Authorization to Implement a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree Program jointly at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
DOCUMENT SUMMARY
The Department of Health Professions in the College of Science and Allied Health at UW-La Crosse (UW-L) and the Department of Human Movement Sciences in the College of Health Sciences at UW-Milwaukee (UW-M) are jointly requesting authorization to implement a doctor of physical therapy degree (DPT). In June 2000, The American Physical Therapy Association stated that "By 2020 physical therapy will be provided by physical therapists that are doctors of physical therapy, recognized by consumers and other health professions as practitioners of choice to whom customers have direct access for diagnosis of, interventions for, and prevention of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities related to movement function and health."
The trend for physical therapists to be educated at the doctoral level began in 1988 when Creighton University opened its program. As of July 2004, 111 programs nationwide are offering the DPT with an additional 82 programs in the process of converting to the DPT. The vast majority of these programs are slated to have their programs in place by the 2005-06 admissions cycle. The University of Wisconsin System (UWS) physical therapy programs offered on the La Crosse and Madison campuses, and pending implementation at Milwaukee, are among only a handful of programs within the Midwest that have not made the transition. It is clear that programs unable to offer the DPT will soon not be viable. Anecdotal information indicates that students are currently choosing physical therapy programs that offer the DPT over graduate masters programs. Extraordinary recruitment efforts allowed the La Crosse campus to recruit a full cohort in 2004; however, 25% of the students offered a slot at UWL declined admission, choosing programs offering the DPT over this nationally ranked program.
The DPT being proposed is a joint degree offered by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Physical Therapy Consortium. A joint degree offered by UW-Milwaukee and UW-La Crosse is an innovative and responsible way to approach educating physical therapy students at a higher level of sophistication using existing resources. The end product is the ability to offer the citizens of Wisconsin affordable and excellent physical therapy education across their career span at public institutions. We view this as an exciting opportunity. Collaboration between the two campuses will allow the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse to educate its existing cohort of 44 physical therapy students at the doctoral level using existing resources. It will also allow the two campuses to partner in the delivery of coursework aimed at those individuals currently engaged in physical therapy practice who wish to return to school in order to upgrade their degree to a doctoral level. At such time that UW-Milwaukee accepts its first cohort of entry-level physical therapy students, those students will benefit from a single physical therapy curriculum where parts of the curriculum can be delivered via distance education, thereby reducing duplication of faculty expertise across the two campuses.
Authorization to Implement a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree Program jointly at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Physical Therapy Program
Department of Health Professions
College of Science and Allied Health
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Physical Therapy Program
Department of Human Movement Sciences
College of Health Sciences
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Submitted: 2004
Authorization to Implement a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree Program jointly at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
1. PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION
1.1 Title of Proposed Program
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT).
1.2 Department or Functional Equivalent
Department of Health Professions (UW-La Crosse)
Department of Human Movement Sciences (UW-Milwaukee)
1.3 College, School, or Functional Equivalent
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, College of Science and Allied Health
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, College of Health Sciences
1.4 Timetable for Initiation
First cohort to be admitted in the summer of 2005. Program will be fully implemented by 2008.
1.5 Distance Education
Students will be provided two options for obtaining the degree. Students entering the profession of physical therapy for the first time and seeking a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree (entry-level track) may do so using the residential on-campus program. Students who are already licensed physical therapists and wish to obtain a Doctor of Physical Therapy (transitional track) may do so using web-based coursework, distance education and/or non-traditionally scheduled classes.
2. CONTEXT
2.1 History of the Program
In 1999, UW-Milwaukee's campus received Entitlement to Plan a Master of Physical Therapy program. Implementation was delayed upon the recommendation of a panel of external consultants who reported the profession was transitioning from graduate education at the master's level to graduate education at the professional doctorate level which would eventually render the masters programs obsolete. In place of an MSPT, UW-Milwaukee was encouraged to pursue the implementation of a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) degree, first for practicing physical therapists interested in seeking equivalent educational preparation to the professional doctoral level (transition or t-DPT), and later to implement the entry level DPT Program. UWM was also encouraged to simultaneously establish a PhD degree program to prepare physical therapy faculty. The College of Health Sciences PhD Program was approved by UW System in May, 2003 and the first class was admitted in Fall 2004.
