Home » Programs of Study » Allied Health » Physical Therapist Assistant » PTA Program Outcomes 2001-2007

PTA Program Outcomes 2001-2007

MHCC: A Leader in PTA Education

The MHCC PTA Program currently continues a long tradition as a leader in PTA education nationwide.

• 89% of admitted students graduated from the program (2005-2007)
• 100% of the graduates passed the licensing exam – well above the national average (3-year average for 2004-2006)
• 100% of those program graduates responding to surveys are employed (3-year average for 2004-2006)

Outcomes

MHCC graduated its first Physical Therapist Assistants in 1970. In 1971, the Oregon Physical Therapy Licensing Board (OPTLB) began administering the PT Assistant exam. Since that time, all but one of MHCC graduates that took the exam have passed, and 95 percent have passed on the first attempt. Not all graduates elected to take the exam; some took the exam in other states, which makes tracking difficult. In 1984, the OPTLB raised the passing score, making it the highest score for PTAs in the nation. This meant that a MHCC graduate, upon passing the exam, could essentially practice anywhere in the United States. In 1996, the OPTLB adopted a new system of determining the passing score on exams called “criterion referenced scoring”. This system has been adopted by virtually all of the US jurisdictions that license PTAs, thus continuing the assurance that individuals who pass the licensing exam in Oregon will continue to meet the qualifications to practice anywhere

For further details, please see the accompanying charts.