Are you looking for a rewarding career in health care and aspire to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives on a regular basis? If the idea of working with patients to help them return back to their prior level of mobility and function with physical therapy is appealing, then IOT’s Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program can put you on this path in just a short time.
Believing in Your Success
At IOT, we want to see you reach all of your learning and career goals, which is why we offer an integrated learning experience in the classroom, lab, and clinic to develop your application of knowledge, communication, ethical & legal judgement, critical thinking, and problem solving skills
Your PTA training immerses you in the real world of your specialty from day one in the classroom, so you can be ready for day one on the job.
Skills and knowledge areas of focus include:
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Introduction to Physical Therapy
• Functional Anatomy
• Kinesiology
• Patient Care
• Neuromuscular Rehabilitation
• Therapeutic Exercise
What can I do?
As a graduate of IOT’s PTA program, you can take on a variety of exciting opportunities in this growing field. You’ll be able to work at:
• Hospitals
• Private Physical Therapy Offices
• Rehabilitation Centers
• Home Health Agencies
• And more!
Please review our Prospective Student Handout for our Clovis Main Campus, Modesto Branch Campus, or Redding Branch Campus.
Our Educators
Clovis Main Campus
Heather Porter, MPT
In 2000, Heather received her Master’s in Physical Therapy from California State University, Fresno. Since then, she has worked in a variety of settings including Acute Inpatient, Rehabilitation, Home Health, and Skilled Nursing, however, her area of clinical expertise is Outpatient Orthopedic therapy, especially soft tissue mobilization for chronic pain. Additionally, she is an Equine Sports Massage Therapist and loves being anywhere around horses. Recently, Heather transitioned from clinical work to academia and is now the new Director of Clinical Education and instructor in the PTA program at the Institute of Technology, Clovis campus. Heather and her husband are kept very busy with their two daughters, two German shepherd puppies and tending to 2.5 acres in Clovis. Additionally, Heather enjoys Pilates, gardening, watching her girls play soccer and water polo, and traveling.
Adeel H. Rizvi, PT, DPT:
Adeel H. Rizvi, PT, DPT is a licensed Physical Therapist (PT) and the Director of the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program at the Clovis Campus. He holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and is currently pursuing a PhD in Health Sciences with a concentration in Global Health Education and Research. Prior to his appointment Dr. Rizvi has aided in the development of two PTA programs and looks forward to developing the program for IOT. He also brings with him over fifteen years of experience in the field, where he has acted in various capacities, including PT Aide, PTA, PT, Consultant, and Associate Director. Dr. Rizvi is the recipient of several awards, with the most recent being a Certificate of Recognition from the California Legislature Assembly for his work with uninsured and underserved patients and families of Orange County, CA.
Redding Branch Campus
Jeff Hepburn, Physical Therapist Assistant Director of Clinical Education
Jeff Hepburn, PTA, is a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) and the Director of Clinical Education for the (PTA) program at the Redding Campus. He brings over ten years of clinical experience that includes Sports Medicine, Skilled Nursing, Long Term Care, Hand Therapy, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Home Healthcare, Manual Therapy, Acute Rehab, Orthopedics, and Aquatic Therapy. Jeff’s administration experience includes OSHA and Compliance officer, Consultant, Staff Development, Clinical Coordinator and Director of Rehabilitation. In his off time Jeff enjoys fitness, music, arts and spending time with family.
Josh Green, Physical Therapist Assistant Program Director
Joshua Green, PT, MAPT, is a licensed Physical Therapist (PT) and the Program Director of the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program at the Redding Campus. He brings over twenty years of experience in the field including comprehensive outpatient orthopaedic, neurologic, sports and work hardening management. Additionally, he has extensive inpatient experience including acute rehabilitation, skilled nursing, long term acute care, wound care, and bariatric management. When he is not developing the PTA Program for IOT Redding he is usually found on a soccer pitch where he coaches U11B and U19G soccer teams, referees locally from recreational play to semi-pro level matches, and enjoys multi-modal exercise.
Modesto Branch Campus
Jimmy Pacini, PTA, MAEd Program Director
Jimmy Pacini, PTA, MAEd, is a licensed physical therapist assistant and the Program Director for the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program. He has clinical experience in hospital-based outpatient care, specializing in orthopedic and neurological conditions. While working for Community Regional Medical Centers at Community Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, he was responsible for organizing clinical staff in-services as well as managing physical therapy aides. He became an American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Credentialed Clinical Instructor and supervised PTA students for three years during his time at Community Outpatient Rehabilitation Center. His master’s degree is in adult education and training and he has previous experience in post-secondary education as he was an instructor for an aide training program as well as served as the Director of Clinical Education for two other PTA programs. Jimmy has been active in the APTA which has led to positions at the local district, state, and national levels. He has served in various roles such as San Joaquin Valley District PTA Representative, California PTA Caucus Representative, PTA Caucus Delegate, APTA Advocacy Awards Committee Member, and several other elected and appointed positions. He is also a member of the APTA Education, Neurology, and Orthopaedics Sections. His passion for professional advocacy has led to participation in several lobbying days at the state and national level as well as several speaking opportunities on current professional issues and ethics in physical therapy including at national APTA conferences.
Kate Salamon, Director of Clinical Education
Kate Salamon, PT, DPT, MPA has been a licensed physical therapist since 1972 and presently serves as Director of Clinical Education for the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program. She has been a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) since she was a student PT. At present, she is also a member of the Geriatric Section and has been a member of other clinical specialty groups in the past. She has published research and had the opportunity to present a research project at an APTA Combined Sections Meeting. Kate began her career as a pediatric physical therapist at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, where she also worked per diem for California Children’s Services. She has also practiced in acute care, outpatient departments, for school districts, home health, and has management experience from two different rehabilitation hospitals as well as owning her own physical therapy business. After achieving a master’s degree, Kate began her career in teaching. Prior to coming to IOT, she was part of both distance education as well as on ground PT programs which included serving as the Director of Clinical Education for two different PT educational programs. There have been changes in physical therapy since she began but the basic desire to care for others has always been foremost in practice for Kate. She continues to practice in home health on a per diem basis. Kate is excited to be part of IOT’s PTA program in Modesto. She is always eager to share knowledge of and enthusiasm for the profession to help students develop into excellent practitioners.
