Advisors:
Dr. Matthew Wilson PT, DPT
Program Director
mawilson@collegeofthedesert.edu
Accreditation:
Effective April 25, 2023, College of the Desert's Physical Therapist Assistant Program
has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation
in Physical Therapy Education (3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia
22305-3085; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org). If needing to contact
the program/institution directly, please call 760-773-2578 or email PTAAdmissions@collegeofthedesert.edu.
Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.
Student Information
Welcome to your future in the Physical Therapy Profession. Below you will find information necessary to complete your provisional admission status. Please check this page frequently for updated information and dates. Once you have started your first physical therapist assistant course, you will no longer need to visit this page.
Completing these items will help you prepare for starting the PTA program. The PTA program is unlike any other courses you have taken. It is extremely rigorous and demanding. We believe that good quality preparation sets you up for success.
This webpage is only for students that have submitted an application to the PTA program and have been offered a provisional seat in the program. Please visit the program website for information about the program and how to apply: https://www.collegeofthedesert.edu/students/acad-prog/health-sciences/physical-therapy-asst/default.php
PTA Program Provisional Admission Checklist
Please use the information below to guide you in the requirements for a successful start to the Physical Therapist Assistant program. Please note that no late submissions will be accepted. Any submissions not completed on time may result in forfeiture of your seat.
Confirmation of the student's desire to accept a seat in the Physical Therapist Assistant program is required. By emailing Dr. Wilson at mawilson@collegeofthedesert.edu
Deadline 1/31/2024
Activate and check your mycod email daily. This will be the only means of official communication from the department during the program. For those students without COD email, once you have obtained a "mycod" email account, please notify PTAAdmissions@collegeofthedesert.edu so we can update your records. It is imperative that we have the updated email address as soon as it is available.
Please call and make an appointment with Dr. Stockwell by February 9th. Call 760-773-2578.
Appointments must be completed with Dr. Stockwell by March 1st. Dr. Stockwell offers both in person and meetings via Zoom.
The PTA program uses Evalue, onboarding software, to house required facility documents for clearance to begin clinicals. You will be required to attend one of the following trainings:
| Program | Date 1 | Date 2 |
| PTA Program |
Wednesday March 6th 9:00 am - 11:00 am |
Thursday March 7th 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm |
The completion of your background and drug screen must be within the dates given, not before, not after. Please use this form to order your Background Screening and/or drug screen. There are two steps to this process:
1. Complete the form and submit, the vendor will send a lab slip to your email usually within 48-72 hours.
2. Go to a lab listed on your form to submit your specimen for testing.
Failure to complete them in the timeframe listed may result in forfeiture of your seat. Please see the due dates below.
| Program | Background Check & Drug Screen |
| PTA Program | 03/18/24-03/28/2024 |
All students are required to upload all required documents by 4/30/24. Students will learn of the required documents and titers during Evalue training.
If you are currently enrolled in a class please submit a current grade report by 4/5/24.
Required uniforms for the program take approximately two months from order date to arrival. Please follow these instructions: How to Order Polo
Students are required to have one program polo to be worn for events and certain practicals.
All provisionally accepted students are required to attend New Student Orientation (NSO). These have been planned to introduce students to the program, requirements, orientation to the department, and familiarity with policies and procedures. At NSO you will meet your instructors, fellow students, and get set up for success.
Date: Wednesday May 15th
Times: 8:30 - 11:30 am
Location: Nursing 7
Click here for a campus map.
Frequently Asked Questions when completing Onboarding documentation:
- What is "onboarding"? The process of being cleared by the hospitals and facilities in order to do clinical rotations as a part of your class. The process requires several lab tests, vaccinations, paperwork, background/drug screen, etc.
- Where will I submit all of this paperwork? Through Evalue, for information on evalue training, see above.
- Who do I contact if I have questions? Ms. Yamaguchi.
- What is a titer? Titers are labs that show whether or not you have immunity or antibodies to specific diseases. Titers will require you to have a lab order from your doctor and then get blood drawn.
- What if my titer results come back indicating I am not immune? If you are not fully immune to the diseases on the list, you will need a "booster" shot.
- Will proof of my vaccines from when I was a child work for onboarding? No. The only way you can prove clearance or immunity to a disease is through titers.
- When do I register for my classes? The PTA program will register you for all program courses.
- How do I make an appointment with the counselor? Call 760-773-2578 to make an appointment with the nursing counselor, or stop by the front desk in the Barker Nursing Complex.
Whether students require financial aid or not, please complete the FAFSA. Consideration for some scholarships will require FAFSA on record.
Start saving your money. The first semester will cost you approximately $1969 (including onboarding and textbook costs). The remainder of the program will cost approximately $1404 over the remaining 2 semesters.
Our programs are very rigorous. You will want to get your personal and home life organized for maximum efficiency.
We highly recommend that you request a reduction of work hours once the program starts. We recommend, based on success statistics, you work no more than 12 hours per week. Additionally, night shifts are not permitted prior to any days of clinical.
