WelcomeThe Department of Physical Therapy is part of the College of Education and Health Sciences. There will 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. Nine full-time faculty members as well as a number of adjunct faculty members with expertise in a variety of content areas teach within the department. There are four physical therapy laboratories. Expansion of the labs occurred in 1989, 1996 and 1998 to accommodate an increased number of students in both programs and changes in the profession. 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. News and Events May 2009-The University of Evansville graduated it's 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 utilzed 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? -"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? -"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 fasciitis or bunions) The work was in collaboration with Irene Davis, Joaquin Barrios, and Todd Royer from the University of Delaware. IMarch 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 StateMarquette 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. DPT Class of 2009-Third year DPT students participated in a number of community based projects during the fall 2009 semester, Local agencies that benefitted from the students' work include the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center, the Evansville Vanderburgh County School Corporation, Southwestern Indiana Regional Council on Aging, the Evansville Rescue Mission, and Impact Ministries. September 23, 2008-The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program's class of 2009 participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The students raised $5,843.00 in 14 days, which was the third highest amount raised by a local team.
Congratulations to Kyle Kiesel, assistant
professor, and Phil Plisky, adjunct faculty from the department of Physical
Therapy who had their research study titled, Can serious injury in
professional football be predicted by a preseason functional movement
screen?
published
in the August 2007 edition of the North American Journal of Sports Physical
Therapy. It demonstrated that professional football players scoring below the identified
threshold score on the Functional Movement Screen were at a greater risk for
injury than those scoring above the threshold.
Robert Butler,
Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy, published an article entitled "The
effect of a subject-specific amount of lateral wedge on knee mechanics in
patients with medial knee osteoarthritis" in this month's Journal of
Orthopaedic Research with colleagues from the University of Delaware.
The article is an addition to the evolving body of literature on
conservative mechanical interventions for individuals diagnosed with knee
osteoarthritis. Conservative mechanical interventions have been reported to
be most effective in patients when utilized at the earliest possible
detection of disease progression. This development is the impetus for the
Dunigan Movement Analysis Lab's current research project evaluating gait
mechanics in individuals who have suffered an ACL rupture who are at a 5
fold risk of developing knee osteoarthritis by the age of 50.
Congratulations to Kyle Kiesel and Frank Underwood from
the Department of Physical Therapy. They had the following manuscript
published in the October issue of the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports
Physical Therapy. Physical Therapy Department Receives Welborn Baptist Foundation Grant Many activity-related injuries can be prevented, and thanks to a grant from the Welborn Baptist Foundation, Inc., students and faculty at UE – in collaboration with ProRehab – will spend the next year helping teach that prevention to young children. The Physical Therapy Department received a $39,500 grant from the Welborn Baptist Foundation, Inc. for a collaborative, school-based wellness program incorporating “healthy” movement into standard physical education activity. In this program, UE faculty, students and professionals from ProRehab will go to St. Ben’s Elementary School during both the spring and fall of 2008, where they will spend eight weeks each semester working with students’ active movement patterns. They will begin by observing the students’ movements in certain physical education activities – everything from walking to doing push-ups to simply stepping over bars or other obstacles. They then will spend the rest of the available time working with the students to correct improper motions that could, if left unchecked, lead to injuries later in life. Evidence Based Practice Principles Integrated into Curriculum
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is defined by McMaster
University Department of Epidemiology as "an approach to health care
practice in which the clinician is aware of the clinical evidence
supporting his or her clinical practice approach, and the strength of
that evidence." EBP is more than the next buzzword in physical
therapy. It is an integral part of our profession and
represents the optimal practice model for now and the future (see www.evidenceinmotion.com). It is also one of the six components of the
American Physical Therapy Association's vision for 2020.
Development The Department of Physical Therapy has developed a clinical research lab which includes a motion analysis unit. Initial equipment purchases were made in the fall 2006. The Dunigan Institute for Health Science Studies is committed to providing quality teaching and research opportunities for our students and faculty. It is through these experiences that our students will develop the skills necessary to be exceptional healthcare professionals. The institute also supports faculty directed scholarship that will contribute to the body of knowledge in the health sciences with the ultimate goal of reducing and preventing disability in the community. The state-of-the-art facility was made possible through a generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Larry Dunigan. Mr. Dunigan is a UE trustee. 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.
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