INTRODUCTION

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program in Erie is part of the School of Rehabilitative Sciences under Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences at Gannon University. The program is guided by a collaborative leadership structure designed to support both academic and clinical excellence. The program chair provides overall leadership for the program and reports to the Associate Dean of the School of Rehabilitative Sciences, and both report to the Dean of Morosky College. The associate program director, who reports to the program chair, assists with program administration. The undergraduate coordinator, who reports to the program chair, provides administrative support for the undergraduate 3+3 and 4+3 programs, assists with application review and admission decisions, and supports DPT faculty in their roles as undergraduate advisors. The program chair, associate program director, undergraduate coordinator, and faculty members establish and annually review the policies governing the program. These policies, while consistent with the policies of Gannon University, reflect the specific and unique needs of the physical therapy program. DPT students must adhere to all program policies as well as University policies.

VISION

Gannon University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in Erie will be a leader in educating autonomous physical therapists who participate in integrative and collaborative practice to facilitate high quality health and educational outcomes.  We will be practitioners of choice in the community, recognized as experts in movement, function and health.  As leaders, we will embrace our social responsibility, promote humanistic care, and contribute to the profession’s body of knowledge.

MISSION

The mission of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Gannon University Erie Campus facilitates holistic patient/client-centered management related to movement, function, and health. We prepare our graduates to be knowledgeable, service-oriented, reflective practitioners. Our graduates render evidence- based, professional judgments concerning patient/client needs by virtue of critical thinking, interprofessional collaboration, lifelong learning and adhering to ethical principles.  They possess the intellect, psychomotor proficiency, leadership capabilities, and core values to meet the current and future needs of the profession, the health care system, and society.

PHILOSOPHY

Physical therapists are integral members of the health care team who are recognized and respected for their education, experience, and expertise in movement, function and health. The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Gannon University in Erie, PA is guided by the following tenets:

• The essence of physical therapy practice is patient/client-centered management for body functions, activity and participation related to movement, function and health.  

• Professional physical therapist education should prepare individuals to be autonomous practitioners capable of providing care through direct access.

• Active, integrative, and experiential learning methods promote student self-reliance, increase self-assessment skills and develop a pattern of independent learning that will promote lifelong learning and continuing professional development.

• Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the framework for physical therapy practitioners’ clinical decision-making. EBP skills are cultivated through development of self-directed learning, utilizing a variety of resources that are enhanced by technology.

• The health care environment is continually evolving. Physical therapist practice encompasses roles in primary, secondary, and tertiary care, as well as prevention, health promotion and wellness.

• Practitioners are educators who use their knowledge, creativity, communication, and interpersonal skills to promote the health of individuals and communities.

• Global citizenship is expressed within the practitioner’s life by advocating for equitable allocation of healthcare resources, providing culturally sensitive care; maximizing multicultural learning; cultivating awareness and perspective of the global society; and understanding the existence, cause, and our role in addressing health disparity.

• Competency-based education ensures that practitioners demonstrate proficiency in knowledge, psychomotor, and affective domains.

• Professionalism is an integral part of physical therapy education and practice.

PROGRAM GOALS

Consistent with the University’s and Program’s Mission Statements, the goals of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Gannon University Erie Campus are: 

1.     The DPT Program and DPT faculty will deliver evolving, contemporary, evidence-based      professional Doctor of Physical Therapy education.

2.     The DPT Program will develop students to become knowledgeable, service-oriented, collaborative practitioners.

3.     The DPT Program and DPT faculty will support the growth of physical therapy by developing students/graduates who engage in ongoing professional development.

4.     The DPT Program, DPT faculty, and students/graduates will promote the health, wellness, and quality of life in the community and society.

5.     The DPT faculty will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in physical therapy and health science through scholarly activity.

6.     The DPT faculty and students/graduates will model professionalism through involvement in the University, the profession, and associated organizations.