Physical therapy education at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse began in 1974
as a Bachelor of Science (BS) program. The first class graduated in the fall of 1976. The program was founded to address a growing need for physical therapy throughout Wisconsin and a need to provide residents of western Wisconsin with convenient and affordable public education in the field of physical therapy.
In 1996, the Master of Science in Physical Therapy (MSPT) replaced the BS degree in physical therapy and the first MSPT class graduated in 1998. In 2001, in response to health care, professional and educational trends, the UW-L physical therapy faculty voted unanimously to request an entitlement to plan the DPT as the first professional degree.
Over the years, the volume of scientific technology and literature included in physical therapy educational programs has exceeded the amount that can be reasonably included in a master's degree program. Physical therapy education at UW-L currently involves completion of an undergraduate degree with an additional 97-101 credits typically completed in thirty months of graduate study. Similarly, professional doctoral programs in physical therapy involve completion of an undergraduate degree followed by 75-137 credits with an average of 112 credits.
Table 1 (on the following page) includes a comparison of DPT programs across the country (using data obtained from the American Physical Therapy Association 2004 Fact Sheet on Physical Therapist Education Programs [https://www.apta.org/documents/Public/Accred/2004PTFactSheet.pdf]), UW-L's existing MSPT curriculum, and the proposed joint DPT curriculum.
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse entered discussions with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin-Madison on how the three campuses might collaborate in the education of physical therapists. The three campuses submitted an Entitlement to Plan a jointly offered DPT Spring, 2001. UWS approved The Entitlement to Plan in October 2002. During the planning process, UW-Madison’s physical therapy program requested permission to withdraw from the planning of a jointly offered DPT degree. University of Wisconsin System (UWS) authorized UW-M and UW-L to proceed without Madison’s participation.
Professional Doctorate
The term “professional doctorate” describes a category of degrees associated with a variety of professions not to be confused with the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). The history of doctoral education in the United States is an interesting one. The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), first awarded in 1861, has long been the degree to which scholars in most disciplines aspire. As stated by the Council of Graduate Schools, the Ph.D. is: “Designed to prepare a student for a lifetime of intellectual inquiry that manifests itself in creative scholarship and research.” In sharp contrast, the Council of Graduate Schools designates the professional doctorate to “recognize completion of academic preparation for professional practice.” The Council of Graduate Schools recommends awarding the professional doctoral degree in programs with rigorous, high quality curricula; faculty with strong histories of research and graduate level teaching; strong administrative support; and adequate resources including libraries, classroom and laboratory space.
Table 1. Program Comparisons
|
|
|
Existing DPT Programs in the US |
Current UW-L MSPT Program |
Proposed Joint DPT Program |
|
Number of Credits |
Mean Range |
115.5 90-147 |
101 |
112 |
|
Number of weeks between start of program & graduation |
Mean Range |
144.8 102-172.3 |
130 |
148 |
|
Total number of weeks in program |
Mean Range |
118.4 –91-167 |
104 |
116 |
|
Number of contact hours in didactic portion |
Mean Range |
1868 1219 – 3944 |
1,550 |
1750 |
|
Number of contact hours in clinical education portion |
Mean Range |
1459.3 800-2320 |
1,280 |
1720 |
|
TOTAL number of contact hours in program |
Mean Range |
3409.9 2422-5768 |
2,830 |
3470 |
A professional doctoral degree involves extensive study over a wide range of courses integrating basic sciences with skilled professional practice. The practitioner must exhibit strong clinical skills and reasoning based on evidence-based rationale. Some degree of apprenticeship learning is typical in most professional doctoral programs. The capstone experience typically involves successful completion of a national licensure examination. This model contrasts sharply to the educational emphases of Ph.D. programs, which are focused on a narrow body of knowledge resulting in the ability to create original scholarly work. The typical culminating experience of a Ph.D. program is completion of a dissertation.
According to Pierce and Peyton (1999), most professional doctorates are modeled after the Doctor of Medicine (MD) that has a long tradition in the educational community. The medical model of doctoral preparation consists of a minimum of 3 years of liberal arts education followed by three years of professional education and a year of clinical apprenticeship. Although medical schools within the United States have expanded their professional preparation to 4 years, this is not the case in other countries.
