Saluting Those Who Help Us Recover

If you need physical therapy in Central New York, you're in good hands thanks in large part to Onondaga Community College's Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program. There's a pretty good chance wherever you go, an OCC grad will be helping you. In 2022 and 2023, every student who completed their PTA degree went directly into the workforce.

October is National Physical Therapy Month, an opportunity to salute professionals who help patients regain their range of motion, strength, and mobility while also boosting their confidence in their physical abilities.

One of OCC's newest alumni in the industry is Danielle Dingle. She's a 2011 graduate of Cicero-North Syracuse who decided to enroll in the PTA program in 2021. "I always wanted to work in the healthcare field and help people. I was in to exercising and wanted to merge the two. I saw the PTA program here, the results, the graduation rates, the workplace rates, and it was all too good to pass up."

Despite being a few years older than a traditional-aged student, Dingle fit right in. "OCC is good with students who go back to school later. And the teachers were amazing. They were very knowledgeable and helpful. Everything was great."

OCC's program provides students the opportunity to do clinicals, or on-site training where they apply what they learned in class while working with patients. Dingle's clinicals were at St. Camillus Nursing & Rehabilitation, SUNY Upstate University's Community campus, Upstate's Institute for Human Performance, and Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists (SOS). Her experiences confirmed she had chosen the right career path. "When I was in it and saw how grateful people were to be helped, I knew I made the right choice."

Dingle completed her degree in May, and in September she began working at SOS's North Syracuse location. "It's amazing there. I love what I'm doing and the people I'm working with. They are all very helpful."

When she's not at work, Dingle is preparing for the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) which she will take next week. Successful students earn their license to work in the industry. In 2022 and 2023, just under 90% of OCC PTA program graduates passed the NPTE on their first try.

Congratulations to Danielle Dingle, all of OCC's Alumni who work in the Physical Therapy industry, and our Faculty who train them for success!