On this episode of the Healthcare Education Transformation Podcast, our guest Katie Sutton, a physical therapist assistant (PTA) and educator, discusses the importance of the PTA profession and the challenges it currently faces. She highlights the need for more PTAs due to a decrease in applications and an increasing number of PTAs leaving the profession. Katie also shares her motivation for starting the PTA Plus Podcast, which aims to showcase the diverse roles and opportunities available to PTAs. She emphasizes the need for PTAs to explore different career paths and advance their knowledge and skills through certifications and specialized training. Katie believes that PTAs play a crucial role in healthcare and encourages individuals interested in the profession to gain firsthand experience and understand the various settings and responsibilities of PTAs.

Key Takeaways:
- The PTA profession is important due to a decrease in applications and an increasing number of PTAs leaving the profession.
- PTAs should explore different career paths and seek certifications and specialized training to advance their knowledge and skills.
- PTAs have diverse roles and opportunities beyond the traditional outpatient setting.
- Gaining firsthand experience and understanding the responsibilities of PTAs is crucial for individuals interested in the profession.

Listen to the PTA+ Podcast on: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pta-physical-therapist-assistant/id1691712028

Feel free to reach out to Katie Sutton at:
https://www.instagram.com/pta_plus/
https://www.facebook.com/people/PTA-Podcast/100093326902910/

Special thanks to both our sponsors, The NPTE Final Frontier, and Varela Financial! 

If you are taking the NPTE or are teaching those about to take the NPTE, visit the NPTE FInal Frontier at www.NPTEFF.com and use code "HET" for 10% off all purchases at the website...and BREAKING NEWS!!!! They now have an OCS review option as well... You're welcome! You can also reach out to them on Instagram @npteff 

If you're a PT and you have student loan debt, you gotta talk to these guys. What makes them unique is that they view financial planning as like running hurdles on a track. And for PTs, the first hurdle many of us run into is student loan debt. Varela Financial will help you get over that hurdle. They not only take the time to explain to you which plans you individually qualify for and how those plans work, but they ALSO take the time to show you what YOUR individual case looks like mapped out within each option. So if you're looking for help on your student loan debt, or any area of your personal finances, we highly recommend working with them. You can check out Varela Financial out at varelafinancial.com. 

Feel free to reach out to us at:  http://healthcareeducationtransformationpodcast.com/ https://www.facebook.com/HETPodcast 
https://twitter.com/HETpodcast 
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@hetpodcast 
@dawnbrown_pt 
@pteducator 
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@farleyschweighart 
@mail.in.stew.art 
@ujima_institute 

For more information on how we can optimize and standardize healthcare education and delivery, subscribe to the Healthcare Education Transformation Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.