Page 10 - OPTA Access Spring 2019

PTAs IN RESEARCH:
A MEMBER PERSPECTIVE
Sara Davidson, PTA – PTA Membership Taskforce Participant
I used to think that only PTs could work in a research setting; after all, they’re the ones with education that prepares them for research . As a PTA, I had never even taken a statistics class, so research seemed like a far- fetched goal . It was largely by coincidence that I stumbled across a job posting for a research PTA . It was the first time in my career that I had ever seen a position like that, so I was quick to apply. I was beyond excited when I got the job!
Initially, I was hired to deliver therapeutic interventions per research protocols . Although the protocols usually lay out a general session outline, I have a ton of room for creativity . In many ways, it’s a therapist’s dream because I work with patients with neurological conditions for 2-3 days/week for 2-12+ months, depending
on the study. This schedule allows me plenty of time to try different approaches or work on fine-tuning. As time went on, I also began to do more administrative tasks like subject recruitment, organizing data, and generating reports, and eventually, began to co-author manuscripts .
The job also had the unexpected side effect of increasing my involvement with our professional organization . I work with two physical therapists who encouraged me to re-activate my APTA membership and attend CSM 2018 . Recently, I was given the opportunity to be a part of a one-day OPTA PTA Membership Taskforce . This was a small group of PTAs with a purpose: to find ways to increase PTA representation in our professional organization .
The PTA Taskforce was productive beyond what I could have thought . We identified several overarching issues and created a list of action items for each category .
It was the most engaged I’d ever felt with our professional organization, and I felt like our concerns were understood and considered carefully . Early in the meeting, we came to the realization that most of the PTAs in the meeting assumed that some of the OPTA opportunities were for PTs only . If something on the website doesn’t specifically say that PTAs are included, we assume that PTAs can’t do it. A simple action item that came from the meeting was to review the website and add “PTA” to any opportunities that apply to us .
It’s a simple solution, and by no means was the only solution that came from the meeting . But for me, it was also a realization that this may be a widespread issue . After all, I assumed that PTAs couldn’t work in research . While our formal education and license obviously differ from PTs, our profession requires an expansive skillset and we can contribute to the physical therapy field in numerous ways. Whether it’s a job posting or an educational opportunity, assume it’s open to PTAs . Don’t let opportunities pass you by just because of an “A” in your credentials .
For more information, contact Sara at: sara.davidson88@gmail.com
10 | March 2019 | OPTA