Perfect Pass Rate for Physical Therapist Assistant Students

An unfortunate injury put David Love '23 on the path to a rewarding career and, along the way, a place in a "perfect" graduating class of Onondaga Community College Physical Therapist Assistant students.

Love began exercising at a young age as a way of shedding a few extra pounds. But while training during his sophomore year at Corcoran High School, he injured his "SI joint" which links the pelvis and lower spine. His recovery included physical therapy. From the moment he realized the positive impact physical therapy could have, it became his career focus.

That brought Love to OCC and the Physical Therapist Assistant program. In 2023, he was one of 10 OCC students to complete his degree and pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). The four-hour-long exam requires substantial problem solving and critical thinking, and is mandatory for anyone who wants to obtain a license to practice as a Physical Therapist Assistant.

Love and his classmates had a 100% first-time pass rate with their NPTE. The national first-time pass rate is 89%. "I am very proud," said Love. For everyone in the class to do so well reflects on how dedicated and hardworking both our entire class and our instructors truly are."

One of Love's classmates, Alyssa Congel, echoed those sentiments. "I am beyond proud of all of us that we passed the boards on the first try. It definitely was not easy but we all put in the hard work and effort. We all had the goal of getting OCC's PTA program a 100% pass rate and we were successful!"

Congel is a 2021 graduate of West Genesee High School who, like Love, found her career motivation due to an injury. She damaged her rotator cuff while playing tennis. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons which surround the shoulder.

Another successful graduate of the program, Kate Trousdale, has a similar story. The 2006 Auburn High School graduate had gone through physical therapy numerous times and found the process fascinating. She had earned a Biology degree from Clarkson University, but remained interested in Physical Therapy. When Covid hit and she lost her job, she decided to pursue what she truly wanted to do. 

OCC's PTA program is led by Kristen Lounsbery, PT, DPT, MSEd, ACCE, and Tammy Lytle PT, DPT, GCS, CEEAA. "They were amazing instructors. I was very well prepared to both pass the Board exam and begin working as a PTA," said Love who now works in an outpatient orthopedic setting.

"Our professors were absolutely amazing and I couldn't have asked for better instructors," added Congel who is employed at Accent Physical Therapy in East Syracuse. "Our professors made sure we were all as prepared as we could be for everything we did, from taking exams, doing check-offs, clinicals, the boards, to getting us ready for the working environment."

"I cannot speak highly enough about the professors," said Trousdale who now works at Cayuga Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy, known as COAST, in Auburn. "They are amazing educators; smart, helpful, compassionate, caring, and thoroughly versed in not only the field, but how to teach students the information they need to be successful in the classroom and in life." 

The deadline for the next class of students to apply is fast approaching. Applications and corresponding documentation submitted by March 1 will receive full consideration for acceptance into the program. Applications received after March 1 will be considered based on the number of spaces available for the fall semester.