Transition Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree Program for Emory Graduates

OFF-SITE STUDY
The transition DPT program is designed to allow the transitional student to attain the above competencies while continuing to practice physical therapy in the student’s resident environment. In other words, the transitional student continues to reside and practice in his/her locale of choice. Each transitional student must come to Emory to meet with faculty at the beginning, midway through, and at the end of the program (maximally four semesters long) for approximately two to five days per visit. Additional communication and counseling will occur by electronic communication, mail and telephone. However, a student also may come to Emory for meetings whenever desired by the student. The program requirements are designed to be met in the context of the transitional student’s physical therapy practice.

YOUR PRACTICE AS PROJECT CONTEXTS
At the time of matriculation, each student will submit a practice profile including, but not restricted to: service setting(s), patient access mechanisms, patient populations, level of care, patient financial mix, practice financial base, collaborative and related administrative, consultative, teaching and research responsibilities. Based on this practice profile, the student will be counseled in projects and related study, as indicated, to meet each competency in the context of the student’s practice.

COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS
The competency requirements are as follows.

1. Patient Care - Competence in current, prevailing physical therapy patient care must be demonstrated by successful completion of two case studies and a comprehensive clinical examination.
1. Comprehensive Examination - Each student is required to successfully complete a comprehensive, patient care examination. The examination is case based and administered midway through the program of study. A minimum grade of 80 is required for successful completion and progression in the program.
2. Case Studies - Each of the two case studies must be reports of patients managed by the student. Each case must include, but is not limited to: a) a comprehensive review of the literature detailing current knowledge of pathophysiology underlying the patient’s problem, justifying the intervention and detailing related medical, surgical, pharmacologic, and psychosocial management; b) comprehensive patient history and record of management by other health professionals; c) physical therapy management consistent with prevailing practice and documented outcomes; d) rationale for physical therapy management including physiologic, biomechanical, and behavioral bases and related evidence supporting components of the management plan; e) outcomes and implications. The two cases must address two, different patients and different patient problems. A minimum grade of 80 (B) is required on each case study. If the student has published a case study(ies) in a refereed journal in the last five years and the case study(ies) meets the case study criteria, the requirement for two case studies may be altered for that student. If one or more acceptable, case studies have been published, one, additional case study may be required. Regardless, the cases must address two, different patient problems.
2. Administration - Competence in participation in current administrative practices is demonstrated in one of two ways. First, a student may submit an administrative project completed by that individual with the last three years. That project then will be reviewed to determine its consistency with the required project and associated criteria. Second, a student may negotiate to complete an administrative project responding to a service need(s) with the student’s current physical therapy practice. The topic and scope of the project is negotiated by the student with the faculty. A minimum performance of 80 (B) on the project is required.
3. Consultation - Competence in consultation with other professionals, healthcare agencies and institutions, and community entities may be demonstrated in one of two ways. First a student may submit a report of a consultation project completed with the last three years. The project then will be reviewed to determine consistency and compliance with project criteria. Also, the student may complete a consultation project responding to service needs, i.e., within the student’s practice or community. The project context and scope will be negotiated by the student with the faculty. A minimum performance of 80 (B) on the project is required.
4. Research - Competence in research participation is required of all students. However, additional evidence of this competence is not required of MMSc. graduates or of MPT graduates completing the program from 1984 to present. These MMSc. and MPT graduates were required to demonstrate a level of research competence equivalent to the current DPT program as part of the requirements for those degrees. The additional evidence required of the other students is a prospective or retrospective outcomes study for a given patient population in the student’s practice. The study topic, scope, context and schedule will be negotiated by the student with the faculty. This project includes, but is not limited to: a written proposal of the outcomes study, data collection, data analysis and interpretation and a written report of the study, consistent with presented criteria. The report of the outcomes study is in written, journal article format and presented verbally as a scientific poster or platform presentation to the faculty and students. A minimum performance of 80 (B) is required for this project. An alternative to the above project is the submission of a written report of clinical research authored by the student and published in a refereed journal.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Admission requirements are reviewed and revised annually. After May 2002, transition program applicants should verify current requirements with the Division of Physical Therapy and should be sure to use the current application materials. Application materials are available at the sources: Division of Physical Therapy website – www.rehabmed.emory.edu/pt; Division Admissions email – PT_Admissions.learnlink.emory.edu; Division Admissions Office telephone – 404-727-4002. The following requirements must be satisfied for admission.

1. Applicants must hold a Certificate of Physical Therapy, a Master of Physical Therapy degree or a Master of Medical Science degree in physical therapy from Emory University.
2. Applicants must submit an official transcript from Emory University and from all institutions of higher education attended since completion of the physical therapy study at Emory.
3. Applicants must submit a completed application form for the Transition DPT program. The submitted application also should include the required goals statement and three references, as described on the application. The application form, goals statement and references should be submitted by the applicant in one envelope. (Note: References may be enclosed in individual, smaller envelopes within the application packet.)
4. The applicant must submit the following notarized verifications:
1. Verification from all state physical therapy licensing boards/agencies in which the applicant has held a physical therapy license. These verifications must attest that no past or current sanction exists against the applicant’s license. Also, the applicant must be currently licensed in good standing.
2. Verification that the applicant has been actively involved in physical therapy practice, including patient care, teaching and/or research, for the immediately past five, continuous years or since graduation from the Emory physical therapy program, whichever occurs first.
5. Applicants must be approved by the Admissions Committee and faculty.
6. Compliance with the Technical Standards of the Division of Physical Therapy is required
7. Enrollment is limited and applicants are admitted on a rolling basis. As one class is filled, applicants are deferred to the next available class. Application review is in process for study beginning Summer 2006 and Fall 2006. These classes will be filled in sequential order.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

1. Students must complete a residency of at least two, continuous semesters and a maximum of four, continuous semesters of study. This requirement may be completed off campus.
2. Students must successfully complete all courses, and related projects, in sequence as described below and determined by the faculty. Satisfactory completion includes completion of 14 to 20 semester hours with an overall average of B or above (a grade of B, i.e. at least 80, must be earned in each course); successful completion of the patient care examination with a grade of B (80) or above; successful completion of each project with a grade of B (80) or above; and recommendation for continuation each semester by the faculty.
3. The student must maintain physical therapy licensure in good standing throughout the course of study.

TRANSITION DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY COURSES

The courses taken by transitional students are listed below.

Semester One
 
Current Practices in Physical Therapy Care I     -> 4 credits
Completion of the patient care comprehensive examination as described above.
 
Current Practices in Physical Therapy Care II     -> 4 credits
Completion of two, comprehensive case reports of patients treated by the student.

 
Administration in the Health Professions     -> 6 credits
Completion of each administration and consultation competency projects.

 
Clinical Research V     -> 6 credits
Completion of clinical outcomes study within the context of the student’s physical therapy practice. Required of Certificate Program graduates and MPT graduates prior to 1984.
 
Semesters 2,3 and 4

 
Continuing Studies     -> 2 credits

 
(Continuation and completion of the above.)