could go to an outpatient clinic.
Of course, that's not going to be very functional because
it's in a setting that's not their own setting. So
this the mobile outpatient is a very new concept.
Narrator (16:16):
And what's the most important thing that you look for
in hiring?
Regina Sitterley (16:19):
We are extremely independent. I might not ever see another
clinician until we have a team meeting. So I need
someone who is very competent and independent as well as
a good communicator, having an education that I can count
on and trust. You know, I know that the therapist
(16:39):
when when one of our team members goes to see
a patient, I know that that patient is getting good
quality care. I believe they have a very collaborative environment
where they feel free to say, Here's what I'm dealing with.
What do you think about this?
Narrator (16:54):
Thanks, Regina. Now let's talk to the PTA lead instructor, Dr.
Aaron Freeman. Dr. Freeman, tell us a little bit about
your background.
Aaron Freeman (17:01):
I started a Chatt Tech about two years ago. My background is in clinical
practice as a physical therapist. I worked at Piedmont Hospital
for several years as their lead spine therapist. Before that,
I worked in an outpatient clinic for several years. I
started at Tech as an adjunct instructor, just teaching one
class part time, and then eventually I moved out to
(17:22):
be the program director again, like I said about two
years ago,
Narrator (17:25):
What's one quality that a PTA student can't live without?
Aaron Freeman (17:28):
I do think you do need to have a drive
to work with the general public, to work with often
people who are not feeling well because that's the whole
reason why they're in physical therapy is because they have
some sort of health or medical problem. I have a
big love for not having a desk job and I
don't work alone or in a lab. That's something that
you would want to prefer as well, is that you
(17:49):
also would want to work with the public and not
work alone.
Narrator (17:52):
Chatt Tech is a very hands on school and PTA
is a very hands on profession. I feel like there
might be a good bit of bookwork in class though,
am I right?
Aaron Freeman (17:59):
That's a little bit of a loaded question because of
all the hands on knowledge that we use, of which
there's quite a bit. We teach physical like manual skills
how to do things like massage and joint mobilizations and
passive movements where you move the person's body for them.
So we teach lots of physical manual movements, but they're
(18:22):
also all based in academic knowledge because you can't safely
do massage or you can't safely do like advanced joint
mobilization technique without understanding the anatomy and the physiology and
the pathology of everything that's behind those movements. It's behind
those motions. So it's a little bit of a loaded question.
We have a. I would say it's it's a pretty
(18:45):
good mix of academic and physical knowledge. That's actually something
that a lot of people really enjoy about the profession
is you take all of your academic knowledge, we teach
all these things and then we turn it around and
use it and apply it.
Narrator (19:00):
And what does the job market look like right now?
Aaron Freeman (19:02):
Well, right now the job market is red hot for
physical therapy assistance. There are so many openings, the job
market is so hot that they're willing to hire people
who don't who literally can't even practice yet. They're just
hoping that they will pass their exam and they'll be ready.
Narrator (19:17):
Thanks, Dr. Freeman. Finally, let's speak with a graduate of
the PTA program, Charles Fowler. Tell us a little bit
about yourself and when you graduated from Tech.
Charles Fowler (19:24):
Hi, my name is Charles Fowler. I graduated from the
Chattahoochee Technical College Physical Therapist Assistant program in December of 2022,
and I am currently employed as a physical therapist assistant
with PT Solutions.
Narrator (19:37):
What made you choose PTA?
Charles Fowler (19:39):
I have always been interested in helping people recover from
injuries or kind of improve their physical fitness. I got
very interested into in the gym and working out about
9 or 10 years ago. And then I have been
through physical therapy myself with football injuries in high school,
which is a pretty common theme for a lot of people.
(20:01):
They get injured and they experience the patient side of
physical therapy and then they get interested in becoming a
physical therapist or a physical therapist assistant themselves. And so
that's what ended up drawing me to Chattahoochee Tech. As
I looked around, I saw that they had a great program.
It was very highly spoken of, so I got interested and applied.
Narrator (20:21):
How did Chatt Tech become such a good resource for
the PTA industry?
Charles Fowler (20:25):
I think a big reason of that is because they
keep things so personal in the program. They don't accept
a whole lot of people, the people they do accept.
