Curriculum

This tutorial-based course covers the structure and function of the normal and impaired musculoskeletal system. Normal anatomy and biomechanics are examined in the context of patient cases with common musculoskeletal problems to understand the tissue and organ stressors (including environmental interaction, aging, and disease processes) that result in physiological responses that may then lead to or exacerbate pathology, impairment, or dysfunction. Format: two three-hour tutorials and two large-group discussions (75 minutes each), plus one two-hour laboratory per week.

This course presents conceptual models for clinical decision-making and expert practice for patients presenting with musculoskeletal dysfunction. Students are introduced to psychosocial, psychomotor, and communication aspects of interacting with patients and their families. Using tutorial based cases, basic concepts in patient data collection from the patient interview to clinical tests and measurements of the musculoskeletal system are presented, including assessment of range of motion, joint integrity and mobility, pain, basic muscle performance, posture, body mechanics, and observational gait analysis. Students are introduced to the concepts of evidence-based practice, with emphasis on principles necessary to understanding patient impairment, functional outcome and disability data, measurement characteristics of and rationale for choices among available tests and measures, and strengths and limitations of using data to draw conclusions about individual patients or patient groups. Parameters of patient documentation as a data management tool and form of professional communication are initiated. Format: two 2.5-hour laboratories and one large-group discussion (75 minutes) per week.

This course involves the self-directed acquisition of knowledge related to evaluating and treating musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of the laboratory experiences and large group discussions are to integrate and apply the knowledge attained in PT 611-Structure and Function I and PT 621-Examinationand Documentation I with the information attained in PT 631. Students will learn various interventions used to address impairments in structure and function identified during the examination process while considering environmental and personal factors that may hinder the patient's ability to recover. In addition, students will be introduced to a plan of care as a documented means of professional communication. The plan of care documents impairments in body structure and function identified during the examination process to establish patient-directed goals. The patient-directed goals are used to select interventions to address impairments related to the activity limitations that cause participation restrictions for the patient.

This tutorial-based course covers the structure and function of the normal and impaired neurological system. Anatomy of the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems are examined in the context of patient cases with common neurological pathology to understand the interactive effects of normal, pathological, developmental, or age-related and environmental influences on movement, perception, cognition, and social development (including motor planning, motor control, and motor learning). Students will explore the following aspects of neuropathology that may impair the movement system (etiology, clinical manifestation, diagnostic testing, medical management, and prognosis).

Using patients with neurological conditions from tutorial cases, principles of examination and patient data collection will be expanded to include interview strategies and clinical tests and measurement options for assessing: attention, arousal, cognition, cranial nerve integrity, neuromotor development and status, reflex integrity, sensory integrity and motor performance. Handling skills for standardized patient examination will be included, as well as the interpretation of findings and their implications for referral to other health care practitioners. Students will practice the use of evidence-based practice by analyzing and interpreting the available published psychometric properties of assessment tools available to physical therapy practice with patients with neurological conditions.

This course includes principles of the evaluation process, clinical decision-making process, and methods of intervention for patients with neurological dysfunction in various physical therapy settings and across the lifespan. With consideration for best available evidence, various interventions to address impairments (ie. postural control, muscle performance, and motor control), activity limitations (ie. transitions, mobility), and participation limitations (ie. playing with other children, performing job duties) will be explored in LGD, LAB, and tutorial and applied to patient cases. Students will consider, interpret, and synthesize implications of both intrinsic and extrinsic patient factors including diagnosis and pathophysiology of the disease process, comorbidities, examination findings, age, therapeutic setting, psychosocial factors, patient goals, and the role of assistive/adaptive devices to determine physical therapy diagnosis, patient prognosis, and formulate appropriate goals and plans of care. Students will also learn how to provide evidence-informed practice by utilizing analytical skills to explore research and determine its clinical application to patient care. This course, in coordination with PT 612 Structure and Function II and PT 622 Examination & Documentation II, focuses on rehabilitation intervention and is organized into three modules: · Module 1: Foundational Perspectives: Motor Control & Motor Learning Theories and Models, Postural Control/Stability, and Balance (Cases 1-7) · Module 2: Sensory-Motor Systems: Transitions and Mobility/Locomotion (Cases 8-14) · Module 3: Integrative Systems: Cognition, Perception, UE function/Object Manipulation, and Coordination (Cases 15-25)

