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Why Study Physical Therapy?

In Physical Therapy, You Can Make A Difference!!!

A factory worker with an injured back...an elderly individual with arthritis...a recreational or elite athlete...an individual who has had a stroke...a child or adult with a disability...an individual who works all day at a computer workstation...a middle aged adult who is experiencing shoulder pain...an individual recovering from surgery...an elderly person living in a nursing home...a diverse group of people, yet each can benefit from physical therapy.

When individuals are recovering from injury or disease, the physical therapist evaluates and directs the recovery process to relieve pain, make them stronger, and help them to regain use of an affected limb. Physical therapists also teach patients and their families what to do so that healing continues through self-care at home.

Physical therapists have an opportunity to make a positive difference in people's quality of life. Their work often involves direct contact with people—with patients and other health care professionals.

Physical therapists also promote wellness and injury prevention. They teach the importance of personal fitness and explain how to prevent injury at work or at play.

Physical therapy attempts to meet an individual’s health goals, whether a patient’s goal is walking without assistance or running a marathon. A physical therapist is an integral part of the health care team that makes these goals a reality.

A Variety of Responsibilities and Settings

Physical therapists are part of the health care team. They work with other health care providers, such as physicians, occupational therapists, nurses, dentists, psychologists, social workers, podiatrists, and speech pathologists and audiologists.

Physical therapists many be self employed or work as an employee in many health care setting including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, community health centers, nursing homes, home health agencies, corporate or industrial health centers, sports facilities, research institutions, schools, pediatric centers, and colleges and universities.

Text Modified from the American Physical Therapy Website (www.apta.org)

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse offers a Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy in a consortium with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The University of Wisconsin Physical Therapy Consortium
Frequently Asked Questions
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The DPT Degree

Why the DPT and why now?
The body of knowledge associated with Physical Therapy has significantly expanded and continues to grow as PT becomes a doctoring profession. The tenants of Vision 2020 require that new graduates be prepared to utilize knowledge and skills related to differential diagnosis, pharmacology, medical imaging and apply evidence in their clinical decision making. More time is needed in clinical internships to be proficient in this more complex practice culture when the students graduate. Historically, the credits and time used in MSPT programs have greatly exceeded most master degree program expectations. The DPT degree recognizes all the classroom and clinical education preparation needed to educate an entry level physical therapy professional for them to meet contemporary practice expectations.

How long is the UW DPT Program curriculum?
After students obtain an undergraduate degree (BS) they study 34 months to receive a DPT degree. The final 10 months of the DPT curriculum are spent in clinical internships.

Won’t prospective students seek other degrees/ professions when it takes longer to become a PT?
Recent admission trends reveal that students are selecting physical therapy as a profession and the DPT degree in increasing numbers. It is predicted that based on consumer choices and favorable market forces, this trend will likely continue.

How can experienced PT professionals obtain a transitional DPT Degree? Some skills and content being taught today were not part of most BS and MSPT degrees awarded years ago. The transitional DPT degree provides degree parody with the entry level DPT degree. A variety of programs exist for an experienced PT professional to obtain a DPT. Programs range from all on line to all on site or combinations of both. Please refer to APTA’s website (http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Post_Professional_Degree&CONTENTID=34756&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm for more information.

Does the the University of Wisconsin Physical Therapy Consortium offer a transitional DPT degree?
Yes! UW-Milwaukee, under the direction of Kathryn Zalewski, PT, PhD currently offers a transitional DPT degree. The curriculum is designed for learning to take place both on line and on site.

For more information, please consult:
www.dpt.uwm.edu
Physical Therapy Program, Pavilion 350
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
P.O. Box 413
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413
Phone: 414/229-3360
Fax: 414/229-3366
pt-program@uwm.edu

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The University of Wisconsin Physical Therapy Consortium

Who are the parties in this consortium?
UW La Crosse (UW-L) and UW Milwaukee (UW-M)

Why a consortial DPT?
The UW Board of Regents encourages that any new degree (i.e. the DPT) be offered collaboratively. UW-Milwaukee and UW-La Crosse have created such collaboration (UW DPT Program). This model allows faculties from both campuses to collaborate on research, curricular design, instructional methods, sharing faculty expertise and whenever possible other resources. Clinical education contracts and sites will be shared. Common admission processes will be utilized.

Is the curriculum the similar between UW-L and UW-M?
Yes, both programs will teach the similar courses at similar times using common objectives. Faculty members on each campus independently design how they will teach to these common objectives using the expertise and preferred teaching methods unique to each campus and instructor.

Who is the degree granting institution?
DPT students will receive a diploma stating that the UW System Board of Regents upon recommendation of the University of Wisconsin [La Crosse OR Milwaukee] confers the DPT degree. The campus where the student studied will be recognized on their diploma.

What about accreditation?
Each program be responsible for satisfying the Commission on Accreditation for Physical Therapist Education’s (CAPTE) accreditation standards

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Clinical Education and the DPT

Will clinical instructors be required to have a DPT to supervise DPT students?
No, your current degree and clinical expertise are sufficient to supervise a DPT student seeking entrance into the profession. Accreditation standards do however require that PT Programs demonstrate evidence of the quality of clinical education sites including the credentials of clinical instructors. Such credentials may include a minimum of one year of experience, APTA CI Credentialing, board certification, transitional DPT, or other certifications.

How are internships organized in the DPT curriculum?
All students complete 5 internships beginning in the second semester of the curriculum. The first internship is a two week experience to practice basic skills such as patient interviewing, muscle testing, documentation, etc. The second experience occurs at the end of the first year and lasts 4 weeks. Emphasis Is on rural/ primary care hospitals, home health, SNF, subacute settings. The program concludes with 3 twelve weeks internships – inpatient rehab or acute care, outpatient general orthopedics and a niche setting of the student’s choice (rural medicine, peds, sports, schools, research) which models the values characterized by autonomous practitioners.

If Physical Therapy sounds like an interesting career, contact the Physical Therapy Program  to set up an undergraduate advising session. Physical Therapy is a graduate program.

Paul Reuteman, PT, MHS, OCS, ATC-L, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Physical Therapy Program, 4072 Health Science Center, (608)-785-4073 or E-mail: reuteman.paul@uwlax.edu is the Admissions and Recruitment Director for the La Crosse Cohort of DPT students.

The UW-La Crosse requires two twenty hour clinical affiliations where students shadow a licensed physical therapist in two different health care settings. This will allow you to get some experience in the physical therapy profession prior to applying.

Pre-requisite courses must be completed prior to entry into the graduate program in Physical Therapy. Students can have an undergraduate degree in any major but the following pre-requisite courses are required below:

General Biology (4 credits)

Human Anatomy/Physiology (6-8 credits)

Chemistry (8 credits)

Physics (8 credits)

Psychology (3 credits)

Sociology (3 credits)

Statistics (3-4 credits)

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse:

Undergraduates students can join the Student Physical Therapy (SPT) Club at UW-La Crosse. The club typically meets monthly. Presentations regarding the physical therapy profession are often provided by UW-L faculty and local clinicians.

Student Physical Therapy Club Advisor:

Paul Reuteman, PT, MHS, OSC, ATC-L
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Physical Therapy Program
4072 Health Science Center
(608)-785-8469
E-mail: reuteman.paul@uwlax.edu

Physical Therapy Links:

American Physical Therapy Association (www.apta.org)
UW-L Physical Therapy Web Page (www.uwlax.edu/pt)