Welcome

The Department of Physical Therapy is part of the College of Education and Health Sciences.  There are approximately 160 students enrolled in two physical therapy programs (Doctor of Physical Therapy and Physical Therapist Assistant) for the 2009/2010 academic year. The physical therapy faculty strives to provide the finest in physical therapy education. Ten full-time faculty and a number of adjunct faculty with expertise in a variety of content areas teach within the department. 

The physical therapy faculty has designed a curriculum that reflects contemporary professional education and clinical practice.  Through classroom and clinical experiences, students acquire the requisite critical thinking and problem solving skills to deliver quality patient care based upon current best evidence.

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program

The Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum is a three year, full-time integration of didactic and clinical education.  Admission to the program is limited to 40 students each year.

Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program

The PTA program is a two-year program leading to an associate's degree.  The curriculum is composed of basic studies courses and professional technical courses with lab components and clinical education experiences in various health care settings.  The program may be completed on a part-time basis.  Admission to the program is limited to 28 students each year.  PTA students are encouraged to combine the major with a bachelor's degree.

Research Study-Volunteers Needed

Are you planning an upcoming pregnancy? If so, we would like you to consider volunteering for a research study taking place in the Dunigan Movement Analysis Laboratory. The study is examining changes in gait mechanics across the span of pregnancy along with assesses gait at 9 months following birth. The study is in collaboration with Robin Queen, PhD,  Director of the K Lab at Duke University  in Durham, NC. While it is well known that gait changes over the course of pregnancy there is little quantitative data to support this knowledge base. Individuals who volunteer for the study will undergo a 45 minute gait analysis three times over the course of the study (at 12 weeks, 34 weeks and 9 months following birth). Interested individuals are encouraged to contact Robert Butler, PhD, DPT, Director of the Dunigan Movement Analysis Laboratory at rb83@evansville.edu with any questions or concerns regarding the study.

News and Events 

January 2010                                                                               Congratulations to Tina Voges and Kyle Matsel, 2nd year DPT students, for having their brochure entitled “Elder Abuse:  Signs and Preventions” chosen as a winner in the 2010 Section on Geriatrics Consumer Brochure contest.  Nationwide, there were over 80 entries submitted.  The brochure will be displayed at the Section on Geriatrics booth during the 2010 Combined Section Meeting in San Diego in February.

September 2009-Dunigan Movement Analysis Laboratory News

Congratulations to Kyle Kiesel, Robert Butler and Phil Plisky, from the department of Physical Therapy, who recently had the manuscript entitled "Functional Movement Test Scores Improve following an Off-season Intervention Program in Professional Football Players" accepted for publication in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports.  This study demonstrated that an off-season intervention program can improve functional movement patterns in professional football players and builds on their previous work which demonstrated functional movement deficits are risk factors for injury.  This study will help to guide future research into injury prevention.  The Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports is ranked in the top 15% (Impact factor: 2.0) of peer-reviewed journals in the field of exercise and sports science.  

May 2009-The University of Evansville's Department of Physical Therapy graduated our first class of DPT students on May 9, 2009.  The Physical Therapy Program transitioned from a Master's degree program to a Doctorate degree program in May 2006.  Congratulations and best wishes to our graduates.

May 2009-Our final year DPT students were asked to complete an exit survey prior to graduation. The purpose of the survey is to assess the students' perceptions and experiences in the DPT program.  Information obtained from the surveys is utilized by the faculty in making curricular changes.

The following are comments that were submitted by the students to the question:  Would you recommend the University of Evansville's Physical Therapy Program to others?  Why or why not?  All of our 2009 graduates answered that they would recommend our program to others.  The following are some examples of their comments.

-"Yes, because I received a challenging program, excellent faculty to student ratio,   drastically increased my critical thinking skills."

-"Yes.  I believe that I was prepared for my clinicals and received excellent feedback regarding my preparation."

-"Yes.  The education and faculty were great.  I feel I obtained a good education, and I am prepared for the workplace."

-"Yes.  It was a great program that prepared me well.  The faculty are very helpful and want the students to succeed."

-"Yes, great faculty."

-"Yes, caring administration and faculty."

-"Yes.  I like the small class size and faculty availability."

-"Yes, due to the close one-on-one interaction between students and faculty."

May 2009-Our 2009 PTA graduates were provided with an exit survey to complete prior to graduation. The purpose of the exit survey is to assess the students' perceptions and experiences in the PTA program. The following are some of the students' comments to the question:  Would you recommend this PTA program to others?  Why or why not?  All of our 2009 graduates answered that they would recommend our program to others.  The following are some examples of their comments.

-"Yes.  It is a strong program and challenging."

-"Definitely yes!"

-"Yes, very educational, good length."

-"Yes.  It was a great experience and I feel honored and lucky to have had the opportunity to go through the program."

-"Yes, great experience, educators."

-"Yes.  I have learned so much about PT.  I feel comfortable going into the "real world" now and work as a PTA."

-"Yes, it is wonderful and fully prepares you to be an entry-level PTA."

April 16, 2009-Robert J. Butler, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy, recently had an article published in Prosthetics and Orthotics International entitled “Effect of laterally wedged foot orthoses on rear foot and hip mechanics in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis.” The paper is the first to examine the concomitant changes in ankle and hip mechanics during walking when a laterally wedged foot orthotic device is utilized to treat medial compartment knee osteoarthritis. The results of the study suggest that the device has no adverse effects at the hip joint but may increase the amount of stress at the ankle joint. For this reason, it is suggested that health care providers thoroughly examine the foot and ankle to rule out any conditions that may be exacerbated by a laterally wedged foot orthotic device (e.g. plantar fascitis or bunions) The work was in collaboration with Irene Davis, Joaquin Barrios, and Todd Royer from the University of Delaware.

March 2009-Kate Minick has been selected as a 2009 recipient of Mary McMillan Scholarship Award from the APTA.  This award recognizes final level students who demonstrate superior academic performance, past productivity, potential contributions to physical therapy and service to APTA.  Congratulations to Kate on this very important honor.

March 2009-Doctor of Physical Therapy students, Ashley Zehner and Franny Enzler, have been awarded Honorable Mention in the American Physical Therapy Association’s Geriatric Section 2008 Consumer Brochure Contest.  Ms. Zehner and Ms. Enzler developed a brochure entitled ‘Basics of Caring for Loved Ones with Alzheimer’s Disease’.  This brochure will be accessible online beginning May 1st at www.geriatricspt.org.

 

March 2009-US News & World Report has added physical therapy to its list of 30 best careers for 2009. 

PT Club Receives Honorable Mention in the Georgia State Marquette Challenge-The continuing education course sponsored by the PT Club in January 2009 was a great success.  The Club raised over $3,000, which will be donated to the Marquette Challenge.  The Marquette Challenge benefits the Foundation for Physical Therapy.  The $3,000 donation qualifies the PT Club for Honorable Mention in the Challenge. 

Giving Back

If you have ever wondered how you could contribute to the continued success of the Physical Therapy Programs at UE, we encourage your careful consideration.  Gifts indicating restriction of use to the Department of Physical Therapy may be sent to the Office of Development.