Catalog Home Carver College of Medicine Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science

Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science

Physical therapists provide services to patients and clients who have impairments, functional limitations, disabilities, pain, or changes in physical function resulting from injury, disease, or other causes. Physical therapists practice and collaborate with a variety of health professionals. In the area of health promotion and wellness, they provide screening examinations, prescribe fitness programs, and educate the public regarding healthy lifestyles. Research, teaching, consultation, and administration also are parts of a physical therapist's professional role.

A wide variety of opportunities exist for professional practice in inpatient, outpatient, and community-based settings. Examples include practice in general or specialized hospitals, programs for children with disabilities, private physical therapy clinics, extended care facilities, nursing homes, community and governmental agencies, rehabilitation centers, the armed forces, foreign service, home health agencies, school systems, fitness centers, and athletic facilities. Research and teaching careers in academic institutions are available for those who earn a Ph.D. in rehabilitation science.

The Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science Program is located in the Carver College of Medicine on the University of Iowa health sciences campus, which includes University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, one of the nation's largest university-owned teaching hospitals. The program has eight state-of-the-art independent research laboratories and is well equipped for classroom and laboratory instruction and innovative research. Students have access to faculty members in the basic sciences and medicine, basic sciences courses, clinical specialty expertise, and innovative learning experiences associated with a medical college environment.

Graduate Programs

The Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science Program offers the Doctor of Physical Therapy (the entry-level professional degree), Doctor of Philosophy in physical rehabilitation science, and Master of Arts in physical therapy (for students working toward the Ph.D.). The D.P.T. program admits 36 students each year. Around 20 physical therapists are enrolled in the Ph.D. program each year.

Doctor of Physical Therapy

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) professional program requires a minimum of 101 s.h. and is completed in two and one-half years. The program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Satisfactory completion of the professional program qualifies candidates to take the National Physical Therapy Examination for licensure to practice. The minimum passing score on the exam is the same in all jurisdictions.

Technical Standards for Graduation

Doctor of Physical Therapy graduates must possess and demonstrate the physical and cognitive skills and character attributes required to provide physical therapy services in a broad variety of clinical situations and environments. All D.P.T. candidates must perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, the following skills safely, effectively, efficiently, and in compliance with the legal and ethical standards set by the American Physical Therapy Association Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

• communicate effectively through appropriate verbal, nonverbal, and written communication with patients, families, and others;
• demonstrate ability to apply universal precautions;
• utilize appropriate tests and measures in order to perform a physical therapy examination; examples include, but are not limited to, examination and evaluation of cognitive/mental status, vital signs, skin and vascular integrity, wound status, endurance, segmental length, girth, volume, sensation, strength, tone, reflexes, movement patterns, coordination, balance, developmental stage, soft tissue, joint motion/play, cranial and peripheral nerve function, posture, gait, functional abilities, assistive devices fit/use, psychosocial needs, and the pulmonary system;
• demonstrate the ability to reach diagnostic and therapeutic judgments through analysis and synthesis of data gathered during patient/client examination in order to develop an appropriate plan of care;
• perform fully, or in a reasonably independent manner, physical therapy interventions appropriate to the patient's status and desired goals;
• apply teaching/learning theories and methods in health care and community environments;
• accept criticism and respond by appropriate behavior modification;
• possess the perseverance, diligence, and consistency to complete the physical therapy curriculum and enter the practice of physical therapy.

Applicants with health conditions or disabilities who need accommodation to meet the technical standards for graduation should contact the University's Student Disability Services office.

Curriculum

D.P.T. students earn the required 101 s.h. by completing the following curriculum. Students have the option to earn a total of 3 s.h. in electives.

First Summer Session

First Semester (Fall)

Second Semester (Spring)

Second Summer Session

Third Semester (Fall)

Fourth Semester (Spring)

Third Summer Session

Fifth Semester (Fall)

Admission

Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College or the Graduate College section of the Catalog. They must have completed a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution in the United States, or anticipate completing the degree before enrolling in the D.P.T. program. They must have a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 3.00 and must have completed the following prerequisite course work, preferably with a g.p.a. of at least 3.00. All science courses must include the appropriate laboratory instruction. The prerequisite courses must have been taken for a letter grade. Credit awarded through advanced placement testing may be applied only to the mathematics requirement.

Biological sciences: a complete introductory course in principles of general biology or zoology, and advanced course work in biology or zoology (for which an introductory course is prerequisite) equivalent to 12 s.h.

Physics: a complete introductory course equivalent to 8 s.h.

Chemistry: a complete introductory course equivalent to 8 s.h.

Physiology: a systemic human physiology course equivalent to 3 s.h.

Psychology: courses equivalent to 6 s.h.

Mathematics: a college-level mathematics course, at the level of trigonometry or higher, equivalent to 3 s.h.

Statistics: a statistical methods course equivalent to 3 s.h.

The program recommends that applicants have a combined verbal and quantitative score of at least 1000 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. They must take the test early enough for their scores to be received by the University in time for the December 1 application deadline.

Applications are submitted online through the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS).  PTCAS allows applicants to use a single application and one set of materials to apply to multiple physical therapy programs. Once the application portfolio is complete, PTCAS forwards it to The University of Iowa.

