Physical Therapist Assistant

Dr. Christopher Caputi, PT, DPT
Program Director/Associate Professor
Physical Therapist Assistant Faculty
585-343-0055 x6408
cdcaputi@hkange.net

Dr. Caputi received a Master’s degree in physical therapy from D’Youville College in Buffalo, NY and earned a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.  Dr. Caputi currently teaches a variety of classes in physical therapy techniques and Applied Kinesiology.   He received the 2015 S.U.N.Y. Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at GCC.  Since joining GCC in 2007, Chris has served as the advisor to the PT Assistant Club.  He has been active in the American Physical Therapy Association and its local chapters, offering lectures on orthopedic topics as well as best practices for collaboration between PTs and the Physical Therapist Assistant.

Dr. Caputi holds certification in the McKenzie approach to mechanical treatment of the spine and also is a certified SpiderTech Taping therapist.  In 2015, he gained certification from the Titleist Performance Institute in Golf swing analysis and physical assessment of the golfer.  He continues his clinical practice in outpatient therapy, Pro Bono work, and private consultation.

John Love
Instructor/Coordinator of Clinical Education
Physical Therapist Assistant Program
585-343-0055 x6366
jalove@hkange.net

John Love graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland with a BA in Biology. He then graduated with his MS PT from Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions where he was awarded the William McBeth Research Award. His clinical experience in developmental centers; preschools; Early Intervention; and outpatient, inpatient, and rehabilitation practice at the University of Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital have provided him with a background to develop teaching expertise in the areas of pediatric, inpatient, outpatient, and neurological rehabilitation. John was awarded Board Certified Specialist in Neurologic physical therapy by the American Physical Therapy Association. His teaching background includes six years of development and teaching for the Nazareth College Physical Therapy program and additional instruction for the Ithaca College Physical Therapy program.

PTAs are listed as an occupation projected to have strong growth into the future. Career opportunity information can be found at www.PTJobs.com, Career Services, www.physicaltherapy.com/jobs, www.careeronestop.org, www.labor.ny.gov/stats/, www.careerbuilder.com, www.cs.ny.gov, www.indeed.com, and www.monster.com.

Employment Rates of Program Graduates (Average for graduating classes of 2021 & 2022)

100% of our graduates who sought employment were employed as a PTA within one year of graduation.

Average for 2022 & 2023

100% of all applicants who met the minimum academic prerequisite score (in math, biology and chemistry/physics) and submitted a complete application were offered acceptance into the program. 71% of accepted students matriculated by enrolling in the program. A new class of students starts the technical course sequence every fall semester. Applicants are advised to complete the three academic prerequisite courses (math, biology and chemistry/physics) by the end of the fall semester, so they will have a complete application by January 15th of the same year they desire to start the technical course sequence. Qualified applicants will be accepted into the summer if spots remain open after the January 15th application deadline.

Average for 2022 & 2023 graduating classes

64% of the students who started the program completed the program within a two year period. If non-academic reasons, such as family/health issues and deciding a career change, are excluded from the 2 year average calculation, then the two year average graduation rate is 81%.

Average for 2021 & 2022

89.5% of our graduates who took this exam have passed it. (63% of our graduates have passed this exam on the first attempt.) The score to pass this exam is set nationally, but each state has separate registration requirements. Please visit www.fsbpt.org for information on specific state requirements.

The PTA program at Genesee Community College 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 PTA Program/Genesee Community College directly, please call 585-345-6822 or email cdcaputi@hkange.net.

2023-2024 Academic Year

Annual College Tuition and Fees:

Program And Career Expenses:

Clinical Internship Expenses:

The PTA program includes three clinical internships that are full-time experiences in different types of health care settings.

REQUIRED clinical expenses for the entire program include the following:

Travel Expenses: Students are responsible for their own transportation and housing during clinical education periods. Placements may be up to one hour away from a student’s home.

POTENTIAL clinical expenses depend on your clinical assignment and may include the following:

For an overview of PTA program requirements in the standard format required by CAPTE, please see the GCC PTA Student Financial Fact Sheet (CAPTE) (PDF). Persons reliant on assistive technology such as screen readers should use the version below.

Genesee Community College
Physical Therapist Assistant Program
Financial Fact Sheet 2023-2024

The data applies to students experiencing the program in academic year 2022-2023.
Length of Program which includes all student instruction/interaction (including classroom, laboratory, exams, and clinical education). Include the total number of wees where either full or partial attendance is required.

• Length of Program in Weeks excluding breaks: 77
• Length of Program in Weeks including breaks: 91

Clinical Education

Does this program have a requirement for all students to complete at least one clinical education experience for which the students would be required to seek alternative housing or travel accommodations to attend: No

Note: Students are responsible for costs associated with housing, travel and food during clinical education. Programs should add any additional comments about clinical education here: No additional comments.

Student Costs

Note: These are costs experienced by students between Jan. 1, 2024 – Dec. 31, 2024.

Note: Annual costs are estimates and subject to increases. Students should contact the program for further information related to costs.