Professionals entering their field of practice at the doctoral level include the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Doctor of Dentistry (D.D.S.), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), Doctor of Optometry, Doctor of Podiatry (D.P.M) and the Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.). As knowledge bases change and professions develop increasingly sophisticated practices, more professions are choosing the professional doctorate as the preferred first professional degree. Most recently, the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and the Doctor of Psychology (PsyhD) have emerged. Audiology (AudD) is also moving toward doctoral- level education (Soderburg, 1989; Pierce and Peyton, 1999). Most of these professions follow the Council of Graduate Schools model of three years of undergraduate education followed by three years of professional education.
The current breadth and depth of education required of physical therapists is consistent with professional doctoral-level education. A comparison of physical therapy education to other professions prepared at the doctoral level can be found in Table 2. The physical therapy profession encompasses a unique body of knowledge, contributes to that body of knowledge through scholarship, and fills a valued and essential need in society. These elements constitute the essential features of the professional doctoral degree.
(National data - http://dptvision.org/comparison.html)
|
Degree |
PsychD |
DPM |
DDS |
DO |
DPT |
DC |
PharmD |
OTD |
|
Pre-requisite semester hours |
BS (120) MS (+45) |
90 |
64 |
90 |
90 or 120 |
60 |
63 |
BS (120) MS (+45) |
|
Semesters in professional school |
6 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
9 |
5 |
|
Amount of clinical experience |
+1 year |
+48 weeks |
|
|
35 wks |
|
20 wks |
36 wks |
|
Semester hours in professional school |
70-100 |
123 |
180 |
152 |
115 |
150+ |
148 |
72 |
|
Total semester hours |
220+ internships |
213+ externships |
244 |
247+ residency |
205-235 |
210+ |
211 |
192-237 |
Current status of the DPT
In June of 2000, the APTA House of Delegates passed a Vision Sentence stating that, “By 2020, physical therapy will be provided by physical therapists who are doctors of physical therapy, recognized by consumers and other health care professionals as the practitioners of choice to whom consumers have direct access for the diagnosis of, interventions for, and prevention of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities related to movement, function, and health."
Data from the July 2004 Commission for the Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) fact sheet indicate that 111 of the 209 accredited physical therapy programs in the United States currently offer the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) as their first professional degree. Additionally, 82 programs are formally planning to offer a DPT education. In summary, 92% of physical therapy programs nationwide are educating students at the DPT level or are in the process of making the transition to doctoral-level education https://www.apta.org/documents/Public/Accred/2004PTFactSheet.
2.2 Instructional Setting of Program
The proposed Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) will replace the current MSPT degree in the Department of Health Professions within the College of Science and Allied Health at UW-La Crosse, and replace the MSPT degree (authorized, but not implemented) in the Department of Human Movement Sciences in the College of Health Sciences at UW-Milwaukee.
A DPT Curriculum Steering Committee will be formed from the faculties of both campuses to oversee program content and delivery. It is anticipated this committee will meet once a year, or more as needed. All decisions regarding curricular content, delivery, and shared program administrative activity will be reviewed and approved by this body prior to implementation.
Offices for faculty/staff, laboratories, and classrooms will continue to be located in the Health Sciences Center on the UWL campus and in Enderis Hall and the Klotsche Center on the UW-Milwaukee campus. As appropriate, portions of the curriculum will be developed for distance delivery. All laboratory instruction will require onsite delivery.
2.3 Relation to Mission Statement and Academic Plan
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are members of the cluster of institutions known as the UWS). As part of the UWS, these institutions have a shared mission as well as individual missions. Consistent with the UWS mission the DPT Program is committed to “…develop human resources, to discover and disseminate knowledge, to extend knowledge and its application beyond the boundaries of its campuses, and to serve and stimulate society by developing in students heightened intellectual, cultural, and humane sensitivities; scientific, professional, and technological expertise; and a sense of purpose. Inherent in this mission are methods of instruction, research, extended education, and public service designed to educate people and improve the human condition…”
Elements of the Core Mission of the “University Cluster” relevant to offering the DPT include:
· offer associate and baccalaureate degree level and selected graduate programs within the context of its approved mission statement.
· participate in inter-institutional relationships in order to maximize educational opportunity for the people of the state effectively and efficiently through the sharing of resources.
· support activities designed to promote the economic development of the state.
The UW-L Select Mission Statement states, “The primary purpose of UW-L is to provide education leading to baccalaureate and selected graduate programs” and includes the following goals:
· the University shall offer graduate programs and degrees related to areas of emphasis and strength within the institution.
· the University shall serve as an academic and cultural center, providing service and professional expertise, and meeting the broader educational goals of the region.
