Program Overview
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program consists of two programs: an on-site parent program and a hybrid PTA to DPT Bridge program. The curriculum can best be described as a hybrid curriculum, with foundational sciences and basic physical therapy skills taught in the first year in integrated fashion. The focus is on patient management in each of four physical therapy practice areas: musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiopulmonary, and integumentary. Four trimesters of the program contain a clinical decision making course, which is a case based small group course designed for advanced mentoring in clinical decision making algorithms. Thirty-six weeks of full-time clinical practice are included in the curriculum, as well as a professional development track containing concepts in legal/ethical issues, practice management, and professionalism issues. Evidence-based practice courses are strategically placed in the curriculum to allow small groups of learners to develop research questions, collect data, and draw conclusions from the evidence regarding physical therapy principles under the mentorship of faculty.
Clinical Education
Thirty-six weeks of full-time clinical practice are included in the curriculum, as well as a professional development track containing concepts in legal/ethical issues, practice management, and professionalism issues. Clinical education is an essential and exciting part of physical therapist education. Students will be representing William Carey University in diverse and exciting clinical settings, and the faculty expects great things as students demonstrate clinical practice excellence and Christian compassion.
William Carey has a mission of providing health care professionals to areas that are medically underserved. In accordance with this mission, at least one of each student’s clinical experiences will occur in a low-resource, rural area. The physical therapy program requires mentored practice in a variety of practice settings occurring along the continuum of care typically provided by physical therapists. Meeting the requirements for low-resource area, variety of practice settings, and continuum of care are the primary decision-makers for student assignment to clinical education sites.
Each student participating in clinical education will be assigned to clinical experiences in four practice settings: acute care, rehabilitation, outpatient, and one elective area. Students may request a general location for clinical experiences, but assignments are made based on meeting the requirements of the program. Students are responsible for arranging and paying for travel, lodging, healthcare, and any additional expenses related to clinical education. Students are expected to travel out of state, and may be eligible for international clinical experiences.
We are very excited about clinical education at William Carey. Our emphasis on low resource areas and medically underserved populations in Mississippi, the United States, and internationally distinguishes Carey clinical education from typical physical therapy programs. We invite students and physical therapy clinicians to join us as we “Expect Great Things from God, Attempt Great Things for God” through our clinical education program.
This is a lock-step, cohort educational program. Each student must pass the previous trimester at a satisfactory level to proceed to the next level.
Program Admission Requirements
The WCU DPT Admissions Committee uses the national Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) portal. The deadline for application is November 1 of each year. Admission criteria are based on GRE scores and undergraduate GPA. With the assistance of the university statistician, the Admissions Committee ranks students based on weighted GRE scores, undergraduate GPAs, and essays; no interview is required. Students are accepted on a rolling basis until the 30-student class size is filled. Students are notified through PTCAS with an acceptance letter emailed to them. The program does not typically allow students to transfer into the DPT program. Should a student request a transfer, the Admission Committee refers the applicant to the Program Director, who considers the transfer from another program on a case-by-case basis, reviewing applicable syllabi for course requirements and objectives. The Program Director then makes a recommendation to the university registrar concerning acceptance of transfer credit from another university. As per the William Carey University Graduate Catalog, only six hours of transfer credit are allowed in a graduate program
Admission to the DPT program is competitive in nature, and students with strong academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Students will be admitted to the program in the Fall term of each year, based on the following requirements:
- Complete a Baccalaureate Degree (applicant’s choice) from an accredited college or university OR be in the senior year of undergraduate study
- Complete Additional Pre-Requisite Courses (if not taken to complete your BS degree)
| Statistics (math, psychology, or education) | 1 course |
| Two Biological Science courses | 2 courses, Excluding Botany and Zoology |
| Chemistry I and II | 2 courses in sequence |
| Physics I and II | 2 courses in sequence |
| Human Anatomy (preferred) | 1 course |
| Human/General Psychology (preferred) | 1 course |
| OR | |
| Anatomy and Physiology (I and II) | 2 courses in sequence |
| Psychology | 1 course |
| Medical Terminology | encouraged |
*All science courses must be for science majors
*All science pre-requisite courses require a lab
*All pre-requisite courses must have been completed within 10 years prior to application
*No more than 2 pre-requisite courses can be outstanding upon completion of the Fall term of the year of application
*Applicants must have a grade of C or better in all pre-requisite courses
- Achieve a minimum pre-requisite GPA 3.0.
- Achieve a minimum overall GPA 3.0 OR on the last 60 hours of graduate/undergraduate coursework
- Complete 40 hours of observation under a physical therapist in two distinctly different settings. One of the settings must be an inpatient setting (acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, nursing home, and/or skilled nursing). Must be verified and submitted electronically to PTCAS..
- Submit Official GRE scores (within last 10 years) verbal, analytical and written by the application deadline. Minimum score of 290 required (Quantitative and Verbal). Submit to PTCAS using Institutional Code 7400.