Personal interviews are required of applicants selected for consideration by the admissions committee. Interviews are conducted at The University of Iowa. The physical therapy admissions committee selects applicants who appear to be best qualified for the study and practice of the profession. Some preference is given to Iowa residents.

Applications are accepted from July 15 to December 1 for entry the following summer. Prospective students should apply as early as possible.

EARLY ADMISSION

The Doctor of Physical Therapy early admission plan is available to outstanding applicants. Generally, applicants have a g.p.a. of 3.75 or higher and a combined verbal and quantitative score above 1100 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. Application materials are the same as those for regular admission. Application deadline is October 1; applicants are notified of admission by December 1. Those who are interviewed but are not selected for early admission are automatically placed in the final general applicant pool. Contact the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science Program for more information.

Background Checks

Enrollment in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program is contingent on a successful criminal background check. Drug screening may be required for some clinical rotations.

Expenses

Applicants admitted to the D.P.T. program must make an advance tuition payment of $300, which is forfeited if the applicant does not enroll. In addition to paying University tuition and fees, students are assessed laboratory fees for the human anatomy and medical neuroscience courses and are responsible for purchasing lab coats, patient evaluation kits, and course syllabi.

All students are required to comply with the pre-entry and periodic health screening program developed by Student Health Service in cooperation with University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Students must pay for the health screenings. Students also are required to have health insurance.

Ph.D. in Physical Rehabilitation Science

The Doctor of Philosophy in physical rehabilitation science requires a minimum of 72 s.h. of graduate credit. The program is designed to advance the student's ability to independently develop and carry out research that establishes the scientific basis for prevention, evaluation, and treatment of impairments, functional limitations, and disability. The curriculum is flexible enough to accommodate research focusing on basic, applied, or clinical studies in the rehabilitation sciences. Students have access to the program's research laboratories (see "Research Facilities" later in this section).

Graduates who complete the program are prepared for academic appointments that emphasize research, scholarship, and teaching. They possess:

• theoretical and scientific knowledge to perform basic, applied, or clinical-level original research that leads to scientific presentations, publication in peer-reviewed journals, and competition for extramural funding through scientific grant writing;
• breadth of knowledge in exercise physiology, biomechanic, neuroscience, or motor control specialty areas as they relate to impairment, functional limitation, and disability; and
• theoretical and practical skills required for college or university teaching at the professional entry and advanced graduate levels.

Curriculum

Ph.D. students complete a minimum of 72 s.h. beyond the baccalaureate. Each student and his or her faculty advisor develop an individualized study plan. A preliminary study plan is developed within the first 9 s.h. of graduate study; a final plan is submitted to the Graduate College when the Ph.D. comprehensive examination is scheduled.

To ensure breadth of knowledge, all students complete specific core, research, and scientific specialty area content courses. Elective courses are selected to provide in-depth study of the specialty; they are complemented by an advanced seminar course specific to the student's specialty and taken in preparation for the comprehensive examination.

Students must satisfactorily complete the comprehensive examination, which is taken after all required course work is completed. Doctoral study culminates with 12 s.h. of thesis research and an oral examination.

GENERAL CORE REQUIREMENT

Ph.D. students must complete the following core requirements. Exception: the capstone course (101:300 Rehabilitation Research Capstone Project) is recommended but not required for students who enter the program with a master's or doctoral-level degree; however, it is required for all students who enter the program with a bachelor's degree.

Research requirement

Students complete at least 24 s.h. from the following.

SPECIALTY Content REQUIREMENT

Each student must complete at least 9 s.h. in his or her scientific specialty area. Students may choose courses from the following list, but other courses suited to the student's background knowledge and interest area are considered.

Physical Therapy

Integrative Physiology

Pharmacology

Neuroscience

Epidemiology

Occupational and Environmental Health

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Biomedical Engineering

Anatomy and Cell Biology

Admission

Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College or the Graduate College section of the Catalog. They should have a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 3.00 and a combined verbal and quantitative score of at least 1100 on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test. A minimum of two years of clinical experience is desirable.

Applicants whose first language is not English must score at least 600 (paper-based), 250 (computer-based), or 100 (Internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Application materials must include a complete Graduate College application form, test scores, transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. Completed applications should be sent to the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science Program.

Personal interviews are required of all applicants selected for consideration by the admissions committee. On-campus interviews are preferred, but telephone interviews may be substituted when necessary.

Application deadlines are October 15 for spring semester entry (notification by December 15); March 15 for summer entry (notification by May 15); and May 15 for fall semester entry (notification by July 15).

Financial Support

A number of research assistantships are available for Ph.D. students. Faculty advisors provide guidance for students seeking external scholarship support through foundations and federal programs that support Ph.D. training.

Research Facilities

The program's state-of-the-art research facilities include the Orthopedic Gait Analysis Laboratory and a spinal cord research laboratory at University Hospitals and Clinics; the Neuromuscular Research/Motor Control Laboratory; the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics and Sports Medicine Research Laboratory; the Neurobiology of Pain Laboratory; the Neural Control of Movement Laboratory; and the Neuromuscular Biomechanics Laboratory. Use of other laboratories may be arranged.