Selected unique mission elements of UW-M served by the DPT Program include:
· offer programs leading to professional degrees at the baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate levels.
· encourage others in the University of Wisconsin System and in other state and national agencies to seek the benefit of the unique educational and research resources of the doctoral institutions.
· serve the needs of women, minority, disadvantaged, disabled and non-traditional students and seek racial and ethnic diversification of the student body and the professional faculty and staff.
· support activities designed to promote the economic development of the state.
· fulfill its mission as a major urban doctoral university and to meet the diverse needs of Wisconsin's largest metropolitan area, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee must provide a wide array of degree programs, a balanced program of applied and basic research, and a faculty who are active in public service.
· continue development of a balanced array of high quality doctoral programs in basic disciplines and professional areas.
This proposal is premised on a partnership between UW-La Crosse and UW-Milwaukee. In keeping with the core mission of the UW-System cluster, this collaborative inter-institutional relationship will maximize educational opportunities, promote the use of shared resources for research and scholarly activities, and enhance creative endeavors.
3. NEED
The DPT as the entry-level professional degree will:
· more accurately reflect the scope, depth, breadth, and rigor of the educational preparation needed for current and future physical therapy practice.
· allow the graduate to enter clinical practice with skills required to independently examine, evaluate, diagnose, render a prognosis, and assess outcomes for interventions in the management of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities of the cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, and integumentary systems.
· educate physical therapists for clinical practice consistent with Wisconsin’s Medical Practice Act.
· allow the physical therapist to advocate and negotiate more successfully on behalf of high-quality health care, the consumer, and the profession as health care continues to reform.
· encourage public recognition of the physical therapist as a fully autonomous health care practitioner who is a point of entry into the health care system.
Curricular changes focus on the practitioner’s ability to provide primary access care. Physical therapists have developed expertise in the area of diagnosing and treating patients who have movement disorders. As a result of the profession’s knowledge base, no other health care practitioner can think as critically or render the same clinical decisions relative to movement disorders as the physical therapist. With such expertise comes increased responsibility for recognition of problems falling outside the physical therapy scope of practice and referral to appropriate resources. This differential diagnostic process will require increased knowledge of pathophysiology, diagnostic imaging, pharmacology, and embryology. It will also require a longer period of mentoring under a master clinician to ensure that didactic knowledge translates into skill. Perhaps of greatest importance is the need for developing professionals who can gain insight into and assume the attitudes and responsibilities of the expanded role of autonomous practitioner (Threlkeld, et al., 1999).
3.1 Comparable Programs in Wisconsin
There are five accredited physical therapy programs in Wisconsin. The two public education programs are located on the UW-La Crosse and UW-Madison campuses. The three private programs are located on the Marquette, Concordia, and Carroll College campuses. Marquette University and Concordia University accepted their first classes of doctoral students in the Fall of 2002. Carroll College is completing the transition and plans to admit its first class of DPT students in 2005. Consequently, physical therapy programs at private institutions not only have a distinct advantage over Wisconsin public institutions to attract some of the best and brightest students, but have a “corner on the market.”
3.2 Comparable Programs Outside Wisconsin
Minnesota has four accredited physical therapy programs, all of which offer doctoral level PT education. The University of Minnesota obtained approval to offer the DPT as the first professional degree and accepted its first class during the Fall of 2003. Mayo School of Physical Therapy received approval and began educating students at the doctoral level in the Fall of 2004 Iowa has four physical therapy programs all of which culminate in the doctoral degree Illinois currently has seven physical therapy programs. The University of Illinois at Chicago, Northwestern University, Midwestern University and Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science are educating students at the doctoral level. The remaining programs are in various stages of planning their transition to the DPT.
3.3 Regional, State and National Needs
Trends in the Demand for Physical Therapists. At present, according to the state of Wisconsin statistics http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/oea/long_term_projections/lt_occ_healthcare.xls) 3270 physical therapists practice in Wisconsin. According to UW system Market Research conducted in January of 2004, there will be a 35% nationwide growth in the need for physical therapists by 2010. In Wisconsin, the shortage is projected to reach 27%. Data on workforce shortages can be found on http://www.bls.gov/emp/home.htm and http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/oea/long_term_projections/lt_occ_healthcare.xls.
The WI DWD Data Gap Analysis for Health Care Workforce indicates that the State will need 150 new physical therapists every year for the next 10 years. This number does not take into account the graduates from Marquette University, Concordia University and Carroll College with graduation rates which amount to less than 100 graduates annually, not all of whom stay in the state to practice.