PRACTICE EXPECTATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program’s overall curriculum goals and educational outcomes are defined by the physical therapy profession’s practice expectations that encompass behaviors, skills, and knowledge that describe the expected performance of the physical therapist. Practice expectation goals occur in four different areas:

1. Professional ethics, values, and responsibilities

2. Patient/client management

3. Participation in the healthcare environment

4. Practice management.

In aggregate, they delineate the educational outcomes and performance of the graduate upon entry into the practice of physical therapy. The overall outcomes expected of each student while in the program and at graduation have been identified and are assessed based on progression through the curriculum.

ADMISSION PREREQUISITES

Prerequisite Course Requirements for entry into the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program include the following:

• Biology: 2 semesters (200 or 300 level Human Anatomy and Physiology courses do not meet this prerequisite)

• Chemistry: 2 semesters

• Psychology: 1 semester (200 level behavioral/social science course)

• Statistics: 1 semester

• Human Anatomy with Lab: 1 semester (Human Gross Anatomy recommended; course should be at 200 or 300 level at four-year degree granting institution)

• Human Physiology with Lab: 1 semester

• Exercise Physiology (lab recommended): 1 semester

• Physics with Lab: 2 semesters

Important Note Regarding Prerequisites:

Prerequisites must be completed within five years preceding entrance to the graduate program.

Recommended Courses:

• Social Sciences – at least two additional semesters in social sciences (e.g., Sociology, Social Psychology)

• Kinesiology with lab

Communication:

Practice as a health care professional requires the ability to communicate both in written and oral form. The physical therapy program stresses communication and expects enrolled students to demonstrate graduate level competence in written as well as oral communication.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university

• Cumulative prerequisite course quality point average (QPA) of 3.0 or better (4.0 scale). Grades below a C are not acceptable

• Overall undergraduate QPA of 3.0 or better (4.0 scale)

• Applicant demonstrates the ethical, personal and professional qualities to fulfill the role of the physical therapist as determined by review of the applicant’s references

• Application review begins on October 31st; application deadline January 15th

• Qualified applicants will be called for an informational session

• TOEFL – Minimum score of 79 on internet exam for all applicants from non-English speaking countries

• Meet essential functions: physical, emotional, intellectual, and communication standards

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE STUDENT PHYSICAL THERAPIST

Essential functions are the activities that a student physical therapist must be able to perform in partial fulfillment of the requirements for successful completion of the professional curriculum. Every student must be able to perform these essential functions, with or without reasonable accommodations, while practicing safely, ethically, and in a legal manner. Reasonable accommodations are based on individual need, program essential requirements, public safety, and no undue hardship on the University or clinical sites.

If a student is unable to perform these essential functions, it is the student’s responsibility to:

1. Reveal a need for reasonable accommodations prior to entering the professional curriculum.

2. Obtain diagnostic data to substantiate a claim of need for reasonable accommodations.

3. Provide the diagnostic data to the institution prior to entering the professional curriculum.

The ability to perform essential functions is expected of students in the classroom, labs, simulated clinical settings, and while on clinical education assignments. The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program’s at the Erie PA campus essential functions are described below by: 1) category and 2) examples. The examples are for clarity and do not represent an exhaustive list of all possible activities.

CATEGORY and EXAMPLE

Behavior – ability to act in a professional manner

• Practice safely, ethically, legally

• Demonstrate responsibility for lifelong professional growth and development

Critical thinking – ability to make clinical judgments

• Identify cause/effect relationships

• Develop patient outcomes/goals/interventions

• Respond to emergencies

• Apply standard precautions

• Apply teaching and learning theories in clinical practice

• Participate in scientific inquiry

Communication – ability to verbalize and write

• Explain treatment interventions

• Initiate health teaching

• Document and interpret physical therapist actions and patient responses

Coping – ability to perform in stressful environments or under deadlines

• Maintain professional demeanor in all situations

• Accept constructive feedback

• Prioritize multiple commitments

• Recognize problems and apply stress management techniques

Hearing – auditory ability sufficient to monitor and assess health needs

• Monitor alarms and emergency signals

• Respond to a timer

Interpersonal – ability to interact with groups from a variety of backgrounds

• Establish rapport with patients, clients, and colleagues

• Recognize psychosocial impact of dysfunction/disability

• Demonstrate respect for the needs of the patient and family

• Demonstrate respect for diversity

Motor Skill – gross and fine motor abilities sufficient to provide safe and effective physical therapy

