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PTA Education Summit

The PTA Education Summit seeks to engage stakeholders in a process that envisions PTA Education to meet the evolving needs of our patients and the profession.

The APTA Academy of Education PTA Education Summit is a program created to engage relevant stakeholders to identify strengths and challenges in contemporary physical therapist assistant (PTA) education, and to formulate prioritized recommendations for future work to advance PTA education to better meet the demands of contemporary physical therapy.

The Summit concept was identified as the best way to move forward after the results of the Academy's PTA Education Trends Task Force were presented in 2019. This format will allow for the engagement and participation of many different stakeholders affected by the role and education of the physical therapist assistant to include:

  • PTA clinicians
  • PT Clinicians who work with/supervise PTAs
  • PT educators who collaborate with PTA programs
  • Employers
  • FSBPT/CAPTE
  • APTA components
  • APTA Academy of Education
  • Academic Administration (Dean, provost, etc...)
  • PTA program faculty
  • Clinical Instructors/CCCEs/DCEs
  • PT/PTA Clinical Consortia
  • Health Policy Advocates

The PTA Education Summit Task Force structured the Summit to occur in three sequential phases to achieve its goals.

Phase 1: During this phase, key stakeholders (PTA and DPT educators, PT and PTA clinicians and PTA students) were surveyed about their perceptions of the strengths and challenges that exist in contemporary physical therapist assistant (PTA) education and practice.

Phase 2: Engagement in the second phase of the PTA Education Summit allows YOUR voice to be heard! Phase 2 is presented in four interactive micro-learning modules. The first three include lessons that promote a shared understanding, so all participants have a common foundation from which to engage in the fourth module and collaborate with other stakeholders in a facilitated dialog around key questions.

All stakeholders, internal and external to the profession, are invited to engage in this virtual asynchronous event from November 1 to December 15, 2021. The virtual format allows participants to engage from any location with internet access during the times that fit with personal schedules.

Phase 3: This third and final phase of the PTA Education Summit is a facilitated virtual discussion that will utilize the qualitative and quantitative input generated from the 2 previous phases. The goal for Phase 3 is to generate and prioritize consensus-driven recommendations for future work that will advance PTA education to better meet the future demands of clinical practice.

Phase 3 of the PTA Education Summit is scheduled on February 25-26, 2022 in a virtual format with approximately 35 stakeholder representative participants and 10 observers. Stakeholder representatives are being selected with the following criteria

  • A vested interest in the future of PTA education and practice (PTAs, PTs, any other stakeholders) Prior participation in the Phase 2 Summit Engagement activities
  • Demonstrated leadership experience
  • The ability to bring a unique perspective to the process, authentically listen to other perspectives, and think strategically about future needs.
  • Available to attend virtual meetings on February 25 & 26, 2022.

Overview of Summit Timeline

Q&A video about the Summit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcmEE0br9oY

The ultimate goal of the Summit is to provide the foundation for a long-term strategic plan for the future of PTA education.
The charge given to the PTA Education Summit Task Force by the APTA Academy of Education is to plan a virtual summit to:
  • engage relevant stakeholders to identify strengths and challenges in contemporary physical therapist assistant (PTA) education and practice, and to
  • formulate prioritized recommendations for future work to advance PTA education to better meet the demands of contemporary physical therapy practice.

Please utilize any and/or all of these mechanisms to ask questions and/or provide comments about the PTA Education Summit.

Live/virtual forums for questions/comments:
Townhall opportunities

  • PTA Education Summit Townhall sponsored by the PTAE SIG occurred via Zoom on September 2, 2021
    • Please click here to access the Zoom recording.
    • After viewing the recording if you have comments or questions please click here to complete our google form. Your thoughts and feedback are greatly appreciated. If you ask a question and provide your name and email, someone from the PTA Education Summit Task Force will respond within 5-7 days

CSM 2022 in San Antonio, TX

  • The PTA Education Summit Task Force will be holding this open forum and providing an update on the PTA Education Summit.
    • Session title: The PTA Education Summit: Public Forum and Update
    • Session date/time: CSM 2022 in San Antonio, TX - February 3, 2020 at 3:00 pm

If you have questions/thoughts/concerns to share, you can email the PTA Eddducation Summit Task Force directly at ptaesummit@aptaeducation.org.