A Workforce Study prepared for the APTA in 1997 by Vector Research predicted temporary dips in employment opportunities for physical therapists between 1998 and 2005. The report predicted a surplus of as much as 20-30% followed by a deficit of therapists by the year 2011 in response to the graying of America, decreased selection of health professions as a career, a surge in use of physical therapist assistants, the closing of physical therapy educational programs due to low enrollment. As predicted, the physical therapy profession experienced a mild surplus of therapists between 1998 and 2001. The profession did not experience the 20 – 30 % surplus the Vector Study predicted, rather unemployment rates dropped to as little as 1.5% indicating a balance between supply and demand. Consistent with UW Market research, it is likely that a demand for physical therapists will emerge earlier than the estimated 2011 date. In conclusion, the need for physical therapists will always be present.
3.4 Student Demand
A physical therapy program already exists on the UW-L campus. The UW-Milwaukee campus has obtained an authorization to implement a Masters Degree in physical therapy and has chosen to postpone the authorization so that a DPT degree program could be proposed. This proposal is seeking to replace the master's degrees currently offered by the La Crosse campus and authorized on UW-Milwaukee campus with a joint doctoral degree offered by both campuses.
Currently on the UW-La Crosse campus a total of 132 students can potentially be enrolled in physical therapy courses at any given time during the summer and fall semesters with only 88 students enrolled in the spring semester. The decreased enrollment in the spring follows the graduation of one cohort and precedes the enrollment of the entering cohort. This student enrollment pattern will be replaced with 132 students continuously enrolled with an expected May graduation date.
A 1998 survey of alumni from the physical therapy program at UW-L indicated that 52% reside and work in Wisconsin with an additional 10% working in Minnesota. Approximately 40% of the students enrolled in the current physical therapy class are out-of-state students or Minnesota residents. Although small, these numbers suggest that the UW–L’s physical therapy program is actually attracting and retaining out-of-state students to practice physical therapy in Wisconsin. Presently, there are 207 pre-physical therapy students enrolled on the UW-L campus.
UW-Milwaukee currently has 120 pre-physical therapy students enrolled in its BS Kinesiology Program. It is anticipated that at least 50% of these students would choose to enroll in the DPT Program.
By virtue of its location in the population concentrated, Southeastern portion of Wisconsin, UWM is poised to provide opportunity for enhancing the diversity of students and future physical therapists serving Wisconsin residents. Expanding access to the health professions via public higher education in is a primary mission for the College of Health Sciences at UWM.
Recently, Smalls, and colleagues ( reported that the two most influential factors impacting an applicant’s choice of a physical therapy program were the program’s accreditation status and the educational degree offered. With over 43 % of all accredited programs offering the DPT and an additional 48% making the transition, it is reasonable to assume that students will choose a physical therapy program awarding the DPT.
3.5 Collaborative or Alternative Program Exploration
At the present time, there are no public learning opportunities for Wisconsin students to obtain a DPT. In response, two UW campuses currently offering professional health science degrees, have formed an alliance. The UW-L/UW-M physical therapy alliance will provide a national model for collaborative physical therapy education. Such collaboration will allow UWS schools to be competitive with private programs while providing the highest quality education to meet the societal needs of the state. The alliance intends to provide a continuum of educational opportunities from entry level professional degree, to transitional professional degree, to advanced professional degrees as well as the traditional PhD. It is the intention of the UW-L campus to primarily offer the DPT (entry-level track) during this initial phase and to support UW-M in the offering of the DPT (transition track). UW-Milwaukee will add a cohort of DPT (entry-level track) students in the next two to three years.
Collaboration between the two campuses includes:
· shared admissions criteria.
· common application process with students indicating campus preference.
· shared clinical resources.
· shared faculty resources.
· shared research facilities, equipment, and expertise.
· common curricular content.
UW-L is highly regarded as a physical therapy program, holding the rank of 23rd (first tier) nationwide according to the US News & World Report 2002. There is even greater potential for excellence since moving into the newly constructed HSC. The human movement sciences programs at UW-M provide breadth and depth in their Undergraduate and advanced degree offerings. In summary, the two programs contribute unique strengths that will make the UWS extremely competitive in physical therapy education.
