All 20 of the 2012 graduates of the Somerset Community College Physical Therapist Assistant Program have achieved a 100% first-attempt pass rate on the national certification examination, according to PTA Program Director Dr. Ron Meade.

“This was an extremely hard working group,” states Dr. Steve Hammons, the program’s Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education. "They each have a strong desire to help the patients they serve and better their own communities.”

This is the fifth year in the past six that the program’s graduates have achieved the milestone. In 2011, only 41 of the 257 programs nationwide achieved a 100% first-attempt pass rate. This pass rate should place the program in a tie for a first place ranking by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy when the rankings are released next spring.

Several of the 2012 graduates have been recognized statewide and nationally. Mike Moore of Campbellsville was named Kentucky’s New Century Scholar for 2012. Melissa Keith of Columbia was the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) Outstanding PTA Student and Glenn Trail of Lexington was named the APTA Orthopaedic Section’s National Student of the Year. Josh Yancey of Science Hill received the Mary McMillan Scholarship Award.

The class also participated in the winning effort in the 2011 and 2012 Pittsburgh-Marquette Challenge, a national fundraiser for physical therapy research, with the program being named “Outstanding PTA Program” by the Foundation for Physical Therapy for both years. Brandon English of Lexington and Samantha Walls of Stanford were named to the Kentucky Physical Therapy Association’s All-Academic Team and will be recognized by the association in the fall. English also served nationally as the American Physical Therapy Association’s PTA Relations Project Committee Chairperson.

2012 PTA Program graduates include: David Brewster, Somerset; Leslie Clark, Liberty; Andrew Daugherty, Brodhead; Rachel DeForest, Albany; Brandon English, Lexington; Scott Fuller, Corbin; Melissa Keith, Columbia; K.C. Latham, Somerset; Patrick Lloyd, Lexington; Lindsey Martin, Kings Mountain; Mike Moore, Campbellsville; Megan Rader, Mount Vernon; Owen Rodriguez, Somerset; Eric Rush, London; Sonya Speck, Albany; Derek Stewart, Lexington; Nikki Tallent, Albany; Glenn Trail, III, Lexington; Samantha Walls, Stanford; and Josh Yancey, Science Hill.

Individuals wishing to learn more about SCC’s PTA Program may contact the program’s director at ron.meade@kctcs.edu.