Olga Dreeben, PT, MPT, Ph.D.

Dr. Olga Dreeben is the Coordinator of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Lake City Community College.  As an Associate Professor she also teaches courses in the Technical Phase of the Program.

Olga has been in the field of physical therapy since 1977 having worked initially as a Physical Therapy Technician, then as a Licensed Massage Therapist, working her way through Lynn University where she received an Associate of Science Degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant.  After earning her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Barry University, she continued on through graduate school at Nova Southeastern University and received her Master of Physical Therapy Degree.  Olga also received her Doctor of Philosophy Degree from Nova Southeastern University.  Her area of expertise is in physical therapy education.  In addition to her clinical experience as a PTA and a Physical Therapist, she taught as a member of the PTA faculty at Brevard Community College. Dr. Dreeben has been the PTA Program Coordinator at Lake City Community College since March 2000 and was instrumental in obtaining the Program’s reaccreditation from the American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.  The PTA Program is fully accredited until the year 2010. Olga has been a member of the Florida Physical Therapy Association and the American Physical Therapy Association since 1993.  She has been a member of APTA’s Section on Electrophysiology and Section on Physical Therapy Education and Administration.  Olga has written numerous research articles on physical therapy and health care education and is the author of "The Relationship of Somatosensory Evoked Potentials to Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Assessment of Radicular Lesions." She is also the author of "Health Status of African Americans" published in the Journal of Health and Social Policy. Her most recent work is "An Analysis of Selected Physical Therapy Clinical Performances and Success on the National Licensing Examination."  Olga’s vision for the PTA Program at Lake City Community College is to graduate Physical Therapist Assistants who are thoroughly competent and totally dedicated to serving their patients in a caring and professional manner.