Business Management for the Physical Therapist

The purpose of this course is to instill an entrepreneurial mindset in physical therapy students irrespective of the practice environment they choose to work. This course is for students interested in learning the art and science of becoming a successful entrepreneur in the physical therapy industry. This course will help students learn planning, operational and analytical skills that will improve likelihood of success in starting their own private practices or introducing new services in different healthcare settings (acute care hospital, rehabilitation center, etc.). Thus, this course is for all students and not just for those wanting to work in out-patient settings or wanting to start their own private clinics. This course will provide a glimpse of a number of primary business disciplines including marketing, finance, operations, management, market research and strategy. By the completion of this hands-on course, students will have learned how to reduce their risk in starting a new service and increase their likelihood for return. Students will be able to develop and present a new business concept in an effective oral and written manner.

Advanced Analysis of Dysfunction (Advanced Pediatrics)

Research evidence supporting examination and management of pediatric patients with specific musculoskeletal conditions; includes process of bone modeling as well as the developmental changes in joint mobility and alignment related to functional movement from birth though skeletal maturity.

Advanced Analysis of Dysfunction ( Advanced Study of Extremity Joints)

Medical screening and differential diagnosis for patients with orthopedic extremity joint conditions; including tissue responses to trauma and immobilization, abnormal mechanics, fractures, dislocations, upper and lower extremity overuse syndromes and gait dysfunction.

Advanced Analysis of Dysfunction (Advanced Study of the Spine)

Functional anatomy, clinical biomechanics and neurophysiologic aspects of neck and back problems with special emphasis placed on detecting spinal motion dysfunction during the clinical examination and manual therapy techniques.

Advanced Clinical Measures I (Special Topics in Orthopedics)

Select physical therapist management techniques for patients with orthopedic conditions. Examples include taping techniques, orthotic prescription and fabrication and advanced manual therapy techniques.

Advanced Dynamics of Human Movement (Advanced Gross Anatomy)

Human cadaver dissection to identify anatomical characteristics of different body systems with emphasis on correlating these characteristics to clinical implications. The students will identify two body regions, based on their clinical interests and in consultation with the instructor, for detailed dissection and study.

Creative Alternative Interventions for Treatment- Advanced, Multidisciplinary

This course evaluates the relationship of contemporary and futuristic applications of concepts or procedures (e.g., genomics, robotics, virtual environments, complementary medicine) to physical therapy practice.

Spanish for Physical Therapists

Spanish for Physical Therapists is an elective course designed for physical therapy students who want to improve communication skills with Spanish speaking patients and their caregivers through increased awareness of Hispanic American culture and improved ability to use spoken Spanish to communicate during physical therapy assessments and procedures. The course begins with a 3 day/13 hour seminar to build (or review for the more advanced student) conversational skills & strategies for communication directly related to the needs of a physical therapist. Weekly class sessions allow for 90 minutes of conversational practice and role playing designed to expand and apply the information introduced in the seminar. Each week a different assessment procedure and related physical therapy intervention is introduced and practiced in role playing experiences. Assessment topics include: family and home environment, work history, medical history, pain assessment, functional assessment, range of motion testing, muscle testing, neurologic examination procedures, balance & gait assessment, and developmental assessment for children. Treatment procedures include: explanation of precautions, therapeutic exercises, functional training, gait training and the use of physical modalities. Students also learn to give instructions to patients about appropriate dress for treatment procedures, to make appointments and to give directions to the clinic or other locations. Class materials including vocabulary lists, exercise programs and patient education handouts allow students to build a portfolio of resources to use in the delivery of physical therapy services to patients who speak Spanish and very little or no English.

Vestibular Rehabilitation- A competency based course

This intense, evidence-based, five-day course consists of lecture and laboratory sessions with additional self-study sessions. All participants will be expected to demonstrate assessment skills to faculty including: oculomotor examination with emphasis on the identification of nystagmus and canal involvement; and balance and gait, fall risk and functional assessments. Participants will also be expected to demonstrate appropriate treatment procedures for BPPV affecting posterior, anterior and horizontal canals for both cupulolithiasis and canalithiasis, for unilateral and bilateral peripheral vestibular disorders, and for central vestibular disorders including traumatic brain injury and stroke. Emphasis will be on utilizing assessment results to develop an effective treatment plan. The course will include written, video and practical examinations.