General Program Description

The Program in Physical Therapy is an academic program of the Mayo School of Health Sciences, one of five schools in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. The program consists of a 33-month curriculum leading to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree that prepares students for careers as excellent and compassionate physical therapists. The program is committed to educating students to become knowledgeable and skilled physical therapists who embrace high ethical and professional standards.

Clinical Experiences
A highlight of the program, students at Mayo Clinic gain clinical experience early in the curriculum and a majority of students ultimately complete 56 weeks of full-time clinical experiences throughout the curriculum. During the first academic year, students complete integrated part-time clinical experiences throughout Mayo Clinic’s physical therapy practice areas. At the end of the first academic year, students are assigned to an 8-week, full-time clinical experience in either an outpatient orthopedic, acute care, or a combination outpatient and acute care setting. This clinical experience normally will be done at a facility outside of Rochester. Following the second academic year and during the third academic year, students complete four 12-week, full-time clinical internships. Three of the full-time clinical internships will consist of acute care, outpatient orthopedic and adult rehabilitation experiences. The other clinical internship may be an elective in such areas as geriatrics, sports medicine, hand therapy, work rehabilitation and pediatrics. Community hospital and general private practice settings also are options. During the terminal 12-week block of time, students may have the option to extend their fifth clinical experience, to complete an additional clinical experience in a preferred practice setting, or to conduct basic or clinical science research under supervision of a faculty member in the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic. Each student in the program will therefore complete 44 to 56 weeks of full-time clinical experiences. The majority of external clinical sites are within a 500-mile radius of Rochester, MN, but clinical experiences are offered throughout the United States. Students may be selected for a 12-week clinical internship at one of Mayo Clinic’s practice sites in either Jacksonville, Fla., or Phoenix/Scottsdale, Ariz.

Faculty
Five full-time and three part-time core faculty members and approximately 70 supporting faculty members from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine teach in the program. Of the core faculty, 75% hold post-professional doctoral degrees, 38% are certified clinical specialists and most are engaged in clinical practice. Over the past 3 years, the core faculty have averaged approximately 12 publications in peer-reviewed journals per year. The core faculty-to-student ratio is approximately 1:10.

Enrollment
The Program in Physical Therapy enrolls 28 students per year. Approximately 1500 students are enrolled annually the Mayo School of Health Sciences in programs representing 60 health science careers.

Admission
A baccalaureate degree is required for admission. Prerequisites include cardio-pulmonary resuscitation; 1 course in statistics; 2 courses in both chemistry and physics (with labs); 2 courses in psychology (general psychology and abnormal psychology); and four courses in the biological sciences (including anatomy and physiology with labs). Students must submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination and have a minimum 100 hours of observational or actual work experience in physical therapy. To be competitive, candidates must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) and prerequisite GPA of 3.0. The average GPA of each entering class has been approximately 3.70. The Admissions Committee will select individuals for a personal interview. Approximately 10-15% of qualified applicants are offered admission to the program (3-year average).

Outcomes
97% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average). Program graduates have a 99% first-time pass rate on the national licensure exam (3-year average) and the ultimate pass rate on the licensure exam is 100%. The job placement rate of Mayo Clinic’s graduates who seek positions in physical therapy is 100% (3-year average).

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition for students enrolling in 2014 is $617 per credit. Based on annual credit loads and estimated annual tuition increases of 4%, the total tuition over the 3-year program for students enrolling in 2014 is estimated to be $84,713. No additional fees for education are charged. Textbook expenses are estimated to be approximately $2,600 throughout the program. Financial assistance provided by Mayo School of Health Sciences is based on need. Approximately 85% to 90% of physical therapy students receive financial aid annually and the average award for those receiving scholarships is approximately $2,000 to $3,000 annually. Scholarship awards for physical therapy students in the 2012-2013 academic year exceeded $170,000. For specific information about finances, please contact the Financial Aid Office at 507-284-4839.

Student life
The program is located on the Mayo Clinic campus in Rochester, MN, and does not provide dormitories; however, there is an abundance of off-campus rentals within walking distance. Rochester has an outstanding recreation program allowing students to participate in organized athletics similar to intramural programs in a college or university setting. Rochester is located in southeast Minnesota, 80 miles south of Minneapolis-St Paul, and has an airport, nearby interstate highways, and plentiful public transportation available. Multiple entertainment activities and cultural events abound in the area.