General Program Description

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program is located at A.T. Still University (ATSU) on the Mesa, AZ campus and housed within the Physical Therapy Department which is part of the Arizona School of Health Sciences (ASHS). The DPT program is a 3-year entry-level professional program with students beginning in late August annually. Graduation is held in early August. Students attend classes or schedule clinical experiences year round with breaks between each quarter and at Winter holiday time. Part-time employment is feasible while enrolled in the program. The program requires computer technology utilization in all courses. Students are required to have laptop computers and are also required to complete a capstone project as part of the graduation requirements. A distance-learning transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, an Orthopedic Residency and a Neurologic Residency for licensed physical therapists are also offered by the Physical Therapy Department. Didactic courses are taught on-site and using web-based education techniques. Additional information including current curriculum are available at http://www.atsu.edu/ashs/programs/physical_therapy

Clinical Experiences
ATSU physical therapy internship experiences total 38 weeks. There is a four week internship after the first year of didactic work, a once a week rehab rotation for 10 weeks in the second year, and 4-eight week internships in the final year of school. The final four experiences will be one each in the areas of critical care, rehab or neurological patients, orthopedics, and an elective in any of those specialties. Experiences can also include pediatrics, emergency room, aquatics, hand therapy, hippotherapy, vestibular, VA, and wound care. Internships are arranged by the program through a pool of known quality contracted sites throughout the United States and in some cases as requested by the student. Students are expected to provide all their own transportation, room and board during all clinical experiences.

Faculty
There are 15 full-time faculty members, 4 associated faculty members, and over 20 adjunct faculty members. All of the full-time faculty are experienced PT educators, all are actively involved in scholarship and many continue to practice clinically. Associated faculty have academic doctoral degrees and other expertise in their areas of instruction. Adjunct faculty members are practicing clinicians who assist full-time faculty members in laboratory skill instruction and also teach in their areas of specialization. Many of the adjunct faculty are certified clinical specialists. Student to faculty ratios of 10:1 in lab classes are the accepted norm for the program.

Enrollment
AT Still University of Health Sciences, is a health professional graduate school offering graduate degree programs in physical therapy, osteopathic medicine, dental, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, athletic training , audiology, movement sciences and health sciences. Residential doctor of physical therapy students number 186 out of a total enrollment of 500 residential students on the Mesa, AZ campus. Over 250 practicing physical therapists are enrolled in the on-line program. In addition, 4 residents are enrolled in the Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program and 2 residents are enrolled in the Neurologic Residency. The Doctor of Physical Therapy residential degree program begins in August each year.

Admission
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program operates on a rolling admission basis with applications accepted from July 1 until the 62 enrollment slots are full in each academic year prior to which admission is being sought. The 2013-2014 applicant pool consisted of 1,205 individuals. Interviews are conducted on-site or by phone at the applicant’s option. The students offered admission averaged prerequisite grade point averages (GPA) of 3.21 and 3.34 Cumulative, and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores of 157 Verbal, 162 Quantitative and 3.84 Analytical. Minimum requirements for admission include a baccalaureate degree with a minimum overall and prerequisite GPA of 2.80; GRE scores of a minimum 140 Verbal and Quantitative and 3.0 Analytical; two references (one from a physical therapist and another from accepted list in PTCAS); and a professional resume. Prerequisite courses required, with a C or better, include: abnormal psychology (one semester); lifespan developmental psychology or child psychology (one semester); human anatomy and physiology with laboratory (2 semesters of combined or one semester of each); general chemistry with laboratory (two semesters); physics with laboratory (two semesters); biology or zoology with laboratory (two semesters); exercise physiology; statistics (one semester). All students are required to provide proof of immunization prior to enrollment. Immunizations are required of all health professional students as conditions of participating in clinical activities in the curriculum. Immunizations are required for: Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis); MMR (1 & 2 or titer); TB skin test (within 6 months of enrollment); Hepatitis B (1,2,3 or titer) and Varicella (1 & 2 or titer); Tetanus (within 10 years or booster) and updated CPR card Healthcare Provider (Adult & Child AED).

Outcomes
98% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average); 97% of the graduates passed the licensure exam (3-year average); and 100% of those program graduates responding to phone and online surveys are employed within the first 6 months after graduation.

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition is based on a 12-month, 4-quarter academic year. Tuition for the 2013-2014 academic year is $30,030 payable in two equal installments. A $1,060 fee is assessed to all students in addition to tuition. Tuition and fees are subject to change. All students are required to carry health insurance while enrolled. All students are required to have a laptop computer with specified configuration. As graduate students, almost all students qualify for financial aid. ASHS participates in federally guaranteed loan programs. Limited scholarship or grant programs are available through the school. Current loan programs available to students include Federal Stafford Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized), Graduate Access Loans, Professional Education Plan Loans, and Signature Student Loans.

Student life
ASHS is located on a 25-acre campus with a 100,000 sq. ft. technology-wired education building. No on-campus housing is available. Housing in a wide range of costs is available nearby and throughout the cities of Mesa and Gilbert in the East Phoenix Valley area. Public transportation is limited; however, a bus route is available to the school. Most students drive or ride their bikes to school. Parking is available at no charge to students. Student services include YMCA fitness center memberships (the YMCA is immediately adjacent to the school and was built in 2009), intramural sports, student government activities, and community volunteer opportunities.