3.6 On-campus program
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree will be offered as a combination of on-campus (didactic), off-campus (clinical), and distance education instruction. The degree will be awarded by the UW-La Crosse UW-Milwaukee Physical Therapy Consortium.
4. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND EVALUATION
4.1 Objectives
The UW-L and UW-M programs mutually agreed to adopt the following:
Vision Statement
The University of Wisconsin System will be recognized by society as a premier provider of quality entry-level and transitional doctoral physical therapy education and as a model for other public institutions.
DPT Education will allow:
· recruitment and matriculation of the most qualified and diverse students, challenging and supporting them to completion of the Program.
· development of generalist practitioners who are prepared to assume the roles of clinician, educator, administrator, consultant, and whose practice is shaped by research evidence.
· recruitment and retention of diverse faculty who exemplify excellence in teaching and who serve as professional role models.
· contribution to evidence-based practice through faculty and student scholarly activity.
· facilitation of life-long learning within the physical therapy community.
DPT graduates will:
· practice the art and science of physical therapy as generalists who are recognized as members of a doctoring profession.
· be the practitioners of choice by clients of all ages for managing movement-related dysfunction, and for developing and implementing health promotion initiatives.
· enter the profession as autonomous practitioners who engage in evidence-based practice and interdisciplinary collaboration.
· serve their communities through participation in activities that address issues of cost, quality and access to health care.
· assume leadership roles and engage in continuous professional development.
· value and practice professional behaviors through their ethical, moral and legal actions.
· demonstrate cultural sensitivity through their words and actions.
· continue the practice of seeking and being informed by relevant scientific research.
4.2 Curriculum
Professional discussions occurring at the national level have led to consensus on what knowledge, skills and behaviors are necessary for DPT entry-level practice. These curricular expectations are outlined in the Normative Model for Physical Therapist Education 2002 Version and closely parallel the accreditation standards and behavioral criteria mandated by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Existing curricula for the UW-L physical therapy program were reviewed by faculty according to these national standards and the following curricular changes were deemed necessary to prepare physical therapy students at the doctoral level:
· Increased emphasis on differential screening
· Increased emphasis on applied research to support evidence-based practice
· Adaptation and lengthening of the current clinical education model to allow more individualized mentoring
· Added content in professionalism, pharmacology, diagnostic imaging, embryology, and histology.
It is anticipated that these changes will necessitate an increased duration of the program over the current UW-La Crosse MSPT Program from 30 to 34 months and an increase from 97 credits to 112 credits.
Pre-requisite Coursework
The following pre-requisite coursework is required for admission into the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program.
4 credits Biology
8 credits Anatomy/physiology
8 credits Chemistry
8 credits Physics
3-4 credits Statistics
3-6 credits Psychology
3 credits Sociology
A 3-credit Sociology course has been added to the pre-requisite courses currently required for the UW-L MSPT degree in order to encourage students to have a basis for understanding the social context of health care and its application to diverse groups within our society. There are currently undergraduate students on the UW-L campus that have declared a pre-physical therapy major who have not been informed of this new pre-requisite course. Thus, undergraduate students entering UW-L prior to the Fall of 2004 may take an additional 3 credits of Psychology (for a total of 6 credits of Psychology) in lieu of the new Sociology pre-requisite. Sociology will be a pre-requisite for all undergraduate students entering UW-L in the Fall of 2004 or later who plan to enter the DPT program.
Entrance to the Program
Entrance into the program will be competitive. Students will be selected based upon their application portfolio.
There are two paths for entrance into the program. Students who are seeking an entry-level degree in physical therapy will enter the program using the entry-level track. Students, who are already licensed physical therapists (educated at either the baccalaureate or master’s level) and are seeking degree parity, will enter the program using the transitional track.
Entry-level Track. Students seeking admission to the entry-level track of the DPT program must have:
· completed all pre-requisite coursework at time of entry into the program.
· submitted scores on the general test portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); test taken within the last five years.
· achieved a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.
· completed undergraduate degree by the time of entry into the program.*
· completed at least two 20-hour clinical experiences under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist with clinical letters of recommendation.
· submitted two letters of recommendation from former instructors.
* Early admission option: Select students may be able to enter the program prior to receiving their undergraduate degree under dual-degree agreements. At UW-L, such dual-degree agreements exist between the Physical Therapy Program and the Departments of Physics and Biology. At UW-M the “Pathways to PT” agreements formalized with physical therapy programs in Wisconsin for Pre-PT students in the BS Kinesiology Program will be evaluated as an equivalent mechanism for early admission.