Includes concepts of reserach, reliability/validity, methods to analyze clinical data. Students develop a clinical question, search evidence, critically appraise evidence and integrate into evidence-based practice.
Prerequisite: Pre-req: PT-611 and PT-621 and PT-631

Clinical Education I consists of an eight (8) week full-clinical clinical education experience that is designed to provide students with the opportunity to practice skills learned in the classroom. The focus is on acquisition of beginning skills in the process of professional practice: patient-therapist interactions, history taking, carrying out selected examinations, evaluations, and interventions in part or in to-to, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, intervention, documentation, and re-evaluation of outcomes. In most cases, these skills can be most appropriately acquired in the following clinical settings: outpatient musculoskeletal facilities, in and outpatient acute and subacute rehab, and geriatric settings.

The DPT1 Professional Practice I course is a four (4) day intensive workshop experience designed to provide students with the opportunity to explore fundamental issues of professionalism in physical therapy, communication, and interpersonal skills, professional ethics, and key issues about the health delivery system through readings, discussions, and small group activities. This seminar prepares students to enter full-time clinical education later in the summer and provides foundational content that will be built upon in PT 741 Professional Practice II and later in the curriculum.

This tutorial-based course focuses on the structure and function of the normal and impaired cardiovascular, pulmonary, and integumentary systems. Patient cases include problems of the cardiovascular, peripheral vascular, pulmonary, and integumentary systems, neuromuscular, as well as those of patients with complex, multisystem disorders such as amputation, spinal cord injury, cancer, and frailty. The interactive effects of normal, pathological, developmental, or age-related and environmental influences on the ability to perform activities of daily living and in response to exercise are considered. The implications of pharmacologic use and interactions on the relevant systems and on exercise tolerance are emphasized. This course will also include several days of structured clinical exposure for each student over the semester that will be tied to semester coursework and will serve as a mechanism for understanding clinical relevance to practice and patient care.

Using the multisystem cases from tutorial, students will examine clinical tests and measurements to assess ventilation, respiration, circulation, aerobic capacity, and endurance. This includes patients with problems of the cardiovascular, peripheral vascular, pulmonary, and integumentary systems, as well as special tests and measurements that might apply to patients with multi-system disorders. Students will develop an understanding of how patient data and documentation systems are used to direct patient care, support inter-professional communication, and provide a rationale for the patient's plan of care. Students will establish differential diagnoses as well as determine the implications of findings and the need for referral to other health care practitioners. A series of structured clinical exposures serve as a mechanism for understanding clinical relevance to practice and patient care.

Using the multisystem cases from tutorial, this course will look at clinical decision-making for the complex patient. Students will use the results of the clinical examination in order to determine physical therapy diagnosis, prognosis, goals, priorities, and appropriate therapeutic interventions for patients with disorders affecting the cardiovascular, peripheral vascular, pulmonary, integumentary, and neurologic systems, patients with oncologic disorders and for patients with multi-system involvement. The intervention options, rationales, and implications for choices in these more complex patients will be considered. The impact of lifespan issues, family/cultural/societal support systems and expectations, and healthcare resource limitations will also be considered in the context of how these will affect evaluation, prognosis, and intervention for a patient. Patient advocacy issues relative to obtaining equipment and support services will be included. Also included in this semester and tied to components of each course are a series of structured clinical exposures for each student per semester that will serve as a mechanism for understanding clinical relevance to practice and patient care.

