Clinical Education - Overview
The clinical education program includes four phases of supervised clinical experience, as well as three clinical symposia designed to bridge the gap between the classroom and clinic. The program is progressive in the type and range of clinical responsibilities expected of each student and corresponds to the complexity of the didactic portion of the curriculum. In keeping with the Division's commitment to the needs of West Virginia, participation in the Rural Health Education Partnerships (RHEP) program is required of all students. Participation in any clinical experience is contingent upon successful completion of the current and previous didactic clinical work.
PT 720: Clinical Education 1 - Spring semester, first year
This course includes a series of short observational experiences in a variety of clinical settings. The course is designed to introduce the students to the roles of the physical therapist in these settings, as well as the roles of other members of the health care team.
PT 730: Clinical Education Symposium 1 - Summer between first and second year
The course provides physical therapist students practice in applying the physical therapist patient/client management model and theories of disablement to clinical case studies, with an emphasis on cardiopulmonary illnesses.
PT 740: Clinical Education Symposium 2 - Fall semester, second year
The course provides physical therapist students practice in applying the physical therapist patient/client management model and theories of disablement to clinical case studies, with an emphasis on musculoskeletal disorders.
PT 750: Clinical Education 2 - Spring semester, second year
Students practice under the supervision of licensed physical therapists in acute/subactue care settings for four weeks.
PT 760: Clinical Education 3 - Summer between second and third year
Students practice under the supervision of licensed physical therapists in rural settings, which may include hospitals, home health agencies, nursing homes, or outpatient clinics. Students participate in the RHEP program. This rotation is twelve weeks in length, and must be completed at a rural site in WV.
PT 770: Clinical Education Symposium 3 - Spring semester, third year
The case reports seminar is designed to provide students with an opportunity to integrate all previous course work and clinical experiences through selection and presentation of a patient case. Each student is required to present a patient case report based on a direct patient care experience that occurred during the final phase of his/her clinical education experience in PT 780
PT 780: Clinical Education 4 - Spring Semester, third year
Following the first semester of graduate work, students complete two eight-week clinical rotations. Students may choose rotations in specialized settings, such as adult rehab, pediatrics, sports or industrial physical therapy, critical care, etc.