PT - Physical Therapy

An introductory course where students will develop physical therapy clinical skills. Content focuses on patient handling techniques including positioning and draping, bed mobility and transfer training, wheelchair management and gait training with the use of assistive devices. Basic medical terminology, communication, proper body mechanics and safety are also introduced.

This is the first course in a series that covers physical therapy interventions. The focus is on therapeutic exercise to address an individual's impairments, functional deficits, and well-being. Students will learn where different types of exercises fit into the healing and recovery timeline.

This course covers the theory, clinical techniques, and the evidence behind using common physical agents in physical therapy, including massage, electrotherapy, thermal and non-thermal modalities. The course also addresses theories of pain management and management of wounds and burns. The format of the class will combine lecture with an extensive laboratory component.

This one-credit course surrounds the basic structure and function of loose and dense connective tissues, bone, articular cartilage, muscle and nerve. It will address how these tissues function under normal and pathological conditions and the implications for physical therapy. The course will also prepare the student to read and interpret the medical and scientific literature relative to histology and clinical practice.

The first class in a series of lectures designed to acquaint the student with the clinical areas related to pathological conditions frequently encountered in physical therapy practice. The course develops an understanding of health models, disease processes and highlights common pathologies by body system central to the care of the patient.

This course is designed to acquaint the student with medical aspects and pathological conditions associated with musculoskeletal disorders and surgical procedures involving the musculoskeletal system with a subunit related to cancer.

This course provides an overview of human physiology as it relates to exercise and the clinical practice of physical therapy. Energy systems and cardiopulmonary physiology will be covered, including electrocardiogram interpretation, as well as resistance training and weight loss.

A beginning course in patient examination skills which focuses on history/interviewing skills, vital signs, range of motion, surface anatomy palpation, reflex testing, sensation testing, edema testing, and manual muscle testing.

This course builds upon PT 640 with the focus on gait, posture, and musculoskeletal examination/evaluation. Emphasis will be on examination tests and measures, orthopedic special tests, beginning differential diagnosis, and linking evaluation to intervention choices.

This course integrates material from first-year courses using case scenario role playing, short case vignettes, and standardized patients to facilitate clinical skill competencies and clinical decision making. Also covered are professional topics such as interprofessional collaboration competencies (IPEC), direct access, the ICF model, documentation, and emergency procedures.

This course is one in the series of clinical problem-solving courses. It focuses on simulated patient experiences and discussion in orthopedic physical therapy. The course will emphasize critical thinking, problem solving and differential diagnosis as well as development and progression of plans of care for orthopedic patients.

This course will review the musculoskeletal system with emphasis on normal movement of the spine and extremities and the coordinated muscle activity necessary to produce that movement. Students will learn manual muscle testing techniques. The course will also introduce basic concepts such as types of muscle contractions, torque production, and joint reaction forces.

Students will learn to assess the measurement of motion and forces in normal human movement. Trigonometry will be employed in the problem-solving section of the course as the student assesses forces, vectors and loads.

This first full-time clinical education experience begins at the end of the first academic year of the program and is designed to permit progressive responsibility in patient evaluation and treatment based upon material learned in classes during the first year. Each student is required to provide one in-service presentation during the clinical learning experience.

Advanced study of selected topics.

Neuroscience I is the first in a series of courses that provide the student with an understanding of integrated neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. Emphasis will be placed upon basic neurophysiologic principles at the cellular level.

Neuroscience II is the second course in the sequence. From the foundation of Neuroscience I, the course will build to the progressively higher order of structural functional relationships that control behavior.

This is the first in a series of courses that prepare the graduate to critically analyze and use scientific literature to improve clinical decision-making and practice. This course introduces the terminology and strategies of evidence-based practice applied to physical therapy. It emphasizes the basic concepts such as research design, measurement principles and basic statistics.

This course is a continuation of the graduate's preparation to practice critical analysis skills related to scientific literature. Its emphasis is placed on creating the components of research reports and concepts associated with judging the quality and value of research. Students will complete a systematic review of the literature.

This is third in a series of four courses in which the student will develop entry-level professional analytical skills in the area of evaluation and treatment with emphasis in the area of orthopedics. This course will expand on the knowledge from spring semester and summer clinical experiences. Teaching methods will include lecture, lab experiences, patient case studies, and demonstrations.

