Program Overview

Introduction to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at Temple University is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in the field of physical therapy. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) and is intended to prepare students for a career as a physical therapist.

Program Overview

The DPT program is a three-year, full-time program that includes both didactic and clinical education. The program is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in the basic sciences, as well as the clinical skills and knowledge necessary to practice as a physical therapist.

Curriculum

The curriculum for the DPT program includes a variety of courses in the basic sciences, such as anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics. Students also take courses in clinical sciences, such as examination and intervention, and in professional issues, such as ethics and healthcare policy.

• PHTH 8101: Introduction to Physical Therapy: This course introduces students to the concepts of professionalism, advocacy, and the role of the physical therapist in the American healthcare system.
• PHTH 8102: Teaching, Learning, Group Dynamics: This course is designed to assist the student physical therapist in improving his/her clinical and behavioral teaching, learning, and group dynamics skill sets.
• PHTH 8103: Clinical Examination and Intervention Skills I: This course includes a lecture component and lab activities, and provides instruction in and practice of examination and intervention skills that can be applied to a wide variety of clinical settings and patient populations.
• PHTH 8105: Human Anatomy I: This course represents the composite lecture and lab components of the regional study of the gross structure of the human body.
• PHTH 8107: Functional Biomechanics: This course provides an initial bridge between anatomy and physiology of the neuromusculoskeletal system, and the biomechanics of movement.
• PHTH 8109: Human Physiology and Pathology I: This course provides a basic understanding of normal adult human physiology, basic pathology, and normal microanatomy of skin, bone, and connective tissue.
• PHTH 8111: Clinical Examination and Intervention Skills II: This course provides a framework for upper quarter assessment and intervention, and students are expected to synthesize content from the CEIS 1 course to expand critical thinking and problem-solving with respect to clinical decision making.
• PHTH 8113: Evidence Based Practice I: This course provides an introduction to the critical analysis of professional literature in preparation for practical implementation of evidence-based practice.
• PHTH 8114: Neuroscience: This course covers basic neuroanatomical and brain vascular structures, their relationships to other neuroanatomical structures, as well as basic neuroembryology, neurohistology, and neurophysiology.
• PHTH 8115: Human Physiology and Pathology II: This course provides a basic understanding of normal adult human physiology, basic pathology, and normal microanatomy of skin, bone, and connective tissue.
• PHTH 8116: Motor Control and Learning: This course integrates theories and basic principles of motor control and learning, and relates them to motor behaviors observed in individuals with or without sensory and motor impairments.
• PHTH 8118: Clinical Examination and Intervention Skills III: This course provides a continuation of assessment and intervention initiated in CEIS 2, and students are expected to synthesize content from the first two courses in the CEIS sequence to expand critical thinking and problem-solving with respect to clinical decision making.

Clinical Education

The clinical education component of the DPT program provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in a clinical setting. Students participate in a variety of clinical experiences, including:

• PHTH 8186: Integrated Clinical Experience 1: This course implements approaches to develop the clinical reasoning scaffold in patient care, while enhancing opportunities for growth of professional behaviors and peer learning.
• PHTH 8286: Integrated Clinical Experience 2: This course emphasizes the development of the patient-therapist interaction surrounding basic clinical skills, and aims to present clinical decision-making strategies at a linear and beginner level.
• PHTH 8386: Integrated Clinical Experience 3: This course further develops patient-therapist interaction surrounding basic clinical skills, and aims to present clinical decision-making strategies at a linear and beginner level.
• PHTH 8486: Integrated Clinical Experience 4: This course emphasizes the integration of the ICF model and its complex interactions, and aims to foster more comprehensive and multi-faceted clinical decision-making strategies.
• PHTH 8586: Integrated Clinical Experience 5: This course emphasizes the integration of the ICF model and its complex interactions, and aims to foster more comprehensive and multi-faceted clinical decision-making strategies.

Electives

The DPT program offers a variety of elective courses that allow students to pursue their interests and specialize in a particular area of physical therapy. Some of the elective courses include:

• PHTH 8150: Elective - Special Topics: This course covers topics that reflect current and anticipated needs in the physical therapy profession.
• PHTH 8152: Elective - Musculoskeletal: This course provides instruction, practice, and peer-reviewed evidence concerning orthopedic manual physical therapy.
• PHTH 8153: Elective - Vestibular: This course provides instruction, practice, and peer-reviewed evidence on key concepts within the arena of vestibular rehabilitation.
• PHTH 8154: Elective - Clinical Simulation: This course exposes students to "real time" clinically simulated physical therapy situations where they will have to interpret or collect examination data, react to changes in patient status, perform or plan interventions, and document clinical findings and conclusions.
• PHTH 8155: Elective - Pediatrics: This course provides a comprehensive overview of the process of normal and pathological development from prenatal to late adolescence.
• PHTH 8156: Elective - Geriatrics: This course provides a comprehensive overview of the process of healthy and pathological aging.

Clinical Experiences

The DPT program includes a variety of clinical experiences that provide students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in a clinical setting. Some of the clinical experiences include:

• PHTH 9287: Clinical Experience 1: This course is designed as a full-time clinical experience, and provides students with the opportunity to problem solve and utilize their clinical decision-making skills in examining, evaluating, assessing, and developing plans of care for varied patient populations.
• PHTH 9288: Clinical Experience 2: This course is designed as a full-time clinical experience, and provides students with the opportunity to problem solve and utilize their clinical decision-making skills in examining, evaluating, assessing, and developing plans of care for varied patient populations.
• PHTH 9388: Clinical Experience 3: This course is the third and final full-time clinical experience, and provides students with the opportunity to problem solve and utilize their clinical decision-making skills in examining, evaluating, assessing, and developing plans of care for varied patient populations.

Independent Study

The DPT program also offers an independent study course that allows students to pursue their interests and work on a research project under the guidance of a mentor.

• PHTH 9682: Independent Study: This course offers individual investigation in physical therapy practice or research under the guidance of a mentor.