This study examined perceived barriers and benefits to holistic admission review in physical therapist education (PTE) programs. The mixed methods study utilized both quantitative and qualitative data collected via an online survey to accredited programs and collection of quantitative data from program websites, Physical Therapist Centralized…

The purpose of this investigation was to explore the perceptions of the sufficiency and relevancy of physical therapy anatomy education among early, mid, and late career physical therapists. A survey was distributed via email through clinical networks in the greater Mid-Atlantic region, the American Physical Therapy Association Pennsylvania…

The profession of physical therapy has undergone an evolution since its inception. Since the early 1900s it has grown from a technical training program to a doctorate level degree. Human anatomy courses remain a requirement for physical therapist educational curricula. However, changes in anatomy pedagogy have been trending within health…

Background: Evidence-based practice (EBP) is supported by the appropriate use of standardized outcome measures (OMs). Continuing education (CE) is a common method for translation of OMs knowledge to practice. However, little is known about the attitudes and behaviors of physical therapists regarding CE and knowledge translation (KT) of OMs.…

Background: Student success is the foundation for maintaining programmatic accreditation in all healthcare education programs. There is limited research on admissions criteria and predictors of success in physical therapist assistant education. The goal of this study was to understand the relationship between admissions criteria and student…

Research suggests that physical therapists lack knowledge, awareness, and clinical preparedness to engage with LGBT+ populations in clinical settings and that LGBT+ patients report difficulty engaging in physical therapy and fear of discrimination. The purpose of this study was to develop, deliver, and evaluate an online LGBT+ culturally…

This viewpoint proposes eight anatomy threshold concepts related to physical therapist education, considering both movement system theory and anatomical competence. Movement system theory provides classifications and terminology that succinctly identifies and describes physical therapy practice from a theoretical and philosophical framework. The…

Experts estimate that more than half of the people in the United States are at risk of poor health outcomes due to circumstances related to low health literacy levels. Physical therapist professional education programs represent a viable point of intervention to address health literacy in the population from an asset perspective, with the…

A growing number of university graduates delay workforce entry to reverse transfer to a community college for additional training. This trend is common in 2-year physical therapist assistant (PTA) programs where over 34% of all PTA students have a prior earned bachelor's degree. The problem addressed in this study is that little research is…

This study explored how U.S. Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs integrate and implement simulation-based learning into their curricula. While recent research takes a broad view of how physical therapy (PT) programs are using simulation, this research sought an in-depth understanding by exploring the questions about (1) how are programs…

Introduction: Uncertainty exists about the best method for teaching thrust joint manipulation (TJM) to student physical therapists. This dissertation study compared the effects of Peyton's 4-Step (P4) Approach with the "see one, do one" (S1D1) approach on students': (1) Lumbar spine TJM task performance; (2) Attitudes and beliefs towards…

As they do their work, physical therapists apply mathematical ideas. Teachers can use some of those applications to inspire students' discovery of new concepts. In particular, the joints of the human body provide a way to represent angles that is accessible to all students and can be understood in the elementary grades. Used with fourth graders,…

Physical therapists (PTs) are often one of the first professionals to evaluate children at risk. To examine the effect of an early screening training on pediatric PTs': (1) knowledge of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), (2) clinical self-efficacy, and (3) identification of markers. Twenty-six PTs participated in a 2-day "Early ASD…

Context: As required elements of accreditation, interprofessional education (IPE), and interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) are key considerations for athletic training educators, students, and practicing professionals. Objective: Despite the emphasis on IPE and IPCP, little information exists regarding which health care professionals…

The number of nontraditional students in higher education continues to increase. Despite the increase in the number of nontraditional students overall, the majority of students enrolled in doctor of physical therapy programs are considered traditional. In addition, physical therapy students are among the least racially and ethnically diverse which…