• Calibrate and operate equipment

• Maneuver in patients’ rooms and treatment spaces

• Guard patients and perform facilitation techniques during gait training

• Perform physical therapy assessment and treatment activities such as ROM, MMT, debridement, or use of physical agents

Tactile – ability to use touch to monitor and assess health needs

• Palpate

• Apply resistance during examinations or interventions

Visual – visual ability sufficient to monitor and assess health needs

• Observe patients’ responses

• Monitor vital signs

• Read medical records

• Observe integumentary integrity

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Graduate assistantships are available to applicants to the program. Additional information about these assistantships is available from the DPT program or the program website.

CURRICULUM

Building on the study of normal human movement structure and function, the curriculum plan uses a theoretical base to build courses and learning experiences which prepare the student for the contemporary practice of physical therapy. Beginning with basic sciences, followed by clinical and physical therapy sciences, systems-based sequencing of the movement systems of musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary and integumentary are presented. Elements of the patient/client management model including examination, evaluation, physical therapy differential diagnosis, prognosis, intervention, and outcomes are integrated into each of the clinical science courses. Both clinical science and research content are framed within an evidence-based practice format, utilizing current scientific research in conjunction with clinical experience for a specific patient/client problem within the physical therapists’ scope of practice. Concepts between and within each course are cumulative and competency based, and continued enrollment depends upon mastery and use of previous concepts.  Practical clinical experiences are integrated into the academic program to support immediate application of didactic material. With each of the four clinical education experiences, students are expected to demonstrate progressively greater independence and skill, culminating in readiness for entry-level practice. The Co-Directors of Clinical Education assign students to clinical sites, based on student and learning goals. In addition to sites in the Erie and western Pennsylvania areas, the program offers many clinical experiences at sites throughout the country. This enables the student to have the opportunity to practice with a culturally diverse client population and learn various physical therapy approaches from experienced clinicians.

CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS

The DPT degree program at the Erie, PA campus must be completed as a full-time program.

ELECTIVES

Five to six credits of elective coursework are required in this curriculum plan. Students may fulfill this requirement either by completing their group evidence-based project, selecting a program sponsored elective course or an independent study course available during the student’s 7th or 8th semesters of the program.

3 + 3 DPT PROGRAM

For those students enrolled in the accelerated 3 + 3 DPT program they must successfully complete the first-year graduate courses for completion of the intended undergraduate degree. Failure to successfully complete the graduate coursework may result in additional undergraduate coursework to fulfill the undergraduate degree requirements.

LICENSURE

To achieve licensure as a physical therapist, program graduates must successfully complete and pass a comprehensive licensure examination administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (www.fsbpt.org). To assist graduating students in preparing for the licensure examination, the program offers a series of practice licensure examinations prior to graduation. To practice as a physical therapist in the United States, many states require a clean criminal record, with no misdemeanors or felonies. Individuals with criminal records should contact the physical therapy licensing board of the state where they would like to practice prior to applying for admission to a DPT program so that they may fully inform themselves of any restrictions that may apply to them.

ACCREDITATION

The Physical Therapy educational program at the Erie, PA campus is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association. For further information on accreditation, contact: CAPTE, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, VA 22305-3085. Phone: (703) 706-3245.

CLINICAL EXPERIENCES

Students participate in four full-time clinical experiences [forty (40) total weeks] spaced throughout the curriculum. The clinical education component is designed to allow students the opportunity to practice and refine their assessment process, skills and techniques immediately following the presentation of the didactic material. Many of the clinical sites that the DPT Program uses for clinical placements require a clear criminal record or the student may not be assigned to that site. Once admitted to a DPT program, a DPT student with a criminal record may be limited in clinical site assignments. Many clinical sites also require drug testing prior to starting the clinical experience. A clear drug test may be required for the student to participate in the learning experience.

The co-Directors of Clinical Education formally track the clinical site placements of each student, makes site selections, and advises each student to gain the most diverse exposure possible. Students are encouraged to complete clinical experiences outside of northwestern Pennsylvania.