General Program Description

This is a three year professional curriculum. Students complete a baccalaureate degree in a field of their choice prior to entering the program. Students are enrolled in the program continuously for 3 calendar years and begin course work in the summer semester. Formal commencement is the last weekend in May. Students spend an average of 30 hours in classes, group project activities and course labs per week. Courses are conducted primarily in a traditional format with emphasis on critical thinking, problem-solving and case studies. The program is located in the School of Health Related Professions Building, a state – of – the – art teaching facility.

Clinical Experiences
Various types of short clinical experiences occur throughout the program. Second year students have one 8 week clinical education session. Third year students have three 8 week clinical experiences. The approximately 400 affiliated clinical facilities are located throughout the country with a majority in the southeastern region of the United States. The physical therapists at these sites provide a wide variety of supervised clinical education experiences. Students select clinical rotations in acute care, rehabilitation, outpatient and specialty settings. One 8 week clinical experience will be at an out-of-state facility and one out side of the Jackson Metro area to enhance the clinical education experience.

Faculty
There are 12 full-time and two part-time faculty members. Nine of the faculty members hold post-professional doctoral degrees, five hold professional doctoral degrees, five are certified as ABPTS clinical specialists, two are certified athletic trainers, and seven are regularly engaged in clinical practice. One of the part-time physical therapist faculty members is ABPTS board certified and one holds a respiratory therapy credential. Faculty members participate in scholarly activities and regularly present at scientific conferences. The faculty to student ratio is 1 to 10.

Enrollment
The physical therapy program may accept up to 50 first-year students each year. Strong preference is given to Mississippi residents.

Admission
Applicants must have completed a baccalaureate degree prior to enrollment and have a cumulative and a pre-requisite grade point average of at least 3.00. Student selection is based upon academic qualifications and aptitude for a career in physical therapy. The application is due by November 1 of the year preceding addmission. Final fall transcripts must be received by last Tuesday in January. One class is admitted each summer. Prerequisites include: 1 statistics course, 2 biology courses with lab, 2 chemisty courses with lab, 2 physics courses with lab and 1 advanced physical or biological science course. All science courses should be those required for science majors. The statistics course must be taken at a senior college or university in one of three departmenst ( mathematics, psychology or education). Students must have completed at least 5 of the 8 prerequisite courses by the end of the fall semester in which the appliciation is submitted. Candidates must provide evidence of observation in a minimum of two physical therapy clinical departments for a total of 40 hours. An interview, a resume, an essay, GRE scores, and certification in first aid and CPR are required. Applications are available online and instructions maybe be accessed on the department webpage. The application is available beginning July 1 of the year prior to admission and the application deadline is November 1. Students enrolled in school at the time of application must submit official transcripts of fall semester grades on or before the published deadline in January.

Outcomes
The five year licensure pass rate, 2009-2013 is 100% ( Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy Data). 100% of the graduates are employed shortly following graduation. Approximately 94% of admitted students graduate from the program.

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition and activities fees are approximately $14,000 per 12 month period for Mississippi residents. The academic year begins summer semester. Students accepted are responsible for their own living expenses including those incurred during the clinical education experiences. Students should expect to spend approximately $3,500 per year on books and other supplies. There is an abundance of off-campus rentals with varied prices. Program information and the application for admission are available on line. The Office of the Student Records and Registrar forwards acceptance information to students. A student should not apply for loans until an official letter of acceptance has been received.

Student life
The culturally diverse campus student body is composed of approximately 1900 students enrolled in health profession programs and graduate programs in biomedical fields. Intramural athletics include basketball, football, and softball. The Associated Student Body sponsors four major social events each year and publishes a yearbook and an informal monthly newspaper. The School of Health Related Professions’ student body sponsors social activities, an open house for the public, community service projects, and a variety of social events. The University of Mississippi Medical is a health science campus that includes 6 schools: Medicine, Nursing, Health Related Professions, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences. The University of Mississippi Medical Center occupies a spacious 158-acre campus in the heart of Jackson, the state capital. The city of Jackson is classified as a prime medical service area, serving as a referral center for the rest of the state. The Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center is on the campus. A religious affiliated hospital and rehabilitation center are on campus and adjoin the University Hospital and Clinics. The Medical Center’s location, its own and neighboring facilities, and its ethnic and socioeconomic mix of students, faculty, and patients create a rich environment for health sciences education, conducive to achievement of its purpose.