Physical Therapist Assistant cover letter example. Annotated, paragraph by paragraph.
Derek Lawson is applying for the Physical Therapist Assistant, Outpatient Orthopedics role at Adventure Works Physical Therapy. The letter goes with their physical therapist assistant resume example — same person, same results — so you can see how the two work together.
By Nazir Elmurodov · Updated
Physical Therapist Assistant cover letter
Derek Lawson
Charlotte, NC · derek.lawson@email.com · (704) 555-0128
Nicole Brandt
Physical Therapist Assistant, Outpatient Orthopedics, Adventure Works Physical Therapy
Dear Nicole Brandt,
I'm applying for the Physical Therapist Assistant position at Adventure Works Physical Therapy. I'm a licensed PTA in North Carolina with 4 years in outpatient orthopedics and skilled nursing rehab, and at Catawba Ridge Physical Therapy I treat 14–18 patients a day under the supervising physical therapist's plan of care, most of them after knee, shoulder or spine surgery.
The result I'm proudest of is about patients finishing what they start. Too many of my patients were dropping off before the end of their plan of care, so I made their home exercise programs clearer and started calling patients after missed visits. Plan-of-care completion for my patients rose from 64% to 79%.
I lead therapeutic exercise, neuromuscular re-education, gait training and modalities, and I write my notes in WebPT the same day so the PT sees any change in pain or function before the next visit. Before outpatient work, I treated 10–12 residents a day in skilled nursing rehab at Piedmont Crossing Rehabilitation Center, with a focus on transfers, gait and fall prevention, and taught families and CNAs safe transfers.
I'd welcome the chance to meet your therapists and talk about how your clinic shares its caseload. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Derek Lawson
What each paragraph does
Paragraph 1: License, setting, caseload and the plan of care in the opening.
Paragraph 2: One patient-outcome result, with what he changed to get it.
Paragraph 3: Treatment skills, documentation habits and skilled nursing experience.
Paragraph 4: Closes on working with the clinic's physical therapists.
Start from Derek's resume
Opens the matching resume in the editor with every section filled in. Swap in your own details.
Sample letter. Names, companies and figures are illustrative.
/ Tips
Tips for your physical therapist assistant cover letter.
01
Mention the plan of care
Show that you work under the physical therapist's plan and keep them informed. It's what a clinic director wants to hear from a PTA.
02
Use one outcome
Plan-of-care completion, fewer missed visits or functional gains show the effect of your treatment.
03
Name your setting and caseload
Say where you work now and how many patients a day you treat, especially if you're changing settings.
Write yours from your own resume
LaunchCV drafts a cover letter from your resume and the job post, then you edit it. Included in every paid plan.
/ Questions
Cover letter FAQ.
Something else? support@launch-cv.com
Do PTAs need a cover letter?
Many clinics don't require one, but a short letter helps when you're changing settings, such as from skilled nursing to outpatient, or when you're a new graduate without much paid experience.
What should a new graduate PTA put in a cover letter?
Your CAPTE-accredited program, license or exam status and your clinical rotations: the settings, the patients you treated and what you led yourself.