General Program Description

The School of Physical Therapy offers the doctoral degree in physical therapy in a three-year course of study. The primary goal of the School of Physical Therapy is to graduate a well-rounded and highly competent clinician ready to assume duties in the standard areas of physical therapy practice, i.e., hospital departments, out-patient clinics, private practices, acute and long term care facilities. To achieve this goal, every effort is made to offer a curriculum well balanced in the areas of orthopedic, neurologic, and general physical therapy with attention to the needs of pediatric patients, geriatric patients and other special populations. The curriculum is organized to allow didactic classroom learning to periodically intermix with clinical learning. Beginning with the second semester of the first year, and continuing each semester thereafter, longer and longer time periods are spent in the clinic. Thus, during the program, 36 weeks are devoted to full-time clinical experiences and internships. Threaded throughout the curriculum and emphasized in all courses are problem solving, ethical and professional behavior, good writing and speaking skills, evidence-based practice, life-long learning and the importance of contributing to the growth and development of the profession. Classes begin in late August and students spend approximately 36 hours per week in class. Graduation is in May.

Clinical Experiences
Currently the School of Physical Therapy affiliates with 290 different clinical facilities. These include acute hospital settings, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation centers, private practices, in school systems, specialized hospitals and home health agencies. Although the majority of these sites are in the Portland area and in Oregon, students also go to many other states including Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Utah, and Washington. New clinical sites are continually added in order to provide variety and quality to the students’ clinical experiences. Currently, we have two clinical sites in Italy, offer Medical Spanish classes in association with La Universidad Autonoma De Guadalajara and a service learning opportunity in Nicaragua. The Spanish classes and service learning opportunity occur during the summer and the holiday break between the 1st and 2nd semesters. Neither of these two experiences fulfill clinical affiliation requirements and are done on a voluntary basis.

Faculty
There are 12 full-time and 5 part-time faculty members. Of the full-time faculty members, 60% hold post-professional doctoral degrees, 3 will complete post-professional doctoral degrees within the next 2-4 years, two are certified as clinical specialists and several are engaged in clinical practice. Over the past 3 years the faculty has averaged two publications in peer-reviewed journals and one to two invited presentations at regional and national conferences.

Enrollment
Total enrollment at the University is, approximately, 2,500. Enrollment in the School of Physical Therapy is 118-120 with a faculty/student ratio of 1:10. Forty students are admitted each year.

Admission
Admission is highly selective, but each applicant is considered individually. Factors taken into account for the admission decision include: cumulative and science grade point average; evidence of voluntary or paid work in the field of physical therapy; and a personal interview on campus. Prerequisites include 2 semester hours of statistics; 6 semester hours in each: psychology, social sciences, and humanities; 8 semester hours of physics; 9 semester hours of English/writing; and 12 semester hours in: biological sciences (including human anatomy and physiology) and 8 semester hours of chemistry. The application deadline is the 5th of December of the year previous to the year of intended enrollment. Thirty-one percent of qualified applicants are admitted to the program (3-year average).

Outcomes
99% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average).

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Student tuition and fees in the School of Physical Therapy for the 2009-2010 academic year is $25,728. Students live off-campus. Average costs for books, supplies and equipment are $3,100 (including a required laptop computer) first year, $800 second year, and $500 third year. The University has a strong commitment to a financial aid program based on need and academic performance. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Student Exchange Program offers financial assistance to certified professional physical therapy students from the following five states only: Alaska, Hawaii, and Wyoming. For further information, contact WICHE Student Exchange Program, PO Drawer P, Boulder, CO 80302.

Student life
Pacific University, established in 1849 in Forest Grove, a town with a population of 12,500 and 25 miles southwest of Portland now, also, has campuses in Hillsboro, Portland, and Eugene. The undergraduate College of Arts & Sciences is enhanced by a select cluster of graduate professional schools: the College of Optometry, the College of Education, and the College of Health Professions (CHP). The CHP is located in facilities on the Health Professions Campus in Hillsboro. The School of Physical Therapy shares the campus with the School of Professional Psychology, the School of Occupational Therapy, the School of Physician Assistant Studies, the School of Dental Health, the School of Pharmacy, and the School of Health Administration.The University’s location offers physical therapy students the values associated with a small town environment as well as some of the excitement of the city of Portland. The campus, which offers many cultural, sports and social events and opportunities, is within easy access to Portland, the Oregon beaches and the Cascade Mountains. The University is traditional with an international outlook.