At American Career College-Orange County, nearly 70 occupational therapy assistant and physical therapist assistant students came together for a hands-on collaboration focused on therapeutic modalities.
Held in a second-floor classroom at the Anaheim campus, the event highlighted the importance of teamwork in clinical settings and gave students the opportunity to learn alongside future colleagues.
“This was a great OTA-PTA collaboration,” ACC-OC PTA Instructor Angela Ayson said. “We focused on superficial thermal agents, like different types of modalities that would either be cold or warm to put on a patient for various reasons.”
The session featured three interactive stations: paraffin wax for distal extremities, hot packs for general heat therapy, and cold packs paired with ice massage. Students rotated between the stations, gaining practical experience with tools they’ll likely use in their future careers.
Ayson explained that collaborations like this are vital for preparing students for real-world healthcare environments. These interdisciplinary sessions also allowed students to build relationships and practice co-treating patients, mirroring real-life scenarios. By working together, students learned how to make the most out of their time while delivering effective, team-based patient care.
“OTA is definitely one of the programs that our PTA students will have the most chances of collaborating with in the future, whether it’s in the hospital, a skilled nursing facility, or in the outpatient clinic,” she said.
