A-State Physical Therapist Assistant Student Has Perfect Score on National Exam

JONESBORO – Practice makes perfect, the old saying goes, and no one knows that better than Dillinger Carr, a physical therapy student at Arkansas State University.

A recent graduate of the Associate in Applied Science (AAS) physical therapist assistant (PTA) program, Dillinger holds the distinctive achievement of earning a perfect score of 800 on the National Physical Therapy Exam.

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A May graduate of the PTA program, Carr aced the NPTE in July. While he has been continuing his education in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science degree in health studies, he has been working as a physical therapist assistant for NEA Baptist Hospital in Jonesboro. He works as needed in the acute, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation settings.

“For anyone taking the NPTE-PTA, my best advice is to practice. While it is certainly important that candidates seeking to pass the NPTE know their stuff, it is even more important that they know how to take the test,” he suggests to fellow students. “I took every practice test I could get my hands on and attribute my success on the exam to a dedication to practicing the exam.

Now a resident of Paragould, Carr calls Jonesboro his hometown.

Becky Keith is associate professor of physical therapy and PTA program director.

“Dillinger was the type of student for which every educator hopes. Although he excelled in all areas (cognitive, psychomotor, and professionalism), he was never satisfied with his current status,” Keith recalls. “He continually sought improvement. He sought out constructive feedback and never hesitated to work a little harder to become a little better. The A-State PTA faculty are very proud of Dillinger.”