About Physical Rehabilitation
Physical Rehabilitation is the newest program to Frederick County's Career and Technology Center (CTC). This program exposes students to a variety of careers within the field of physical and occupational therapy as well as sports medicine. Being a program within the Academy of Health Professions here at CTC, Physical Rehabilitation introduces students to detailed concepts of anatomy and physiology, as well as the structure and function of different systems within the human body. This foundation of knowledge is then applied to a variety of necessary skills within the physical rehabilitation career pathway during the students time in the programs concentration coursework. During their time in this program students will be introduced to the principles of orthopedic evaluation which includes the diagnosis, management, treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation of different injuries and illnesses. Students will understand and identify the different career options in the field in order to make the most educated individual decision for their future college and career aspirations.
"The Physical Rehabilitation program makes me look forward to school, while the class is challenging I feel like I am learning a whole lot, and I actually enjoy everything we do. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone who wants to challenge themselves and learn about the medical field."
Madi Schnepfe
Walkersville High SchoolMeet the Instructor
Dr. Zach Howard is a Frederick County native and Walkersville High School alumni. Since his graduation from WHS in 2009, he has pursued bachelor and masters degrees in Athletic Training from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 2014, and obtained his doctorate in education from Frostburg State University in 2017. Dr. Howard is a National Board Certified and Maryland Licensed Athletic Trainer. He has worked within different entities of sports medicine as an athletic trainer for DII and DIII colleges and Universities as well as high school athletic programs. Dr. Howard has also worked as an athletic trainer and area manager for Pivot Sports Medicine, an entity of Pivot Health Solutions, providing leadership, mentorship, and education to the athletic trainers he managed across different counties in Maryland and Delaware. During his career, Dr. Howard has always had a passion for education and sports medicine. He is very excited to return to Frederick County Public Schools and provide students that have an untapped passion for physical rehabilitation, the opportunity to discover their own educational and career paths.
" I find myself eager to share knowledge I have accumulated in the course with friends and family in my life. From the short couple of months I have been a part of this program, I have learned so much and my interest in this field has grown."
Kara Graves
Brunswick High School"I honestly love this program so much. Taking a class about something you are interested in makes it so much easier to learn. Dr. Howard makes learning easy and understandable."
Marissa German
Oakdale High SchoolProgram Sequence
The Physical Rehabilitation Program consists of 5 credits over a year and a half. Students must complete all 5 credits to be considered a program completer. Due to the accelerated level of this program, all 5 credits are considered honors weighted. In addition to honors credit, students are eligible to achieve up to 7 college credits outlined below. At the end of the Physical Rehabilitation course, students have the opportunity to sit for their Personal Training Certification Exam to become a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) through the National Strength Professionals Association (NSPA). Students will also be certified in CPR and First Aid through the American Heart Association (AHA) prior to being eligible to go off site to complete their Allied Health Internship in year 2.
Fall Semester- Year 1
Academy of Health Professions (AOHP)
**Students are eligible for 3 articulated credits for Medical Terminology through Frederick Community College upon successful completion of AOHP 1A & B**AOHP 1A: Foundations of Medicine and Health Science (1 credit)- 9 weeks
AOHP 1B: Structure and Functions of the Human Body (1 credit)- 9 weeks
Spring Semester- Year 1
3. Physical Rehabilitation (2 credits)- 18 weeks
**Students will sit for NSPA CPT exam for industry certification**Fall Semester- Year 2
4. Allied Health Internship (1 credit)
**At least 7.5 hours a week on site per credit** **At least 1 credit required for towards completion of program**"Joining this program has truly been one of the best academic decisions I’ve ever made. I have learned more in the past few months than I have from any other course. The support and enthusiasm from Dr. Howard has made learning the material even more exciting, making every student just as motivated to be successful as the other."
Claire Smith
Walkersville High School"I feel this program is very beneficial to me. I feel that I am obtaining knowledge that is going to help me be ahead of the game when I move on to my future career. The career opportunities this program can lead to are endless so take advantage of it"
Garrett Frank
Thomas Johnson High SchoolJoin Our Next Cohort!
In order to apply to any of our programs here at CTC, it is required that you shadow a program. Shadowing will allow each student interested in enrolling at CTC to experience what a day in the life of a CTC student is all about. Each schools guidance staff can assist you in scheduling your shadow visit to our CTC campus! Shadow season is typically November-February with applications due in early March! We hope to see you then!
Questions?
Visit our schools website here: https://education.fcps.org/ctc/home
Call our main office at (240)-236-8500
"If you are even 50/50 about the program, shadow and that should help with your decision, at least it did for me. It’s a great program filled with many opportunities later on. I'm glad I shadowed and applied, and it’s been great! I think it’ll be a good fit if you’re interested and serious about this field"
Diana Curiel
Frederick High School
More Student Testimonials
"I really love this program! It's great to learn about the body and it's something that I am actually interested in learning."
Ambrea Gaither
Oakdale High School"I have learned so much from this program already and it has really motivated me to stay engaged with online learning."
Bree Shiley
Brunswick High School"Even with the virtual format, we’ve been able to do many fun, interactive activities, such as measuring heart rate on our families, and on ourselves after physical activity. The program is a perfect balance of learning and fun!"
Ana Morlier
Catoctin High School"My time in this program has really helped me figure out what I want to pursue. I came in wanting to be a physical therapist and from my time I have realized that is truly what I want to do."
Rachel Gunter
Walkersville High School"This class has brought me so much joy and satisfaction. Not only do I get to learn with motivated like minded people I also get the information I need to get my dream job. Dr. Howard has been amazing in teaching this course even over google meets. This has been by far the class I look forward to the most everyday, and since it is a step in going toward my dream job I am even more motivated to work hard!"
Payton Taylor
Catoctin High School"This class I think is the best you can get if you want to be in the medical field. Even only being in this class 2-3 times a week virtually, I am still learning as much as I would if I was in person."
Joel Wenner
Brunswick High School