Hours of Instruction/Program Length
This program is 1,573 hours and 65.5 semester credit hours. Classes are held Monday through Thursday for 80 weeks. An Independent Study component is included. See your admissions representative for available class times.
MODESTO CAMPUS: Some classes within the PTA program contain distance education coursework. Distance education coursework is completed at a location determined by the student.
Get Started
Contact us today to learn more about this program and see how you can start your career in healthcare.
Where can I learn?
IOT offers Physical Therapist Assistant training at:
Campuses offering our Physical Therapist Assistant program:
Credit Hours: 65.5 semester credit hours
For a breakdown of program costs, view our Tuition and Expenses page.
The performance numbers listed here represent the 2020 Completion and Placement Rates for the Clovis Main Campus. The PTA program at the Modesto and Redding Branch Campuses are new and do not have data to report in 2020.
ACCSC Graduation Rate: 94%
ACCSC Placement Rate: 68%
Placement Rate Methodology: All students who completed the program and started between March 1, 2017 and February 28, 2018 are included in this calculation. 0% of the graduates (or 0 graduates), have been included in the placement rate calculation, which have been waived for placement for one of the following reasons: death, incarceration, active military service deployment, the onset of a medical condition that prevents employment, or they were an international student who returned to their country of origin, or they continued their education in an accredited institution of higher education (postsecondary) on at least a half-time basis. These waivers have been included in the calculation in compliance with ACCSC Standards of Accreditation for calculating programmatic placement rates.
ACCSC License Examination Pass Rate: 75%
BPPE 150% Graduation Rate: 92%
BPPE Placement Rate: 56%
Placement Rate Methodology: All students who completed the program within 150% of normal program length and were scheduled to graduate in 2019 are included in this calculation. 0% of the graduates, (or 0 graduates), have been included in the placement rate calculation, which have been waived for placement for one of the following reasons: death, become incarcerated, are called to active military duty, are international students that leave the United States or do not have a visa allowing employment in the United States, or are continuing their education in an accredited or bureau-approved postsecondary institution. These waivers have been included in the calculation in compliance with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education regulations for calculating annual programmatic placement rates.
BPPE License Examination Pass Rate: 44%
Graduates of this program are trained for employment in any of the following Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Codes.
| SOC Code | Occupation |
|---|---|
| 31-2021 | Physical Therapist Assistants |
- Program Cost
-
Credit Hours: 65.5 semester credit hours
For a breakdown of program costs, view our Tuition and Expenses page.
- Program Performance
-
The performance numbers listed here represent the 2020 Completion and Placement Rates for the Clovis Main Campus. The PTA program at the Modesto and Redding Branch Campuses are new and do not have data to report in 2020.
ACCSC Graduation Rate: 94%
ACCSC Placement Rate: 68%
Placement Rate Methodology: All students who completed the program and started between March 1, 2017 and February 28, 2018 are included in this calculation. 0% of the graduates (or 0 graduates), have been included in the placement rate calculation, which have been waived for placement for one of the following reasons: death, incarceration, active military service deployment, the onset of a medical condition that prevents employment, or they were an international student who returned to their country of origin, or they continued their education in an accredited institution of higher education (postsecondary) on at least a half-time basis. These waivers have been included in the calculation in compliance with ACCSC Standards of Accreditation for calculating programmatic placement rates.ACCSC License Examination Pass Rate: 75%
BPPE 150% Graduation Rate: 92%
BPPE Placement Rate: 56%
Placement Rate Methodology: All students who completed the program within 150% of normal program length and were scheduled to graduate in 2019 are included in this calculation. 0% of the graduates, (or 0 graduates), have been included in the placement rate calculation, which have been waived for placement for one of the following reasons: death, become incarcerated, are called to active military duty, are international students that leave the United States or do not have a visa allowing employment in the United States, or are continuing their education in an accredited or bureau-approved postsecondary institution. These waivers have been included in the calculation in compliance with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education regulations for calculating annual programmatic placement rates.BPPE License Examination Pass Rate: 44%
- Occupational Outcomes
-
Graduates of this program are trained for employment in any of the following Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Codes.
SOC Code Occupation 31-2021 Physical Therapist Assistants
Program Accreditation
Clovis Main Campus:
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Institute of Technology is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (559) 297-4500 or email arizvi@iot.edu.
Modesto Branch Campus:
Graduation from a physical therapist assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states.
Institute of Technology – Modesto is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist assistant education program from CAPTE. The program is planning to submit an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage, on June 1, 2021. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to the implementation of the technical phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in technical courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.
Redding Branch Campus:
Effective 10/29/2019, the Institute of Technology – Redding Campus 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 530-224-1000 or email jgreen@iot.edu.
Candidate for Accreditation is a pre-accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates that the program is progressing toward accreditation and may matriculate students in technical/professional courses. Candidate for Accreditation is not an accreditation status nor does it assure eventual accreditation.
File a Comment or Concern
If you would like to file a formal complaint about our Physical Therapist Assistant program, please use this form.
What our graduates say
I now have the best job working with the Electronic Medical Records implementation team at St. Agnes Medical Center and I love it! I am looking forward to a great future! I am truly grateful I chose IOT and hope I make them all proud!
