Accreditation Admissions Program-Specific Policies Curriculum Summary Progress, Promotion and Graduation

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R. Barry Dale, PT, PhD, OCS, SCS, MBA, ATC, CSCS, Department Chair and Program Director

 

Objectives of the DPT Program

The objective of the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program is to provide to enrolled students a quality education that requires accumulation of scientific knowledge, acquisition of essential physical therapy skills, and the development of professional attitudes and behaviors. Graduates of the program are qualified to sit for the National Physical Therapist Examination. A passing score on the examination is required for licensure as a physical therapist.

Curriculum Description

The Department of Physical Therapy is located within the College of Health Professions. The program is designed as a full-time “4 + 3” program that leads to the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Students complete four years of pre-professional coursework at other colleges or universities, and then complete three years of professional education on the Memphis campus of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Candidates are required to have a baccalaureate degree prior to admission. Students matriculate in the fall term and graduate at the end of the spring term (May), three years later, after completion of all academic and clinical experience requirements. Clinical experience sites are located in Memphis, throughout Tennessee, and in surrounding states (see section on State Authorizations for stipulations regarding out-of-state field experiences). Due to the limited number of clinical sites in Memphis and other urban areas, students should anticipate the financial impact of traveling and living out of town for the majority of their clinical experiences. The intent of the clinical experiences is to provide the student with broad exposure to physical therapy practice in a variety of settings and geographic locations. Students are generally not able to complete all clinical experiences in any one geographic location.

Accreditation

The  DPT program at the UTHSC is   accredited   by   the   Commission   on   Accreditation   in   Physical Therapy  Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia, 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. The program received initial accreditation in 1966 and has been continuously accredited since that time.

Admissions

To be eligible for consideration for admission, applicants must fulfill the requirements listed below. Meeting the minimum requirements does NOT assure admission to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Priority is given to residents of Tennessee when all else is equal. Applicants whose native language is not English must submit results of TOEFL, with a minimal score of 550.

1. A baccalaureate degree and all prerequisite courses must be completed prior to enrollment. Grades of “C-” or below in required courses are NOT acceptable.
   1. The UTHSC DPT program allows up to 8 hours of grade forgiveness. This means that if a course is repeated, the higher grade will be substituted (up to 8 hours).
   2. 19 hours of prerequisite courses must be completed and reported on official transcripts before an application for admission will be considered. It is recommended that these 19 hours include: Biology including laboratory (4 sem cr hrs), Chemistry I including laboratory (4 sem cr hrs), Physics I including laboratory (4 sem cr hrs), Anatomy and Physiology I including laboratory (4 sem cr hrs), and Psychology (3 sem cr hrs).
   3. Transcripts from foreign institutions must be evaluated by World Education Service (wes.org) and submitted to PTCAS.
2. A competitive score on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required.  The score must be sent to PTCAS using the UTHSC program code 7744.  Do not use the UTHSC GRE code.
3. A completed application submitted to the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) must be received by early October (final decision) as documented in PTCAS for admissions.  
   1. ALL application materials, including transcripts, GRE scores, and PT observation hours must be verified by PTCAS for the Admissions Committee to consider the application for matriculation. 
   2. Applications are reviewed and candidates are accepted until all the class seats are filled. NOTE:  Responses to school-specific questions are considered during the selection process.
4. One letter of reference is optional for upload to the PTCAS site. Reference must be from an applicant’s professor in major, the applicant’s academic advisor, an employment supervisor OR leader of a volunteer organization in which the applicant participated.
5. Mandatory interview.  Interview dates vary from year to year, but typically occur mid-November to mid-December. 
6. Applicants must demonstrate good physical and mental health consistent with the demands of the education program.
7. Observation hours (paid or volunteer):  25 hours are required. Applicants must submit documentation of observation hours and the program recommends that hours be from more than one category of clinical practice settings (e.g., acute care hospital, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient, skilled nursing facility, etc.).  Hours must be completed and verified in PTCAS before matriculation.
8. Coursework from another physical therapy program may not be transferred to meet the requirements for admission to or graduation from the UTHSC DPT program.
9. Applicants who accept a position in the program must declare the ability to fulfill the Technical Standards for Admission to the College of Health Professions, Department of Physical Therapy.

Prior to enrollment, the following courses must be completed with grades of “C” or better.

Courses	Credit Hours
Biological Sciences*	8
Anatomy and Physiology*	8
General Chemistry*	8
General Physics*	8
Mathematics	3
Statistics	3
Psychology	6

*Face to face laboratory experiences are recommended.  AP and CLEP courses are accepted for Math, Statistics, and Psychology ONLY. Acceptable science courses are ones typically required for science majors.
 

Factors Considered in the Selection of Students

Factors utilized by the Admissions Committee include, but are not necessarily limited to:

1. Academic Record. Past academic performance is considered an indication of the probability of an applicant completing the academic portion of the program successfully. The average GPA of recent entering classes has been 3.5 or higher.
2. Graduate Record Examination scores. Competitive applicants obtain a score of at least 300 (Verbal and Quantitative sections) on the GRE.
3. Diversity in health care providers helps meet the needs of a diverse population of patients/clients.  Therefore, the Committee also gives extra consideration to students from or have worked with the following:  medically underserved areas or populations, and/or educationally disadvantaged groups.  The Committee also gives extra consideration to second-career students, first-generation college students, and veterans of uniformed services.
4. Motivation and Knowledge of the Field. The Admissions Committee believes that students who are knowledgeable about what physical therapists do are most likely to take maximum advantage of the educational opportunities in the physical therapy education program. Interest in and knowledge of the field may be evidenced by an applicant’s having taken advantage of available opportunities for learning about physical therapy.

