Guidelines for Student Inquiries to APTA

APTA’s Board of Directors and staff receive numerous requests for information and assistance from members and non-members. A significant number of inquiries come from physical therapist and physical therapist assistant students. APTA is committed to providing the highest quality of member service and strives to respond to student inquiries in a timely manner. Based on a careful assessment of the number, scope, and purpose of past student inquiries, the following guidelines have been established:

1. APTA will respond only to students who are seeking clarification regarding APTA policies, positions, standards, or guidelines.
2. Student inquiries should include: student’s full name, name of academic institution, the due date for any assignment, and membership status.
3. As a part of the overall inquiry process, students should consider the following as valuable sources of information and data: program directors, faculty members, students (same program or different program), student special interest groups (SIGs), APTA publications, graduates, or employers. Depending on the inquiry, students should also consider consultation with practicing physical therapists and physical therapist assistants.
4. Students should direct inquiries to APTA only after searching for information on APTA’s Web site and specific chapter or section Web sites. In most cases, student inquiries will be answered only if the information being sought is NOT available anywhere else.
5. Students should not direct inquiries to APTA that represent a substitute for typical student work expectations. A student’s education experience should require independent discovery, topic selection for papers, literature searches and reviews, literature recommendations, and discussions with faculty members and practitioners.
6. Students should allow at least 5 business days for a response to any inquiry made to APTA Board members or staff.
7. Because APTA’s highest priority is to serve its members, responses to nonmember student inquiries will be determined by the recipient of the inquiry (BOD member or staff) on the basis of established priorities and timelines. Nonmembers who are eligible for membership will be invited to join the Association, and their names and contact information will be forwarded to the Membership Department for follow-up.