- Complete all sections of the PTCAS application. The Admissions Committee is looking for well-rounded applicants with good time management skills. Be sure to complete all sections of the PTCAS application to allow the committee a glance at the applicant’s out of class involvement as well as their academic performance.
- Interviews- William Carey University DPT program does not require an interview as part of the admissions process. Prospective students are encouraged to schedule campus visits and attend DPT2B informational sessions to learn more about the program. Please contact us at 601-318-6710, for an appointment if desired.
- Applications and all supporting documents must be submitted through the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Services (PTCAS) www.ptcas.org by the application deadline. No documents should be sent directly to William Carey University.
Admission Status
Due to the competitive nature of admissions, an applicant for the doctor of physical therapy program is admitted to regular graduate status only, as described below. Regular graduate status is granted to those students who meet all requirements for admission to the program and are actively pursuing a degree.
Health Status Requirements
All students entering DPT courses are required to have completed the health examination form. All students must submit documentation of receiving the hepatitis B immunization series or positive titer; two varicella immunizations, or positive titer; a DTaP immunization; and the results of appropriate screening for TB annually. Failure to comply with all health requirements will result in the inability to attend the clinical portion of a course and failure of the course.
All students must complete (re)certification of CPR for the Health Professional either annually or every two years, depending on the clinical facility requirements. Students are responsible for submitting evidence of current certification to the physical therapy office. Failure to do so will result in inability to attend the clinical portion of the program and failure of the course.
Technical Standards
To acquire requisite knowledge and skills to practice as a physical therapist, graduate students must be able to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and provide a wide spectrum of patient care. Students must possess certain skills and abilities to successfully complete both the didactic and clinical components of the curriculum with or without reasonable accommodations, regardless of disability status. All graduates must be able to perform tasks such as: taking a case history, performing examination tests and measures, completing an evaluation, and performing manual interventions. They must also be able to synthesize these findings into a physical therapy diagnosis and plan of treatment.
These skills and abilities are divided into five areas: communication, motor, intellectual-cognitive, sensory observational and behavioral-social. Students must be able to undertake all academic (clinical and didactic) requirements to the satisfaction of faculty to become competent and reliable practitioners. To this end, the faculty of the Department of Physical Therapy has established criteria (Technical Standards) that students must possess in order to enroll in, and to continue in academic courses and clinical placements required for the DPT degree.
General Guidelines
The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree is typically a three-year program that requires the acquisition of professional attitudes, skills and behavior as well as the accumulation of scientific knowledge. The DPT degree certifies that the student has acquired the broad base of knowledge and skills required for the practice of physical therapy and is eligible to take the professional licensing examination. These standards are rigorous and exacting so admission can be offered only to those individuals best-qualified to meet the performance standards of the profession.
Acceptance to the DPT program is offered to those who present the highest qualifications for the study and practice of physical therapy. Graduates of the program must have the knowledge and skills to function in a variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. Candidates for the DPT degree must have somatic sensation and the functional use of the necessary senses. Skills will be lessened if the student does not have functional use of the sense of balance and sufficient motor function to permit them to carry out the activities described in the sections that follow. They must be able to consistently, quickly and accurately integrate all information received by whatever sense(s) are employed, and they must have the intellectual ability to learn, integrate, analyze and synthesize data. Candidates for the DPT degree must have abilities and skills in the five areas outlined below.
Communication. A student must possess adequate communication skills to:
- Communicate effectively and proficiently in oral and written English o English language skills must be at a level that can be easily understood by clients and colleagues for general interactions, for administration of tests and implementation of treatment as judged by a panel of PT faculty;
- Read and write to meet didactic and clinical demands;
- Demonstrate and perceive non-verbal communication with patients that is appropriate for culture and context;
- Communicate with patients, families, peers, and colleagues at an appropriate and professional level;
- Clearly record examination results, treatment observations, and treatment plans in a reasonable amount of time;
- Accurately convey information with relevance and cultural sensitivity;
- Effectively receive and send verbal communication in emergency situations;
- Recognize and promptly respond to the patient’s emotional communications such as sadness, worry, agitation, pain, and lack of comprehension of therapist communication.
Motor. A student must possess adequate motor skills to:
- Sustain the necessary physical activity level required in classroom and clinical activities;
- Respond quickly in the event of an emergency situation to provide patients a safe environment;
- Access transportation to clinical and didactic placement sites;
- Assume and maintain a variety of body postures (e.g., sitting, standing, walking, bending, squatting, kneeling, stair climbing, reaching forward, reaching overhead, turning and movement of the trunk and neck in all directions) so as to sufficiently perform patient examination and intervention procedures;
- Demonstrate appropriate psychomotor skills for performing tests and measures for patient examination;
- Execute appropriate psychomotor movements required for manual handling and manipulation of various object/person sizes and weights including lifting and transferring patients, guarding patients during gait training on level surfaces/uneven surfaces/ramps/stairs, pushing and pulling to provide resistance and to assist in maneuvering patients. Students may be required to:
- Safely lift up to 50 lbs. independently
- Safely lift up to 200 lbs. with assistance
- Safely push and pull up to 200 lbs.
