Identification of positive predicting values for successful completion of the didactic portion of a physical therapist assistant program

Abstract Introduction Successful completion of the didactic portion of a physical therapist assistant (PTA) program is a vital step for the student. The purpose of this study was to identify variables that predicted a student’s successful completion of the didact portion of a PTA curriculum. Review of literature Student factors that may affect NPTE outcomes have been studied in traditional physical therapist education programs but have not been studied in a PTA program. Subjects A total of 179 students from 4 consecutive admission years (2019–2022) were analyzed. Methods Retrospective observational cohort design. Demographic, preadmission data, and student outcomes were collected. Variables were analyzed with logistic regression for their ability to predict successful completion of the didactic portion of their degree. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted to determine cut points of continuous predictive variables. Significance was analyzed using T -tests for continuous variables and chi-square to analyze dichotomous variables. Results Regression analysis was initially conducted. First, an analysis of all variables identified 3 significant predictors: age, GPA, and previously earned degree, which explained 35.0% of the variance. In addition to these significant predictors, positive student profile trends also emerged. Students that were more successful in the program tended to be older, female, achieve a higher interview and writing sample score, transfer student, and achieve a previous degree. Discussion and conclusion To our program’s knowledge, this is the first study of predictors for a PTA program. As in previous studies, which had a focus on physical therapist programs, a mix of preadmission and demographic variables predicted success. Current findings may help inform admission policies, academic advising, and academic warning policies to increase the probability of student success.