Following up the physical therapist assistant graduate; a curriculum evaluation process

Graduates of the physical therapist assistant program at St. Mary's Junior College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, were studied to ascertain how well prepared they had been for the demands of their jobs and to discover what revisions in the program curriculum might be appropriate. Working graduates and their supervisors were surveyed to obtain information about the frequency and independence of performance of 111 tasks appropriate to physical therapy departments. The response was 90 percent. The St. Mary's curriculum was considered appropriate in most respects. More than 25 percent of the supervisors considered emphasis inadequate only for facilitation, breathing, and mat exercises. Graduates' recommended changes were more extensive, suggesting a desire to expand their knowledge. A manual was designed to guide program faculties through follow-up of their own graduates. The manual includes questionnaires, worksheets, and a guide to analysis. The authors suggest that the process may also be useful for other technical-level allied health occupations.