In Grand Rounds, students work in small groups utilizing clinical case scenarios typical of patients with complex medical problems affecting multiple systems such as the cardiovascular, pulmonary, integ­umentary systems, musculoskeletal, neuromotor, and immune systems. Using the ICF model as the guide for clinical decision-making, students apply an evidence-based analysis of the literature related to a specific clinical examination, evaluation, and intervention and/or management strategy for their assigned case. The culminating products of the semester are critical analysis of the literature (CAT) on specific clinical questions (PICO) for use of best evidence in patient care. The final product will be a professional presentation of the case using the evidence-based findings from the literature.
Prerequisite: Take PT-642

This tutorial-based course will focus on the normal and pathological structure and function of the musculoskeletal (axial and appendicular) and genitourinary systems, including problems related to pregnancy, and dysfunction of the extremities, vertebral column, thoracic cage, and temporomandibular joint. The content of this course will build on the knowledge of the musculoskeletal, neurological, pulmonary, cardiovascular, peripheral vascular, and integumentary systems presented in the previous three semesters. The patient problems in this course will be inherently more complex and involve integration across multiple systems at the level of the whole person. The effect of such factors as normal development (growth and aging), environmental influences, pharmacological interventions, and psychosocial issues on the level of stress on and adaptation by tissues will also be studied.

In the context of tutorial-based cases, students will continue with clinical tests and measurement options and rationales for assessing dysfunction of the axial musculoskeletal and other body systems, including problems related to dysfunction of the vertebral column, thoracic cage, and temporomandibular joint. Medical screening for non-musculoskeletal sources of pain and dysfunction, particularly within the thorax, will also be examined. Examination of the extremity joints will be reviewed and advanced using evidence-based guidelines and building on previously learned concepts. The strengths and limitations of advanced technology-based procedures for obtaining examination data will be introduced.

Interpreting patient history and examination data, this course will include the rest of the patient/client management model, such as evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, and plan of care to address various musculoskeletal conditions with movement dysfunctions. Using clinical reasoning, the intervention options, such as manual therapy, movement retraining, exercise programs, assistive or supportive devices, and orthotics will be examined as the means of optimizing function, participation, and self-care. Gait analysis will be used as a support to the patient evaluation process.

This course will explore the roles and responsibilities of the physical therapist as a professional, who functions as a practitioner that adheres to professional and ethical standards as outlined by several sources including the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). The course explores the role of the physical therapist as a collaborator with members of the diverse healthcare team, including as a referral source to other healthcare professionals. Professional development of physical therapists will be facilitated through exploration of the APTA Core Values and Code of Ethics, and other ethical principles with application to a variety of situations in physical therapy practice. The course prepares students to be educators through effective communication with patients, families, and members of the healthcare team. Career development activities are started with this course and continued in Semester 5.

This evidence-based practice course serves as Part 1 of the Capstone Experience of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. This Special Project is intended to build upon the theory and clinical courses taken to date, as well as upon professional practice coursework. Students will perform individual PICO projects of topics in physical therapy related to examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, and plan of care (intervention). Groups will meet with their faculty advisors to decide which question to pursue. This group PICO will become the basis for the Capstone project which spans the spring and summer semesters. Student groups will again review the literature more extensively and refine their research question. Using independent and self-directed learning, students will: (1) identify and assess the value of the issue-related scientific literature to the clinical decision-making; (2) select, justify, and present a research question chosen to best facilitate clinical decision-making; and (3) design a research project based on the findings of the group PICO investigation. This Special Project I is intended to expand the students' ability to appropriately use research literature to guide clinical decision-making and practice.

This tutorial-based course will focus on the Physical Therapy practice environment. Students experience a paradigm shift from physical therapy focused on individual clients to a population and systems perspective on physical therapy practice issues and content. These practice issues and content will include the study of health delivery systems, current health care climate and health care policy, health care finance, leadership, practice management, and personnel issues, health care marketing and consumerism, healthcare informatics, data and outcomes, quality improvement and risk management, regulatory and legislative oversight, and professionalism and professional development. Through tutorial and large group discussion, students will examine healthcare delivery issues from the perspective of key stakeholders, patient/client groups, providers, employers, and payers.

