BOCES’ physical therapy program embeds in private training facility |
On Board Online • November 25, 2013
By Laurie Cook
As a softball player, Kachelah Flournory has seen a few injuries, and that has introduced her to the career that she wants to pursue.
“I’ve always liked watching people get treated for injuries, and I want to be the person to do that,” said Flournory, a junior at Cicero-North Syracuse High School in the North Syracuse Central School District.
“I love helping people.”
Flournory is one of a handful of students getting a head start on such a career, thanks to a new physical therapy education program at the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison (OCM) BOCES.
The program is embedded in the Strength in Motion, an East Syracuse fitness business run by Corey Parker, a former strength and conditioning coach at Syracuse University.
It’s the first time that the BOCES has elected to house a new program in a private business. The BOCES also began a second embedded program this year – an automotive technology program at Drivers Village.
“BOCES has been working with local employers for many years and because of the strong relationships we’ve established, our students have been able to do internships and job shadows with them,” said Robert Leslie, director of career and technical education. “But this is the first time ever that our students are actually going to class right at the worksite where they are completely immersed in every aspect of the career.”
When asked about the benefits of such a setup, Leslie said, “It really is a win, win for the worksites and our students in that the companies have a chance to see the students at work and the students learn exactly what will be expected of them by being completely exposed to the industry.”
U.S. Department of Labor statistics show tremendous growth in the field of physical therapy. The outlook is particularly strong for physical therapy assistants – professionals who provide treatment according to plans developed and supervised by physical therapists. Physical therapy assistant jobs are expected to increase by more than 40 percent through the year 2020 due in part to the health-care needs of an aging population.
Both physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapy assistants (PTAs) are licensed professionals in New York State. The OCM BOCES PT course will give students the knowledge and technical skills needed for an entry-level position in the field and prepare students for success in a college PT or PTA curriculum.
Through an agreement with Onondaga Community College (OCC), students in the class will earn 13 college credits – six in English, three in psychology and four in anatomy and physiology.
“These students are learning organization, independence, critical thinking, note-taking and other skills that are critical to their success in college,” said Carol Gaspo, an adjunct reading professor at OCC who is teaching the OCM BOCES PT students as part of their high school curriculum. “The fact that they are coming out of high school with these skills puts them steps ahead of other students applying for the same spot in a college program.”
Admission to OCC’s PTA program is highly competitive, said Shannon Patrie, OCC’s associate vice president of enrollment development. Nearly 300 students applied to the school’s PTA program in 2013 and only 46 of those applicants were offered spots in the program.
Because OCM BOCES PT students will already have earned college credits through the high school program, Patrie says they will have an advantage over other applicants. “When we look at applications and see that these students have basically already completed their first semester, that definitely gives them an edge.”
Kachelah hopes to be admitted to a PT program at West Virginia State University. “I know that I’m getting ahead” because of the BOCES class, she said. “It will be easier for me to stay ahead in college.”
Laurie Cook is school information officer for Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES.