Clinical Education
 |
 |
 |
 |
Clinical Education is designed to provide the opportunity for the student to apply the knowledge he/she has acquired in a specifically related area of the academic program in the clinical setting, and to increase his/her level of expertise in examination, evaluation and intervention of patients. Students participate in four full-time experiences for a total of 36 weeks of the curriculum. At the completion of the first year of the program, students complete seven weeks in an outpatient orthopedic setting (Clinical Education I). After completing the second year, students participate in experiences in acute care (six weeks-Clinical Education II) and neurorehabilitation (eight weeks-Clinical Education III). The 15 week Clinical Internship occurs the last semester of the program and students choose the clinical emphases.
We have contracts with 300+ facilities across the United States, including predominantly the southern states and a few sites in other regions like Wyoming, Colorado, California, Arizona, Oregon, Texas, and the District of Columbia. We value all of our clinical educators and are always looking for additional quality clinical education sites for our entry-level DPT students.
If your facility is interested in partnering with UTC, or you have questions regarding clinical education, please contact Dr. Debbie Ingram, director of clinical education.
Information for Clinical Sites/Clinical Instructors & Center Coordinators of Clinical Education
- UTC Clinical Education Handbook (full document)
- APTA Center Coordinators of Clinical Education Manual
- APTA Guidelines and Self-Assessments for Clinical Education
All physical therapy programs are encouraged to send annual clinical calendar requests to sites beginning March 1 of each year. Once the responses are received, the UTC assignments are generally completed in early October.
All students will be assessed using the APTA's Clinical Performance Instrument. Students will bring hard copies of the document to the clinical site. For more information, please refer to the APTA instructions for appropriate use of the tool.
Students will provide the clinical site, center coordinator of clinical education and the clinical instructor with feedback using the APTA Site Evaluation Form.
The students need to review facility information prior to participating in the clinical education experience. Clinical sites need to update the APTA Clinical Site Information Form annually and electronically return a copy to Dr. Debbie Ingram.
We stronly encourage our clinical instructors to complete the APTA Credential Clinical Instructor Program. The department offers this course each January.
The State of Tennessee requires on-site supervision of PT students to be provided by a licensed physical therapist. For reimbursement related questions, please refer to the APTA website:
Information for Students
Clinical education is an exciting and educational part of the curriculum. The Director of Clinical Education will post a list of available sites for each clinical experience. Students will submit preferences before assignments are completed. Preparation for Clinic classes will occur the semester preceeding each of the experiences.
To participate in any clinical education experience, students must have personal health insurance, criminal background checks, liability insurance through the University, CPR certification, and completion of all immunizations/health requirements.
The assessment tool utilized during all clinical education experiences is the APTA's Clinical Performance Instrument. In addition to the clinical instructor's assessment, students will complete a self-assessment at mid-term and final. Copies of the document will be distributed in class prior to the beginning of the experience and students will take these copies to the clinical site. For more information, please refer to the APTA instructions for appropriate use of the tool.
Students will provide the clinical site, center coordinator of clinical education and the clinical instructor with feedback using the APTA Site Evaluation Form.
