Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist Assistant

Helping a stroke survivor practise getting dressed, or coaching a patient through exercises after knee surgery, is everyday work for a rehabilitation assistant. Cambrian College’s Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist Assistant programme is a two-year Ontario College Diploma of four semesters in Sudbury that prepares you to assess, plan and carry out treatment programmes under the direction of occupational therapists and physiotherapists.

In semester one you study Musculoskeletal Anatomy and Conditions, Introduction to Healthcare and Ethics, Health Promotion and Wellness, Client & Career Communication and Research & Writing/Health Sciences. Semester two adds Anatomy Physiology and Disease, Seating and Mobility, OTA Clinical Approaches, Assessments and Modalities, Therapeutic Exercise and Issues in Developmental Psychology. Semester three deepens clinical reasoning through Neurological Health Conditions, Complex Health Conditions, Exercise Modification and Case Studies for OTA/PTA, and the final semester combines a Comprehensive Review with your second field placement.

Extensive hands-on labs tied to courses such as Seating and Mobility, Therapeutic Exercise and Assessments and Modalities let you practise techniques on classmates before you work with real clients. You then complete 540 hours of clinical placement across semesters three and four, through OTA/PTA Field Placement I and II at affiliated sites across Canada. Before placement you complete CPR-HCP, first aid, N-95 fit testing, WHMIS and a vulnerable sector check. Graduates with a 75 per cent average can transfer 42 credits toward Laurentian University’s Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Health Promotion.

Graduates work as occupational therapist assistants, physiotherapist assistants and rehabilitation assistants in hospitals, long-term care homes, private physiotherapy clinics, home and community care and retirement residences. The programme suits encouraging, physically active people who enjoy anatomy and exercise, like working closely with patients of every age, and are happy to follow a therapist’s plan as part of a team.