- Balance self and provide support and balance to patients on a variety of surfaces including level and uneven ground, ramps, curbs, and stairs;
- Have sufficient endurance to effectively manage patient care;
- Access technology for clinical and didactic requirements;
- Complete an episode of care within a reasonable time frame to effectively manage the patient.
Sensory/Observational. A student must possess adequate sensory skills to:
- Effectively observe and function (in visual and auditory modalities) in both clinical and didactic settings;
- Record and evaluate physical status as well as verbal and non-verbal responses to sensory stimuli;
- Visually assess treatment equipment, goniometric measures, normal/abnormal color changes and integrity of the skin, pupillary changes, postures, and normal/abnormal movement patterns;
- Perform effective auscultation/auditory evaluation inclusive of but not limited to lungs, heart, apical pulse, blood pressure, joint noises, and prostheses;
- Listen for environmental cues inclusive of but not limited to phones, overhead paging systems, alarms, verbal communication in a setting with competing ambient noise;
- Provide appropriate tactile feedback related to safe application of gradient pressures during examination and intervention (including but not limited to palpation, manual muscle testing, joint mobility, percussion, massage).
Intellectual/Cognitive. A student must possess adequate intellectual and cognitive skills to:
- Comprehend, retain, assimilate, analyze, synthesize, integrate concepts and problem solve;
- Formulate written and verbal assessments and therapeutic judgments to meet didactic and clinical demands in a reasonable time frame;
- Identify and communicate the limits of their own knowledge and skills;
- Utilize resources to increase their own base of knowledge and skills;
- Comprehend three-dimensional relationships, the spatial and functional relationships of structures, and analyze and apply this information for problem solving and decision-making;
- Comprehend text, numbers, and graphs;
- Gather, appraise, and evaluate patient information collected during past history, examinations, and throughout patient/client management to formulate hypotheses and make clinical decisions (diagnoses, prognoses, and plans of care).
Behavioral/Social. A student must possess:
- Appropriate interpersonal skills and the demeanor and rapport necessary for quality patient care;
- The capacity to maintain composure and continue to function well during periods of high stress;
- The perseverance, diligence and commitment to complete professional program requirements;
- The flexibility and the ability to adjust to the changing situations and uncertainty inherent in clinical situations;
- The ability to critically evaluate his or her own performance and identify tactics to improve performance, both with and independent of faculty assistance;
- Compassion, integrity, and empathy for others;
- The ability to reason morally and practice physical therapy in an ethical manner;
- The ability to demonstrate appropriate assertiveness, delegate responsibilities, and function as part of a physical therapy team;
- The ability to show respect for individuals with disabilities and those of differing cultural and linguistic backgrounds, races, religions, and/or sexual orientations.
Immunization. The student must be able to comply with requirements for immunizations of all hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare (JCAHO)/Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP).
Candidates for graduate degrees in the Department of Physical Therapy are required to meet the above technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, regardless of disability. Disability self- identification is voluntary and confidential. William Carey University offers reasonable accommodation for qualified, eligible students with disabilities. Please contact our Student Assistance Department (601-318-6211) for information regarding documentation guidelines.
Criminal Background Check
All students enrolled in physical therapy must have clearance of criminal background checks prior to participating in physical therapy experiential learning courses. This is a mandatory requirement as part of the Mississippi state law, Section 43-13-11 of Mississippi Code of 1972.
After initial enrollment, any subsequent disciplinary action, arrest, charge, addiction, or impairment shall also be reported immediately to the program director. Failure to report any and all subsequent disciplinary actions, arrests, or impairment will constitute falsification of records and may result in dismissal from the program. Failure to pass the required background check may impact student’s abilities to take the physical therapy licensing exam.
Drug Testing
All students are required to have drug screens upon admission or provide proof of a clear drug screen within the last year. Students will be responsible for all sample collection, drug screening, and shipping fees.
Random drug screening may be performed at the discretion of the physical therapy program. Refusal by a student to submit to testing will result in denial of admission for new students and immediate dismissal from the program for continuing students. Any admitted student who tests positive for illegal drugs must withdraw from clinical education courses. The student may reapply for admission in six months and may be admitted based on admission criteria as any new student making application.
All costs associated with drug testing and criminal background checks are the responsibility of the student.
Malpractice Insurance
The student is required to have malpractice insurance, which is covered by William Carey University.
Computer Requirements
Technology is an essential and integral aspect of web-enhanced (hybrid) courses. The student must have access to a computer and stable connection to the internet on a regular basis. A high-speed internet connection, such as a cable modem or DSL line, is preferred.
The student will need access to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel software programs, for example: Microsoft Office 365. Students will also need access to audio through speakers and the capability to record through a microphone for selected web-enhanced assignments. Students’ personal computers must support ExamSoft, the program’s testing platform.
Return to: