Doctor of Physical Therapy – About Us
Welcome and thank you for your interest in the South College Doctor of Physical Therapy program! This website will provide valuable information to prospective students as well as those currently enrolled in the program.
We are excited to offer this innovative program as an alternative for students seeking to enter the physical therapy profession. The South College Doctor of Physical Therapy Program was the first in the country to offer the 2-year blended-learning model, and we take pride in our trailblazing approach. Our unique DPT curriculum, clinical education program, and post-professional residency collaborations are specifically designed to reduce the cost of DPT education and fast-track your future career in physical therapy. Our blended-learning model combines best practices in distance-learning and hands-on lab immersion sessions to create both a local and national program – a local program that attracts traditional students from the region and a national program that attracts nontraditional students from around the country.
Consistent with the history of South College, the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program strives to prepare graduates to be skilled practitioners who deliver team-oriented patient care with advocacy and compassion to diverse populations. The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program achieves this through a commitment to excellence in education and scholarly activity including research, service, and patient care.
We are very fortunate to have an extremely well prepared faculty who are dedicated educators, clinicians, researchers, and leaders in the physical therapy profession. As a collective faculty, we are committed to your education, professional development and success in this exciting profession.
As you contemplate your educational path, we hope you will eagerly consider the DPT Program at South College. We encourage you to browse our website to find helpful information about the DPT program prerequisites, admission process, curriculum, and our unique blended delivery model. We trust the information on this web page will help answer many of your questions about our program. If you would like additional information, please feel free to contact us. We welcome the opportunity to respond to your inquiries.
MISSION, VISION, VALUES, GOALS & STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
MISSION
The mission of the DPT Program is to provide an innovative, career-focused education that develops Doctors of Physical Therapy who are highly skilled, mindful and empathetic care providers. They will be passionate lifelong learners who are servant leaders in their local community and highly engaged in their professional and broader health care communities. They will be equipped to deliver exemplary care in a multidisciplinary, team-oriented, and value-based healthcare environment.
PHILOSOPHY
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is committed to the development of future Doctors of Physical Therapy, ready to meet the demands of clinical practice in the 21st century with exemplary entry-level skills, marked professionalism, and compassion.
The DPT program is designed for the delivery of a contemporary and evidence-based curriculum using faculty and contributors that are dedicated educators, clinicians, researchers, and leaders in the physical therapy profession. Faculty and contributors facilitate student learning and professional growth with student-centered active learning experiences, modeled clinical and scholarly excellence and steadfast professionalism. Using a blended learning model, our curriculum combines the best aspects of online learning activities and interactions, hands-on laboratory intensive sessions, and collaborative clinical education experiences into an innovative and dynamic learning experience. In so doing, we will transform physical therapy education, improve scalability and access to DPT education, increase flexibility for traditional and nontraditional learners, increase the level of active learning in courses, and seek to achieve quality student experiences and outcomes. Our graduates will be prepared for skillful, mindful and compassionate clinical practice, lifelong learning and professional development, and selfless service to their community and profession.
Program Goals/Outcomes
The South College Doctor of Physical Therapy program will deliver an accredited DPT program that embraces the core values of the profession. The program has the following goals:
Program Goals
- Goal 1: Demonstrate a commitment to service and leadership in the institution, the community, and the profession.
- Outcome 1a: Program facilitates active participation and leadership in the program and community organizations.
- Outcome 1b: Program facilitates active participation and leadership in local, state, and national professional organizations.
- Goal 2: Enroll and graduate a student body that supports the demand for physical therapists and rehabilitation services nationally.
- Outcome 2a: Enroll students who are representative of local, regional, and U.S. population demographics.
- Outcome 2b: Graduate qualified entry-level physical therapy practitioners.
- Outcome 2c: Support physical therapist workforce needs at national levels.
- Goal 3: Efficiently develop competent career-focused physical therapists through engaging and effective academic and clinical learning experiences.
- Outcome 3a: Integrate engaging and effective andragogies into all courses.
- Outcome 3b: Graduate competent career-focused physical therapists.
Faculty Goals
- Goal 1: Role model servant leadership and professional responsibility to the institution, the community, and professional organizations.
- Outcome 1a: Demonstrate service to the institution through membership in committees and/or special projects.
- Outcome 2b: Demonstrate service to professional and community organizations and activities through membership, participation, and leadership.
- Goal 2: Integrate engaging and effective teaching strategies and technologies that support the program’s mission, enhance student learning, and optimize outcomes.
- Outcome 2a: Courses include synchronous and asynchronous learning activities that employ evidence-informed and effective educational techniques.
- Goal 3: The collective faculty demonstrate commitment to excellence in teaching, scholarship and clinical practice.
- Outcome 3a: Faculty demonstrate activity in scholarship to include teaching, application, engagement, discovery or integration.
- Outcome 3b: Faculty demonstrate relevant clinical expertise with terminal academic degrees, specialty certifications, and/or fellowship status.
Student Goals
- Goal 1: Provide competent, caring, and evidence-based care to individuals seeking physical therapy services.
- Student Learning Outcome #1
- Evaluate individual differences, values, and preferences when engaged in physical therapy practice and education.
- Student Learning Outcome #2
- Integrate evidence-based practices into patient-client management.
- Student Learning Outcome #3
- Competently perform expected entry-level skills as noted by the Evaluative Criteria for Doctor of Physical Therapy Programs as identified by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education.
- Student Learning Outcome #1
- Goal 2: Grow professionally through servant leadership, advocacy, and lifelong learning.
- Student Learning Outcome #4
- Advocate for the patient, community, and profession by providing service and leadership at local, regional and national levels.
- Student Learning Outcome #5
- Develop a plan associated with the ongoing process of lifelong learning that is expected of physical therapists.
- Student Learning Outcome #4
Graduate Goals
- Goal 1: Demonstrate a commitment to evidence-based practice and professional growth through lifelong learning, critical inquiry, and mindful practice.
- Outcome 1a: Graduates perform physical therapy services consistent with evidence-based practices.
- Outcome 1b: Graduates engage in post- professional training opportunities.
- Goal 2: Function in a professional, caring, ethical, and culturally competent manner, with demonstrated service towards the patient, community, and profession.
- Outcome 2a: Demonstrate professional behaviors consistent with the expectations of a physical therapist.
- Outcome 2b: Deliver caring and compassionate healthcare that is sensitive to patient/family values, cultures, and beliefs.
- Outcome 2c: Demonstrate service for patient, community, and/or advancement of the physical therapy profession.