Annual Costs by Year

Note: Students are encouraged to explore the cost of living for areas where they may choose to live. One possible website: http://livingwage.mit.edu/

Does the institution offer financial assistance specific to PTA students? No

Does the program/institution offer scholarships specific to PTA students? Yes

Does the program offer federal work-study positions specific to PTA students? No

Note: Other opportunities may exist at the institution for FINANCIAL SUPPORT – please contact the program for further information.

APTA student members are encouraged to visit the APTA Financial Solutions Center.

Student Debt Summary

Average student debt from the PTA Program technical phase for students students graduated between Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2024: $4,456

Average student debt after completing the PTA program for students graduated between Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2024, including all student loan debt: $9,635

Financial aid information is available on the GCC Financial Aid web page. To be considered for College-based financial assistance, students must be enrolled or accepted for admission. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) after October 1st of each year. By filing this form, students will be considered for various types of financial assistance offered directly by the College. FAFSA data received after February1 may be too late for campus-based assistance for that year.

In accordance with federal regulations, the New York State Human Rights Law, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Genesee Community College does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, creed, gender, religion, marital status, veteran status, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation in educational programs, activities, admissions, or employment.

Although only YOU can decide if starting a program to become a PTA is right for you at this point in your life, this list has been composed to assist you making this determination.

1. Volunteer work experience – Do you know what a PTA does? Is this something that you think you might enjoy doing? Do you know what types of settings and people the PTA could choose to work with? Do you know the difference between what a PTA and a PT does? Do you possess the Essential Functions for Employment as a PTA (see following page)?
2. Adequate resources for successful completion of the PTA Program – Do I possess aptitude in fundamental skills needed for successful employment as a Physical Therapist Assistant? (See attached document entitled ‘Guidelines for Successful Employment as a PTA’) Will I have enough money to adequately meet my expenses during the program? (See documents regarding academic and clinical internship ) Will I have enough time to study and practice in the lab to be adequately prepared for my exams? (12 college credits is considered full- time student status and fairly equivalent to a 40 hour work week in terms of time required in class and in preparing for classes.) The PTA is a licensed healthcare professional dedicated to high standards of clinical practice. The PTA Program at GCC is an intense, academically rigorous program and requires dedicated, hardworking students with solid support systems. In order to pass the challenging national licensing exam and achieve the skill set necessary for excellence in clinical practice, students can expect a demanding course load, robust study, considerable practice of treatment techniques research and collaborative project work outside the scheduled class hours.
3. Moral character – Do you possess sound moral character in order to abide by the APTA Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant? Do you find personal fulfillment when you help other people? Are you able to put your patient’s welfare ahead of your own?
4. Background information for professional licensure*– Are you a US citizen? Has any professional licensing authority refused to issue or renew your license? Have you been found guilty of a crime? Are charges pending against you for any sort of professional misconduct? Do you have any child support obligations that have not been met? NOTE: A criminal background check may be required for students enrolled in the PTA Program during their clinical (See information on p.40 of the PTA Program Clinical Education Manual).
5. Good reading and critical thinking skills and test taking skills- Can you read test questions carefully and show what you know on a written test? Do you have good inductive and deductive reasoning skills? Can you distinguish opinion from fact and make appropriate inferences while reading college level material? Can you apply critical reading questions to a wide range of written material? Did you score relatively high on the SAT or ACT Exam?
6. Good customer service skills- Are you a ‘people person’? Do you enjoy interacting with people of all ages and diverse backgrounds? Are you able to ‘think on your feet’, act respectfully and tactfully when interacting with people? Do you have good verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills? Do you make a good first impression when meeting people?

The purpose of these guidelines is to assist students in a self-assessment of their abilities to perform the fundamental job duties of a PTA. Our goal is to graduate qualified persons who can perform the necessary PTA job skills competently and safely, without harm to either the patient or themselves. Students who are lacking in these areas may have difficulty meeting program requirements or gaining employment as a PTA.

1. Have sufficient total body strength, flexibility, balance, coordination and cardiopulmonary endurance as demonstrated by the ability to perform the following skills in a functional timeframe:
   • transfer patients
   • guard and assist with ambulation patients
   • perform manually resisted exercises
   • perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation
   • apply physical agents
   • perform range of motion
   • clean whirlpools
2. Have adequate vision, hearing, reaction time, manual dexterity and sensation required to perform the following skills in a reasonable timeframe:
   • observe patient’s movements 10 feet away
   • respond to a timer
   • read a stopwatch
   • set dials on therapeutic equipment
   • use a stethoscope
   • palpate anatomical structures
   • respond to emergencies, such as urgent situations that are not always anticipated
3. Speak and write in order to communicate effectively with people involved in patient care, including healthcare professionals, patients, patient’s families and reimbursement agencies.
4. Maintain an alert level of consciousness and orientation to time, person andplace in order to not jeopardize the safety of themselves or the

Be reasonably comfortable in giving hands-on physical care through personal touch.