Program Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, graduates will demonstrate competence in all 6 of the following domains:
DOMAIN 1 – COMMUNICATION
Physical therapists employ effective communication strategies (written, oral, non-verbal) that enable successful patient outcomes and develop professional relationships.
DOMAIN 2 – PROFESSIONALISM
Physical therapists demonstrate professionalism by adhering to the principles, standards, and values outlined in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist, APTA Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy, and the APTA Core Values for the Physical Therapist, respectively.
DOMAIN 3 – KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FOR PHYSICAL THERAPY PRACTICE
Per the APTA Guide to Physical Therapist Practice 3.0, “Physical therapists are health care professionals who help individuals maintain, restore, and improve movement, activity, and functioning, thereby enabling optimal performance and enhancing health, well-being, and quality of life. Their services prevent, minimize, or eliminate impairments of body functions and structures, activity limitations, and participation restrictions for individuals of all ages with conditions of the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and/or integumentary systems or the negative effects attributable to unique personal and environmental factors as they related to human performance. This includes taking the history including a review of systems, conducting a systems review, and performing tests and measures to identify potential and existing problems…”
DOMAIN 4 – CLINICAL DECISION MAKING FOR PHYSICAL THERAPY PRACTICE
Physical therapists make clinical decisions using a process of clinical reasoning that includes interpretation of the examination (physical therapy differential diagnosis and medical screening), knowledge of the patient’s goals, values and beliefs, context of the situation, reflection of their own experience and intuition, and analysis of current literature. The synthesis of these elements leads to clinical decisions which are able to be justified prior to implementation and evaluated and modified based on patient response.
DOMAIN 5 – PHYSICAL THERAPISTS’ ROLE IN HEALTHCARE
Physical therapists’ practice in a dynamic healthcare environment which requires them to display effective leadership and management skills in their interactions with other healthcare providers to improve the health and wellbeing of their patients and society as a whole.
DOMAIN 6 - SCHOLARSHIP
Physical therapists demonstrate excellence in scholarship through professional development/life-long learning, the education of others, the evaluation of evidence, and contributions to the body of research in physical therapy.
Academic and Professional Standards
Students in the DPT Program must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 as required by the University for all graduate programs. Additionally, students are not permitted to earn more than 3 Cs over the course of the curriculum.
Professional behavior is an essential component of successful practice of physical therapy. Student professional development will be modeled, facilitated, expected and monitored throughout the student’s progression in the DPT Program.
Additional academic and professional standards for successful completion of the program are outlined below.
Academic Probation
Students falling below an overall GPA of 3.0 will be placed on academic probation and given one semester to raise their GPA. If the student fails to increase one's overall GPA to a 3.0, he/she/they will be dismissed from the program.
A graduate student on academic probation will be returned to good standing when at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA is achieved. A student cannot be placed on probationary status more than once. That is if a student successfully removes him/her/themself from probationary status and subsequently has a cumulative GPA that falls below a 3.0 on the 4.0 scale, that student will be dismissed from the program.
Academic Dismissal
Dismissal for academic reasons will occur for the following:
- A student who fails to improve his/her/their semester GPA following placement on probation (cumulative GPA <3.0).
- Failure of any DPT degree course.
- A student who receives a 4th “C” in any DPT degree course.
- Failure of Hallmark Practical 1 or 2.
Professional Behaviors Dismissal
- Students may be dismissed from the DPT Program for behaviors that violate the APTA Code of Ethics.
- Students may be dismissed from the DPT Program for consistent unprofessional behavior as assessed by faculty using the “MSJ DPT Description of Professional Behaviors.”
Appeal Process/Reinstatement
When a student is dismissed from the DPT Program for either an academic or professional behaviors cause, he/she/they may not register for classes for the upcoming term. If classes have already been pre-registered, they must be dropped. In cases of appeals, students will be re-registered for classes only after a successful appeal is granted. Appeals and reinstatements will often come with additional requirements, so all reinstated students must meet with their faculty advisor at the start of the new semester for academic counseling.
Appeal Process
The DPT faculty have a responsibility to exercise their professional judgment, guided by the APTA Code of Ethics, in determining a student’s competence to continue in the program. They bear the weight of the public safety as educators of future health care providers. Faculty will consider the student’s demonstrated academic performance and professional behaviors as well as the student’s perspective as outlined in the formal appeal letter. Students may not appeal for reinstatement following dismissal more than once.
- Following receipt of a dismissal letter from the Dean of The School of Health Sciences, DPT students may consider whether or not to appeal to the faculty to be re-instated. Students should notify the Chair and their Academic Advisor no later than 5 business days following dismissal of their intent to appeal.
- Students are required to discuss their appeal with their advisor.
- Students who plan to appeal should notify the Department Chair of their intent to appeal as soon as possible but no later than 5 business days following dismissal. Progress in the curriculum could be affected if students don’t go through the appeal process in a timely manner.
- Appeals for reinstatement require a written appeal letter, emailed to the Chair, which must include the student’s self-assessment of factors that contributed to dismissal and their plans to change/modify strategies and behaviors to reach a successful outcome if reinstated. Students will be informed of the appeal letter deadline by the Chair following notification of plan to appeal.
- The DPT faculty will confidentially review the formal appeal letter and discuss the student’s reinstatement at the next scheduled faculty meeting following receipt. Faculty will vote for reinstatement, requiring a two-thirds majority. The student’s advisor may advocate but will not vote.
- Students will be informed of the decision with a written letter from the Chair, copied to the Dean, Advisor and Provost's Office.
Denial of Appeal
Should the DPT faculty vote to uphold the dismissal, the student may appeal to the Provost using the guidelines set forth in the Graduate Catalog (Academic Policies – Appeals for Academic Reinstatement).
Reinstatement
If the appeal is successful, reinstatement requirements will be developed by the DPT Faculty.
All re-instated students must meet with their faculty advisor at the start of the new semester for academic counseling and to develop a mandatory academic or professional behaviors action plan.
If a DPT student is reinstated following a failing grade in a DPT course, he/she/they will re-take the course the next time it is offered and will then progress through the remaining curriculum with a new cohort. The student will not be allowed to continue with their original cohort.