General Program Description

The PTA program consists of 29 credits of general education coursework and 49 credit hours of physical therapist assistant courses. Upon acceptance to the PTA program, students enroll in courses associated with the practice and procedures of the physical therapy profession. Courses include an Introduction to Physical Therapy, Applied Kinesiology, Procedures I, Clinical Pathology, Procedures II, Physical Therapy Assessment, Therapeutic Exercise, and Seminar. Most courses include a lecture and a laboratory component. Upon completion of the didactic and clinical components of the program, students are eligible to apply for the state licensure exam in the state in which they plan to be employed. Students are expected to follow the guidelines established by the state’s Department of Professional Regulation to obtain licensure as a physical therapist assistant.

Clinical Experiences
Four 6–8 week clinical experiences for students are located in and out of state with options in orthopedics, neurology, acute care, cardiopulmonary, and pediatric management. Four 3-week practicum experiences are completed in the campus faculty student practice during the didactic portion of the curriculum. A final 8-week clinical externship emphasizing a specialty interest of the student completes the clinical component of the 3-year 100 credit program. Students should be aware that they cannot complete all clinical experiences in the same state.

Faculty
There are eight full-time and one part-time faculty members. Four of the full-time faculty hold post-professional doctoral degrees. All other faculty are pursuing doctoral degrees. Three faculty are clinical specialists. All of the faculty are engaged in clinical practice.

Enrollment
Idaho State University has a total enrollment of 13,600 students with 610 at the graduate level. The DPT program accepts 24 students during every admission cycle. At least 75 % of accepted students are Idaho residents. There is usually one international seat offered to a qualified non-US candidate.

Admission
Applications are sent out beginning August 1 with an initial deadline of December 15. Applications after this deadline are reviewed on a rolling case-by-case admissions basis and seats are offered on an available basis with a waiting list established. Notification of acceptance is made by March 1 of each year or earlier. The grade point average (GPA), recommendations, Graduate Record Examination/ (GRE) and or TOEFL exams are evaluated the admissions process. Prerequisite courses include: 3 courses in each: anatomy (with lab), physiology (with lab), and upper-division biology; and 2 courses in each: chemistry (with labs), and physics (with labs); and 1 course each: statistics, and sociology/psychology/health science/anthropology or an upper-division psychology course and human growth and development. Clinical experience of 80 hours is required in at least two physical therapy settings. One of the areas must be 40 hours in acute care/hospital setting. Specific admission requirements are available via the department web site and upon request. Fifty percent of qualified applicants are admitted to the program (3-year average).

Outcomes
Ninety-eight percent of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average); 98% of graduates passed the National Physical Therapy Licensure Examination the first time (3-year average); 100% of those program graduates responding to surveys are employed (3-year average).

Tuition, fees and financial aid
The tuition for the 2005-2006 academic year is $2,290.00 per semester for residents and $5,830.00 per semester for non-residents. There is and additional fee of $690.00 per semester for residents and $2,370.00 per semester for non-residents. On-campus room and board expenses are $1,360.00 for room, $1,395.00 for board per semester.

Student life
Idaho State University is located in Pocatello, which is served by public transportation system (bus, trains, and airlines). There are 83 buildings on campus with a wide array of single and married student housing. The university is located a short distance from Salt Lake City, Utah, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone National Parks. Idaho State offers advanced degrees at the doctorate level in biological and social sciences, health sciences, and education. The climates hot and dry in the summer with mountain snow in the winter. Numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation are available locally and regionally.