Technical Standards for Physical Therapy Students

Students must be able to perform the Technical Standards of the curriculum, with or without accommodations, and present no threat to the safety and well-being of others.  Prior to matriculation, students are required to indicate in writing they have reviewed and are able to meet the college-wide and program-specific technical standards (outlined below).  Additional information regarding college-wide technical standards, and accommodations to meet such when deemed appropriate, is provided in the college portion of the bulletin.  Questions or requests for accommodations should be addressed to Student Academic Support Services and Inclusion (SASSI) https://www.uthsc.edu/sassi/.

Motor Skills:
The delivery of physical therapy requires gross and fine motor control. Students in the Department of Physical Therapy must have the physical strength, stamina, and motor control to lift and transfer patients, assist patients with ambulation, stand for prolonged periods of time, perform CPR, and perform all other activities associated with patient care. Candidates must have sufficient manual dexterity, strength, and endurance to engage in physical therapy procedures that involve palpating, grasping, pushing, pulling, and holding. Additionally, the student must be able to ensure the safety of the patient at all times.

Sensory/Observational Skills:
Students in the Department of Physical Therapy must be able to observe demonstrations and participate in all educational experiences as required in the curriculum. Students must be able to observe patients and be able to obtain an appropriate medical history directly from the patient or guardian. Such observation and participation necessitate the functional use of vision, hearing, and other sensory modalities.

Communication Skills:
Students in the Department of Physical Therapy must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients in English. In addition, students must be able to communicate in English in oral and written form with faculty, other healthcare providers, and peers in the classroom, laboratory, and clinical settings. Such communication skills include hearing, speaking, and reading and writing in English. Students must have the ability to complete reading assignments and search and evaluate the literature. Students must be able to complete written assignments and maintain written records. Students must also have the ability to use therapeutic communication, such as attending, clarifying, coaching, facilitating, and touching. These skills must be performed in clinical settings, as well as the didactic and laboratory environments.

Intellectual/Conceptual, Integrative, and Qualitative Skills:
Students in the Department of Physical Therapy must have the ability to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, and synthesize data. Problem solving and diagnosis, including obtaining, interpreting, and documenting data, are critical skills demanded of physical therapists which require all of these intellectual abilities. These skills allow students to make proper assessments, sound judgments,  appropriately prioritize therapeutic interventions, and measure and record patient care outcomes. Students must have the ability to use computers for searching, recording, storing, and retrieving information. In addition, students must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and understand the spatial relationships of anatomic structures.

Behavioral/Social Skills and Professionalism:
Students in the Department of Physical Therapy must demonstrate attributes of empathy, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and self-motivation, as such qualities are assessed not only during the admissions process but throughout physical therapy education. Students must be able to exercise sound judgment, complete the responsibilities attendant to the evaluation and care of patients, and develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients. Students must be able to adapt to ever-changing environments, display flexibility, respect individual differences and learn to function in the face of uncertainties and stresses that are inherent in the educational process, as well as the clinical problems of many patients. Students must have the ability to be appropriately assertive, delegate responsibilities appropriately, and function as part of a healthcare team. Such abilities require the organizational skills and initiative necessary to meet deadlines and manage time.

Health Requirements

Physical therapy students are required to abide by the College of Health Professions Immunization Policy found here. 

Some clinical education sites require affiliating physical therapy students to have additional tests that may include: general physical examination and/or other tests or vaccines. Information about meeting these requirements is provided during orientation, and during the clinical assignment process.

Program-Specific Policies

Attendance Requirement

Physical therapy students are expected to attend all scheduled classes, laboratory sessions, and clinical education assignments. In cases of illness or emergency, the student must notify the individual faculty members whose classes the student will miss, or the clinical instructor of the affiliation site, no later than 8:30 AM of the day of absence. Appointments for health services or personal travel should not be made during scheduled class time.

Clinical Experiences and State Authorization

Clinical experience sites are located in Memphis, throughout Tennessee, and in surrounding states. Due to the limited number of clinical sites in Memphis and other urban areas, students should anticipate the financial impact of traveling and living out of town for the majority of their clinical education experiences. As described in more detail in the UTHSC overview portion of the bulletin  as well as the college-wide section of the bulletin, state authorization is mandated for any clinical experiences to be completed in locations outside of Tennessee.  UTHSC is responsible for securing the necessary authorizations for any out-of-state experiences to be completed. Students are to work closely with department leadership to ensure the necessary authorizations are in place prior to finalizing any out-of-state education experiences.

Student Professional Organization Membership

Physical therapy students qualify for student membership in the American Physical Therapy Association and Tennessee Physical Therapy Association. Students are required to participate as student members in the professional association.

Grading

All courses in each term must be passed before the student is allowed to progress to the next term. See individual syllabi for grading schema/scale.

Less than 75 in a course is a failing grade of “F.”

Some courses are graded based on Pass/Fail criteria as outlined in course syllabi. Grades of “Pass” are not included in calculating the grade point average (GPA).  Information about grading for courses that are incomplete, and for courses from which a student has withdrawn is covered in the general college section of the bulletin. Students should reference this information about grade assignments in these situations.

Comprehensive Exam Requirement for DPT Degree Completion

The Comprehensive Exam Policy of the DPT program will guide the process for implementation of the comprehensive exams. Briefly, these exams cover all major areas of study within the program and will be required as a prerequisite for advancing to the next academic year. These structured exams reinforce student learning and greatly benefit our students by providing continuous feedback on their academic progress and identify any areas that require further attention. Students who do not pass the final comprehensive examination in the final semester will be required to complete remediation and pass the examination to meet requirements for the DPT degree.