diagnose TREAT care physical therapy
physical therapy The human body is fascinating and at Clarke, we take pride in being a leader in preparing graduates ready to treat individuals physically, psychologically and spiritually. At Clarke, you get integrated clinical experience early - students get hands-on experience at the start of their second semester through Clarke s pro bono clinic. The physical therapy program at Clarke is an entry-level doctoral program that requires an undergraduate degree in another area. Many students choose to major in athletic training, psychology, biology or chemistry. the clarke advantage Graduates from Clarke s Physical Therapy program have requisite skills to practice physical therapy as generalists who can appropriately adapt to practice across all health care settings and patient conditions. Clarke graduates are employed across the country in a variety of geographical settings, from rural to urban, in almost every imaginable practice setting. Clarke offers an accelerated 3+3 program in which qualifying students can finish both their undergraduate and doctor of physical therapy degrees in 6 years. Undergraduates who meet specific criteria are guaranteed direct admission into the highly competitive DPT program. Each member of Clarke s PT faculty is a board-certified therapist. Faculty members maintain clinical practice. The DPT program features a national network of clinical internships at some of the top clinics and medical centers in the country. Each student is required to do 40 weeks of internship work. When you pursue a degree in physical therapy at Clarke, you will benefit from elite affiliations and expert faculty. DPT graduates are expected to be culturally sensitive, professional and service-oriented practitioners who demonstrate safe and effective practice within an ethical framework. Clarke physical therapy students are involved in a variety of projects on campus and in the community. They include: Kids Against Hunger Wheels for the World, a program that keeps wheelchairs and walkers out of the landfill Adopt-A-Highway Mentoring at Hillcrest Family Services The Human Body Bee, which hosts more than 900 area fifth-graders Clarke Organization of Student Physical Therapists The Physical Therapy Department at Clarke University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org.
100 97 10-table Cadaver Lab Clarke University is one of the few liberal arts institutions of our size in the country to have a 10-table cadaver lab. This medical school-quality gross anatomy lab gives Clarke students an opportunity to learn with the best resources. Having 10 cadavers in the lab increases the probability of finding interesting surgical procedures and observing anomalies, which enhance learning opportunities. What s even more impressive is that this lab is used by undergraduate students as well as graduate students. This means you won t just hear about the advantages of having this facility on campus, you will directly benefit from the experiences held in this remarkable lab. Clarke physical therapy graduates have a nearly 100 percent job placement rate in recent years and a 97 percent board pass rate for licensure. A liberal arts approach At Clarke, a liberal arts education serves as an integral foundation of physical therapy professional education. Physical therapy students develop an understanding and appreciation for the structural, functional psychosocial, emotional and spiritual dimensions of humans. Individuals are recognized as unique composites of body, mind and spirit and in response, physical therapy intervention is based on individual patient/client needs. Employment of physical therapists is projected to grow 36 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. Graduates from Clarke s physical therapy program work in a variety of occupations upon graduation, including: Acute Care Clinics Sports Medicine Pediatrics Nursing Homes School Districts Hospitals $79,860 According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for physical therapists was $79,860 in May 2012.
common undergraduate majors for physical therapy Athletic training Athletic trainers play a significant role in the management, prevention, recognition and rehabilitation of injured athletes. Under the supervision of a licensed physician, athletic trainers administer immediate emergency and follow-up care. They develop athletic injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation programs using their knowledge of biomechanics, anatomy and pathology. Clarke s athletic training program has a strong liberal arts component, which helps students develop an understanding and appreciation of the many dimensions of humans structural, functional, psychological, emotional and spiritual. Along with the necessary professional skills, Clarke s athletic training program emphasizes the development of critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. The athletic training program faculty believes that this is the strongest preparation for a career as a competent practitioner in today s evolving healthcare environment. Why athletic training? Athletic training is a health care profession that has some similar techniques to PT used in the areas of treatment and rehabilitation. Students will learn patient interactions and evaluation methods as an AT major that may be helpful to them if they move to another healthcare profession, such as PT. Biology Biology is a rapidly expanding, widely diverse discipline, embracing all aspects of life. At Clarke, you will have the opportunity to design your own experiments from the introductory course through your senior capstone course, using appropriate equipment and techniques in the biology laboratories. Why biology? The importance of the basic sciences needed to succeed in physical therapy is evident in the fact that many of the prerequisites for the DPT program as well as four of the courses required during the first year of the DPT program are part of the biology program. This allows biology majors to have time in their schedules for other areas of interest, such as sports, student government and studying abroad. Psychology The mind works in mysterious ways but with a psychology degree from Clarke, you ll be prepared to enter the exciting field of analyzing, evaluating, predicting and changing human thought and behavior. Clarke s secret to success is a nice balance of clinical psychology, social psychology and cognitive psychology. Faculty members bring a wealth of research, clinical and life experience to the classroom and present it in exciting ways. (When was the last time you saw a professor act out a mental disorder?) Clarke s psychology department is committed to maintaining a rigorous academic curriculum designed to emphasize the development of analytic and expressive skills that are the basis of investigation, evaluation and communication in the field. Why psychology? Clarke s psychology major focuses on the intricacies of behavior and mental processes so that students not only gain a greater understanding of themselves, they additionally gain enhanced knowledge of others. By enhancing self and other knowledge, students entering into a physical therapy career will have a greater positive impact on the healing process. In the practice of physical therapy, understanding the psychosocial variables that contribute to treatment success is a critical component of professional practice.
our Alumni physical therapy Scott Schuessler Human Health Sciences 00, Master s in Physical Therapy 01, Doctorate in Physical Therapy 06 Scott owns and operates Physical Therapy, Spine and Sports Medicine LLC, and Elite Physical Therapy in St. Louis. While studying at Clarke, he still found time to play on the men s volleyball team where he earn all-academic honors, was a three-time team MVP and is now a member of the Clarke Athletic Hall of Fame. Clarke taught me not only how to treat patients, but also how to run a business. physical therapy amanda cyze Human Health Services 01, Master s in Physical Therapy 02, Doctorate in Physical Therapy 06 Amanda currently works at Unity Point Health-Finley Hospital in the Occupational Health Department. She primarily works with patients who have gotten injured while at work and need to get rehabilitated to their pre-injury level to return to work. The faculty at Clarke got to know us as students and therapists - they truly wanted us to excel and knew what steps we needed to get there. The PT program taught me how to be a critical thinker and problem solver - skills that I have come to realize are vital in a clinical setting. Now, as a professional who has supervised Clarke students in clinicals, it is clear that same focus still exists.
THE NEXT STEP BEGIN YOUR IMPACT NOW. Learn more about physical therapy at www.clarke.edu/academics or call the admissions office. Contact CLARKE Admissions Office 1550 Clarke Drive Dubuque, Iowa 52001-3198 (800)383-2345 (563)588-6316 (563)584-8666 (fax) admissions@clarke.edu www.clarke.edu www.facebook.com/clarkeuniversity www.twitter.com/clarkeu 10% JULY 2014