It's very difficult to get into that program because they
keep the classes so small so that they can give
you as much time and attention as you need to
(20:45):
make sure that you are getting through the class. Something
that Chattahoochee Tech does really well is they keep the
classes small and they help each individual person get through
the program. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. I'm
I'm not good if I have to sit in a
classroom and listen to a lecture, I'm going to miss
half the information versus when we're in the lab and
(21:07):
we're doing stuff hands on. I pick it up really,
really quick. And my teachers always noticed that. So they
knew to help me with lecture stuff. They knew to
give me study tips. They knew to try and help
me focus on getting information from the lecture because they
knew once I was in the lab they didn't have
to pay as much attention to me because they could
(21:28):
just show it to me once and I was going
to get it. And I think that's something that they
did really, really well, that other schools may not do
so well because they're just trying to fit as many
students as possible into each cohort every year.
Narrator (21:39):
What did you find the most interesting at Chatt Tech?
Charles Fowler (21:41):
When we first got accepted into the program, one of
the first things you do is you have an orientation
day and part of that is the previous cohort. So
the current seniors come in and do a Q&A session.
And one of the things the seniors in that class
talked about was how close they became with their classmates.
And they said they become like your family and they
(22:02):
are the people you rely on going through this course
because nobody else understands, none of your family understands, none
of your friends understand because this is a specialized field
and the only people who are experiencing it with you
are your classmates. And I sat there and listen to
that and I was like, Yeah, sure, whatever. I'm kind
of an introvert, so I'm not really going to become
(22:23):
good friends with my classmates. I'll just go through and
do the work. But by the end of it you do.
You become so close with all of your classmates because
you're all going through this incredibly difficult and stressful program,
and the only people that get it are the people
who are sitting next to you while you're taking your
final and you're stressing out. So for someone like me
(22:43):
who like I was saying, I do really well in
the lab, I could help people get their palpation skills down.
I could help them remember the special tests. I had
no problem if somebody was doing something to me. I'm like, Well,
you're not really on that muscle. You're kind of on
this muscle. Move your hand here. And it was like, Oh,
thank you, I understand it. And then you flip it.
And I would ask that same person who was having something,
(23:05):
who was struggling in lab, I'd turn around and be like,
I need a mnemonic to remember this set of muscles
or something. And they would have something. They're like, Oh, well,
I used this and it really helped me remember it.
And I was like, Oh my goodness, thank you. Now
I can start studying that and stop worrying about how
I can't remember things. So having those friends together really
(23:26):
helps you throughout the whole program.
Narrator (23:28):
Charles Why should a student choose PTA?
Charles Fowler (23:31):
First off, there's so much demand for this. We are
always going to be in need. People are always going
to hurt themselves. They're always going to injure themselves. And
people need to know how to get better because if
you just sit on the couch. And hope that your
body is going to heal. It'll heal, but you're not
going to be where you want to be and you're
not going to heal as well as you could. I
think that's one of the great things about this job,
(23:52):
is people are always going to need you. You're never
not going to need somebody to help you get better.
So there's such a high demand for this job. When
I graduated and I started applying, I had, I think,
five job offers within about three weeks. Sometimes you just
get to sit there and to watch people's faces when
you explain to them how much they have gotten better
or to see them come in on their last day
(24:13):
of therapy and they're like, When I came in here,
I could barely walk. And now I'm back running. And
that look on their face and that appreciation they express
to you makes everything worth it.
Narrator (24:23):
Stephanie Chat Tech has a lot of street cred with
this program. What makes it special?
Stephanie Puffer (24:28):
Those students, those students are passionate about what they want
to do, as are our faculty in both of those programs,
very passionate and protective over their profession. Their standards are
and ethical integrity is extremely high. So our students come
out really knowing what they're doing. And that's very well
known in the community. I have graduates that have gone
(24:51):
through the PTA program that have told me time and
time again they're on an interview for their first job
and they say that their employer pretty much says, well,
you graduated from Chatt Tech, we know we're going to hire you.
So that really means something in our community.
Narrator (25:05):
Both PTA and OTA are thriving career opportunities in the
medical field, and both professions can improve their patients quality
of life. Physical therapists assistants help patients who are injured
or seriously ill cope with pain, increase range of motion
and improve endurance, while occupational therapy assistants focus on activities
that are important to their patient's daily lives. OTA's will
need to be creative and those who are structured may
(25:26):
enjoy life as a PTA. If you'd like to learn
more about either of these rewarding careers, visit Chattahoochee Tech. Edu.
Thanks for listening to 98 7 Chatt Tech where 98.7% of
our students earn a career.
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