This course is a university-designated Service-Learning course. It is the culmination of the Professional Practice sequence in the curriculum. The focus of this course is the development of knowledge, attitudes, and skills utilized by physical therapists in the professional role of consultant. This semester content will expand the single-patient practice model to a practice model working with communities and groups of individuals. Content focuses on the therapist's role in community education, health promotion / wellness, and consultation for selected segments of the population. This includes exploration of concepts in the assessment of population groups, assessment of their communities and available resources, health behavior analysis, health behavior theories and models, community engagement, program planning, program implementation, and program evaluation. Several assignments throughout the semester apply the above concepts and most specifically, a service-learning group project called the community-based Clinical Project. Content from PT 845 will often link with content from PT 825. Student learning experiences may take place in both the classroom and community-based venues. As students work within the community, they are expected to demonstrate sensitivity and consideration of population differences and their values toward health and wellness, including factors such as personal beliefs/attitudes toward health, socioeconomic issues, and cultural norms and trends.

This course serves as the second Capstone Experience of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. This Special Project will build upon the theory and clinical courses taken to date, as well as upon professional practice coursework. Students have selected a topic of interest in Special Project I related to either examination or intervention. Working in small groups, students will continue to review the research literature on their assigned topic. Using independent and self-directed learning, students will: (1) identify and assess the value of related scientific literature to the clinical decision-making process; (2) select, justify, analyze, and present the research article chosen to best facilitate clinical decision-making; (3) propose a research project that would address one or more deficits in the current body of relevant research literature and (4) "conduct" the research project by adding results, conclusions, and discussion. This "Capstone Experience" should expand the students' ability to use research literature to guide clinical decision-making and practice.
Prerequisite: Take PT-760

Clinical Education II consists of a ten (10) week full-time supervised clinical education experience that is designed to provide students with the opportunity to build upon knowledge, skills, and behaviors learned in the classroom and in the previous clinical experience. The focus is on developing mastery of skills in the processes of professional practice: patient-therapist interactions, performing comprehensive examinations and evaluations, developing, and implementing interventions, establishing diagnosis and prognosis, performing documentation, and re-evaluation of patient outcomes. Students are assigned to a clinical site providing structured clinical education experiences in patient care areas different from those encountered during the previous 8-week clinical experience. At this point in the curriculum, students have completed all academic coursework, and are ready to be challenged by clinical education in the range of practice settings.

Clinical Education III consists of a ten (10) week full-time supervised clinical education experience that is designed to provide students with the opportunity to build upon knowledge, skills, and behaviors learned in the classroom and in previous clinical experiences. The focus is on developing mastery of skills in the processes of professional practice: patient-therapist interactions, performing comprehensive examinations and evaluations, developing and implementing interventions, establishing diagnosis and prognosis, performing documentation, and re-evaluating patient outcomes. Students are assigned to a clinical site providing structured clinical education experiences in patient care areas different from those encountered during the previous 8-week and 10-week clinical experiences. At this point in the curriculum, students have completed all academic coursework and two full-time clinical experiences in two practice environments and are ready to be challenged by clinical education in a range of practice settings with increased complexity of care.

Clinical Education IV consists of a ten (10) week full-time supervised clinical education experience that is designed to provide students with the opportunity to build upon knowledge, skills, and behaviors learned in the classroom and in previous clinical experiences. The focus is on developing mastery of skills in the processes of professional practice: patient-therapist interactions, performing comprehensive examinations and evaluations, developing, and implementing interventions, establishing diagnosis and prognosis, performing documentation, and re-evaluation of patient outcomes. Students are assigned to a clinical site providing structured clinical education experiences in patient care areas different from those encountered during the previous 8-week and 10-week clinical experiences. At this point in the curriculum, students have completed all academic coursework and three full-time clinical experiences in two practice environments and are ready to be challenged by clinical education in a range of practice settings with increased complexity of care.