Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Program Director: Catherine "Cassy" Turner
Co-Directors of Clinical Education: Andrew Baldwin, Brooke Lieske
Faculty: Martha Cullaty, Deborah Diaz, Marty Fontenot, Jennifer Hancock, Gregory Hansen, Carolyn Moore, Katherine Wilford

Overview

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program prepares students as an entry-level physical therapist who can work in any practice setting upon graduation and licensure. The DPT program focuses on developing the important skills of critical thinking, and application of evidence-based practice, for optimizing patient outcomes within the context of compassionate care delivery. Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences emphasizes interprofessional education. Students from various health professions work collaboratively in class and lab settings. Interprofessional activities also extend to opportunities for service to local and regional communities.

The DPT is a post-baccalaureate, entry-level, professional doctoral degree. Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree prior to matriculation into the program. Students are required to complete the full-time curriculum over nine semesters. The DPT student must successfully complete each didactic year prior to matriculation to the clinical education course that follows. Students complete two shorter full-time clinical experiences during the program at the completion of the first and second years of didactic course work to help integrate course content into the clinical setting. Two longer clinical experiences of 16 weeks each are completed during the final year of the program leading to the achievement of entry-level practice skills. Students complete clinical experiences in outpatient orthopedics and in a setting treating medically complex patients. There are opportunities for specialty rotations such as pediatrics, sports medicine, manual therapy practice, neurological rehabilitation, and aquatics. Successful completion of the terminal clinical practicum sequence and evidence of meeting the competencies for entry-level physical therapy practice must be met in order to graduate.

Mission of the Physical Therapy Program The mission of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program is to prepare individuals to be compassionate and ethical entry-level physical therapists who optimize movement by utilizing critical thinking skills and evidence-based knowledge for decision making. Students, graduates, and faculty demonstrate strong interprofessional collaboration for patient centered care that enhances function and promotes a healthy society.  Graduates will be lifelong learners who utilize contemporary practice models in a variety of practice settings across the lifespan.

In realizing its mission, the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences is committed to serving the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and beyond by:

• Preparing health professionals who demonstrate the ability to respond effectively to an ever-changing global environment;
• Conducting engaged scholarship through exploration and discovery of knowledge meaningful to teaching and health;
• Providing a dynamic and student-centered teaching and learning environment that fosters interprofessional collaboration and the development of compassionate and ethical health professionals; and
• Striving for excellence among students and faculty through community service, life-long learning, advocacy, and leadership with a focus on enhancing the well-being of the individual and society.

ACCREDITATION

The information below is current as of printing, however, our most current accreditation information can be found on our website:

https://marybaldwin.edu/health-sciences/school-of-health-human-performance/doctor-of-physical-therapy/accreditation-outcomes/

CAPTE

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Mary Baldwin University/Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave, Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085;  telephone: 703-706-3245; email:accreditation@apta.org;

Website: http://www.capteonline.org.

If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 540-887-4046 or e-mail clturner@marybladwin.edu.

How to file a complaint with CAPTE

Complaints about the Program or University related to compliance with accreditation standards must be submitted in writing to the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). These complaints should be addressed as follows:

Director of Accreditation
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100
Alexandria, Virginia  22305-3085
Email: Accreditation@apta.org
Phone: (800) 999-2782

Admission Requirements/Process for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Application cycle begins: June 15 (in PTCAS) Application deadline: December 1

• College Transcripts: A bachelor’s degree from an MBU approved regionally accredited institution is required prior to enrollment.
• Application: Applications will be accepted online through the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) once the application cycle has begun.
• Application Fee: In addition to the PTCAS fee, a non-refundable supplemental fee of $45 is required.
• GRE: GRE must have been taken within five years of application to our program.

• Language Proficiency: English proficiency is considered essential to providing quality patient care. Students for whom English is not their primary language, regardless of US citizenship, are required to submit their TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score with their application. The MBU school code is 5397. A minimum score is 570 (paper-based) or 88 (internet-based). A student may be exempted if they have graduated with a bachelors or graduate degree from a 4-year accredited US university. 

• Prerequisite Courses:

*Can be combined A/P.

Prerequisite course work may be completed during the admission cycle. Please add planned courses in PTCAS transcript section. Course work must be completed by May.

• GPA: A minimum of 3.0 overall GPA required. We expect that most accepted students will surpass this minimum. In addition, all prerequisite courses must reflect a “C” or better.
• References: Two references are required. At least one reference must be from a physical therapist. The online application will provide a form for you to send to your references.
• PT Observation Hours: 40 hours are required in at least two different settings, such as hospital inpatient, outpatient, pediatrics, long-term care, etc. Instructions on how to provide this information can be found on the online application form.
• Essay: The PTCAS application form will require a brief personal essay.