Transfer opportunities:
Transitional Track. Students seeking admissions to the transitional track of the DPT program must have:
· a physical therapy degree from an accredited physical therapy program.
· a valid license to practice physical therapy.
· submitted their professional credentials for review using the Physical Therapist Evaluation Tool (PTET )(exceptions to the PTET may be allowed for recent graduates holding a Masters in PT from select programs where a PTET analysis has been completed.
· submitted scores on the general test portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); test taken within the last five years.
Degree Completion Requirements
Prior to granting the degree, students will be expected to:
· maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the professional program. Should the cumulative GPA fall below 3.0 the student will be permitted to continue on “probation” for one semester. A second semester of cumulative GPA below 3.0 will results in dismissal from the program.
· complete all didactic coursework requirements.
· complete 36 weeks of terminal clinical internships, obtaining "Entry-level" marks on all 24 performance dimensions of The Physical Therapy Clinical Performance Instrument by their final internship. (Transitional-track students are exempt from this requirement).
· obtain "Entry-level" status on the PT-specific Core Abilities assessment form (Transitional-track students are exempt from this requirement).
· present a capstone project during one of the debriefing sessions. An example of a capstone project might be a document of publishable quality directed at making a contribution to the evidence supporting practice (e.g., a case report, a meta-analysis, a single-subject designed research project, an annotated bibliography, or a review of the literature).
Joint Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree
Professional Curriculum
(revised 2/01/05)
Summer I (10 weeks)
DPT 411/511 130 contact hrs Human Anatomy 6 credits
DPT 412/512 56 contact hrs Medical Physiology 4 credits
DPT 421/521 28 contact hrs Applied Anat Assess 1 credits
DPT 431/531 40 contact hrs Intro to PT Practice 2 credits
254 contact hrs or 25 hrs/wk 13 credits
Fall I
DPT 413/513 56 contact hrs Biomech/Kinesiology 3 credits
DPT 414/514 56 contact hrs Functional Neuoranatomy 3 credits
DPT 415/515 42 contact hrs Motor Behavior 2 credits
DPT 416/516 42 contact hrs Phys Reg of Exert and Exer 2 credits
DPT 422/522 98 contact hrs Examination course 5 credits
DPT 423/523 56 contact hrs Physical Agents 3 credits
350 contact hrs or 25 hrs per week 18 credits
J-Term
DPT 651 80 CONTACT HRS FIELDWORK: INTRO 1 credit
Spring I
DPT 611 28 contact hrs Pathophysiology 2 credits
DPT 621 98 contact hrs Princ of intervention 5 credits
DPT 622 56 contact hrs PT Mgmt of the Cardio sys 3 credits
DPT 631 56 contact hrs Profes. & Ethos of Care 3 credits
DPT 541 28 contact hrs Found of Clinical Res 2 credits
266 contact hrs or 22 hrs/wk 15 credits
DPT 623 42 contact hrs Integument System 2 credits
DPT 721 56 contact hrs MS I: Spine 3 credits
DPT 442/542 42 contact hrs Research & App Stats 3 credits
DPT 443/543 40 contact hrs Instrumentation 2 credits
DPT 641 16 contact hrs EBP: Levels of Evidence 1 credits
DPT 751 160 CONTACT HRS FIELDWORK: RP 2 credits
206 contact hrs or 25 hrs/wk for 8 wks + FLDWRK 13 credits
Fall II
DPT 711 28 contact hrs Pharmacology 2 credits
DPT 712 14 contact hrs Clinical Radiography 1 credit
DPT 722 56 contact hrs MS II: LE 3 credits
DPT 723 84 contact hrs Adult Neuro 4 credits
DPT 732 42 contact hrs Clinical Teaching 2 credits
DPT 741 14 contact hrs EBP: Interventions 1 credit
DPT 742 28 contact hrs Research practicum 1 credit
266 contact hrs or 19 hrs/wk 14 credits
Spring II
DPT 724 42 contact hrs Health/Wellness in PT 2 credits
DPT 725 56 contact hrs MS III: UE 3 credits
DPT 726 84 contact hrs Pediatric Neuro 4 credits
DPT 727 42 contact hrs Case-based CDM 2 credits
DPT 733 42 contact hrs Health Care Sys and Admin 3 credits
DPT 742&nb