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Physical Therapist Assistant Students Making a Difference

June 22, 2016

Physical Therapist Assistant Students Making a Difference

Boston, MA – June 22, 2016 – This spring, four students from Bay State College’s Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program, along with professor Carolyn Cwalinski, attended and participated in the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) Massachusetts chapter state spring assembly.   This was the first time in a very long time that two PTA students attended as official representatives of their respective districts. 

The desire to participate began back in the fall of 2015, when PTA students attended the fall assembly with Dr. Cwalinski.  At that time, Kaitlin Kolesnikoff, was “surprised to see a lack of involvement from PTAs.”  She found attending the assembly helped her to start “thinking about how [she] could get involved and help be a voice to PTAs in the near future.”  One such way was to volunteer to be a PTA student representative for the southern metro district of Massachusetts.  She, along with fellow student John Bellino of the northern metro district, attended and participated in their first assembly as official representatives of student PTAs.  They were able to contribute first-hand experience and comment on issues related to student loan debt. They shared their experiences with the Massachusetts chapter, explaining how important it is for the Chapter to support the national motion on student loan debt being brought to the House of Delegates in June. 

The motion, RC 11-16 Charge: Investigation and Plan to Address Student Debt in Physical Therapy, would explore the effects of debt on graduates and ways the APTA might work to decrease debt for students. 

“The experience the students gained by attending the assembly was invaluable.  They met with and discussed issues with experienced (and new therapists) on both the state and national levels,” said Dr. Cwalinski. “The knowledge gained and networks formed during the assembly, will continue to benefit all PTA students in the future.”    

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