2022 South University, Richmond graduate Amy Wright Owens was driven to become a physical therapist assistant after seeing first-hand how these professionals can change lives. “When my mom had a stroke, just seeing the impact the physical therapists and their assistants had on my mom's life and the other patients made me realize that was something I wanted to do,” she explained.Pursuing a physical therapy assistant role was a midlife career change for Amy, and she felt confident that the satisfaction she would gain from the job was worth it. When reading up on Physical Therapist Assistant programs in Virginia, Amy came across South University. “When I started researching schools in the area that had a physical therapist assistant degree or program, South had the best student reviews,” she recalled.
With the help of the Admissions team, Amy enrolled and started class in the Associate of Applied Science in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program at South University, Richmond. As a student, her classroom and clinical experiences focused on preparing her to assist physical therapists in implementing treatment programs according to a plan of care.
“It wasn't just the textbook information and knowledge. It was also the clinical settings,” she said. “Whether it was outpatient or inpatient, those stories from real-life settings and real-life patients helped to put things in perspective and make things a little bit more real.”
In the PTA program, Amy also studied how to train patients in exercises and activities of daily living, conduct treatments using special equipment, administer modalities and other treatment procedures, and report to the physical therapist on the patient's responses.
Amy completed her PTA associate degree in 2022. She felt well-prepared to enter the workforce. “With South, there wasn't anything that I felt I was missing or lacking. The professors really do care,” she shared. “There was never a time that I had a question that wasn't answered. [...] I don't know that any other program has professors that actually care like ours did.”
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Graduates are required to pass the national certification exam and obtain a state license in order to work in the field. (Exam names vary by program) Please refer to the State Professional Licensure Determination and National Certification/Licensure section of the University catalog for additional information. South University cannot guarantee each graduate will pass the required licensure examinations. South University does not promise or guarantee licensure, employment, or salary amounts.
South University, Richmond, and South University, Virginia Beach, are certified to operate in the Commonwealth of Virginia pursuant to Title 23, Chapter 21.1, §23-276.4 of the Code of Virginia by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (James Monroe Building, 101 North 14th St; Richmond, VA 23219; 804-225-2600; www.schev.edu).
Testimonials have been provided by students/alumni in their own words and without coercion. This spotlight is based on information shared by Amy Wright Owens published originally on YouTube in October 2023.