Before registering for classes, students must provide:

• Criminal background checks (federal requirement for all persons working with vulnerable populations) at student expense.
• Signed Technical Standards document.
• Written verification of immunizations at student expense.
• Written verification of health insurance at student expense.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care Providers certification from the American Heart Association at student expense.

After classes start, and in preparation for clinical placements, students must also provide:

• Any additional requirements as stated by specific health care agencies (such as drug screening, criminal background check, etc.) at student expense.

Grading, Student Standing, and Academic Probation for the PT, and Entry-Level OT Graduate Programs

The health sciences Entry-Level OT and PT graduate programs are full-time programs. Students will not be permitted to reduce the course load in a semester as the professional programs are sequential and require the student to complete them in a specific period of time. Any special circumstances related to course work for students will be addressed on a case-by- case basis with the Accessibility Services Program Coordinator, the program director, and the faculty.

Courses will be taken in semesters and assigned appropriate credit hours for contact time for lecture, lab, and clinical activities as appropriate. A course may be offered as a pass/fail grading option; however, students may not choose to take a regular, graded course for pass/fail.

Graduate courses in the school must be passed with a grade of “C” or better. A student receiving a grade of “D” or “F” in any course will be dismissed from the program in which they are enrolled. Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or better to continue in the program and graduate. Students falling below a GPA of 3.0 in any given semester will be placed on academic probation. A student may remain on academic probation for one additional semester in order to reach a 3.0 overall GPA. If the 3.0 GPA is not met at that time the student will be dismissed from the program.

For students in the Entry-Level OT or PT Programs:

A student on probation at the completion of the first spring semester academic year may be permitted to proceed to Clinical Education 1 or Fieldwork 1B if the student has completed all course work with no grade lower than a “C,” has successfully passed all practical examinations, and has demonstrated appropriate professional behaviors in class and clinical settings. Faculty will meet to discuss the student’s performance and determine the student’s readiness to proceed to the full-time clinical experience.

If a student is permitted to proceed to Clinical Education 1 or Fieldwork 1B and successfully completes it, the student will then have one full- time semester (11 credit hours or more) in which to improve their GPA to a 3.0 or better.

Students must be at a 3.0 GPA or better at the completion of the second spring academic semester in order to proceed to Clinical Education 2 or Fieldwork Level 2 experiences. Students must also be at a 3.0 or better in order to proceed to the terminal clinical internship experiences for the third year and must maintain the 3.0 GPA in order to graduate.

Students on academic probation should meet with their faculty advisor and course instructors on a regular basis to facilitate their academic improvement.

Students on academic probation are not eligible for academic and programmatic awards.

For more information, please see the previous section, “Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences Graduate Academic Policies.”

Program Matriculation and Completion: DPT and Entry-Level OTD Programs

At the end of each semester, faculty review the academic performance of all students. In order to progress to the next semester, students must successfully complete all courses in a particular semester with a grade of “C” or better and maintain a 3.0 GPA. All practical testing during that semester must be passed. The student must demonstrate appropriate professional behaviors as expected in all courses. The student will be permitted to progress to the second year and beyond only if all course work and full-time clinical experiences have been successfully completed.

A comprehensive examination is required for entry-level OT students. The exam must be successfully completed at the end of the Level 2 full-time clinical experiences to progress to the Capstone Experience.

PT students are enrolled in PTH 835 during the third summer of the program. This course prepares students to complete the Practice Examination (PEAT) of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy as the written examination. This written examination must be completed at a satisfactory level, as determined by class performance and faculty assessment, to progress to the final terminal clinical experiences that begin in fall of the third year.

Successful completion and meeting of entry-level competencies is required in the full-time terminal clinical internship experiences in order to graduate as scheduled. If a student fails a clinical internship experience, he/she may be offered the opportunity to repeat the clinical internship.

The MDCHS timeframe for completion of all program requirements is specified as five years from the date of initial enrollment.

Specific procedures are further outlined in the Clinical Education and Fieldwork Education Manuals, which will be provided prior to clinical placement.

Pre-Requisites – Because the curriculum is a full time, pre-set program of study with no ability to re-arrange course sequencing students must have successfully completed all prior academic and clinical coursework in the professional PT program in order to enroll in subsequent courses in the curriculum.