This is the fourth in a series of Theory and Practice courses designed to prepare the student to achieve entry-level skills in analysis and management in acute care, the adult client with neurologic dysfunction, and rehabilitation following limb amputation. The course integrates the theoretical aspects of neurologic physical therapy with the development of cognitive and psychomotor clinical skills. Practice laboratories, demonstrations, use of audiovisual aids, lectures, laboratory assignments and projects are used to facilitate learning.

This course is designed to emphasize modules in pharmacology, management of chronic pain, functional capacity evaluations, work conditioning, clinical electrophysiology and imaging.

The fourth clinical science course is designed to provide the learner with the foundation to apply clinical science knowledge about an underlying injury or disease to design and implement the appropriate physical therapy care plan for pathologies seen in physical therapy practice. This course focuses on pathologies seen in the acute care environment, pathologies of the nervous system and limb amputations.

This course allows students to learn and develop the clinical tools and decision-making skills necessary in the evaluation of patients across the continuum of care with special attention paid to patients with various neurological dysfunctions, medically complex patients in the acute care setting and patients with amputations.

The course uses simulated patient experiences, case studies and discussion around topics in orthopedic physical therapy. The course will emphasize critical thinking, problem solving and differential diagnosis, as well as the development and progression of plans of care for the orthopedic patient.

This is the fourth clinical problem-solving course. It focuses on simulated patient experiences, case studies and discussion of interventions for people with neurologic dysfunction (pediatric and adult), spinal cord injury, and care of patients with medically complex conditions in acute care and intensive care units (ICU).

This course is designed to prepare the student to achieve entry-level skills in pathology, analysis and management of the pediatric client with neurologic dysfunction. The course integrates the theoretical aspects of neurologic physical therapy with the development of cognitive and psychomotor clinical skills. Practice laboratories, demonstrations, use of audiovisual aids, lectures, laboratory assignments and projects are used to facilitate learning.

This second full-time clinical education experience occurs between the second and third academic years of the program and is designed to permit progressive responsibility in patient evaluation and treatment based upon material learned in classes during the first and second years.

This third full-time clinical education experience occurs following the final academic semester of the program and is designed to promote the development of an autonomous professional through the synthesis and application of clinical problem solving and clinical reasoning skills. Students will achieve entry-level clinical and administrative practice skills.

This course focuses upon the emotional and psychological elements associated with illness and disease. Students will learn the various societal and personal views of sickness and chronic illness as well as the coping mechanism employed by individuals and families when facing disease and terminal illness.

This hybrid course facilitates interprofessional health promotion development between graduate-level health professions students in addition to PT management of special populations. Health promotion topics include abuse/mandated reporting, adolescent and LGBTQ health promotion, social and environmental issues, spirituality, death and dying, and supportive environments.

This course is designed to provide the physical therapy student with a review of the principles and practices of managing and administering physical therapy in various clinical settings. The course stresses the principles of management administration in patient care in clinical environments.

This course is for the identification, analysis, and discussion of issues currently facing the physical therapy profession. The issues focus on the ethical questions as well as the role relationships of physical therapists in the greater health care delivery system of the United States.

This course is designed to meet the needs for patient instruction, education within the classroom and clinic, and peer continuing education. The focus of the course is on clear communication in the teaching/learning process.

The focus of this seminar will be on the integration of the foundational and clinical sciences to analyze and solve patient-based clinical problems to arrive at a diagnosis. Students will be expected to explain their reasoning and defend their decisions.

This course is designed to facilitate critical inquiry, clinical reasoning, cultural respect, and reflective thinking through formulation of a systematic review or case report on a patient from one of the student’s full-time clinical experiences. Emphasis in this course is placed upon integrating the best research evidence with clinical experience and patient values to support decisions that affect patient outcomes and quality of life with application to management, education, and clinical practice.

The purpose of this course is to challenge the student to interact with other health professionals in making patient care decisions.

Research topics.

This course will expose interprofessional students to current trends in health promotion and illness prevention. Topics will include: Healthy People 2020 objectives, age specific clinical guidelines for health promotion and illness prevention, theories on behavior and motivation, sociocultural issues, and screening for a variety of health problems. Measures for promoting and maintaining health throughout the lifespan will be explored with attention to current research from the literature.

Students will pick from a variety of clinical specialty practice, service learning or research topics to explore in a small group setting.