Research

As clinical scientists, Physical Therapists must have the skills necessary to independently analyze published research. Prior to implementing research findings into practice, the Physical Therapist determines the credibility of the research and confirms that the research is relevant to specific practice settings. Although generation of new information is crucial for the profession, the primary emphasis in entry-level Physical Therapist education is on the ability to find and analyze published research.

The concepts of research design and analysis are addressed in a series of five Scientific Inquiry courses. The first course is in the fall semester of the first year, and covers the basic concepts of research and descriptive statistics. In addition, students begin the process of learning how to find original research and how to analyze the findings. Each semester (excluding summer clinical semesters) then builds on the concepts presented in the first course.

The final Scientific Inquiry course occurs during the spring semester clinical affiliation in the third year of the program. During this course, students contribute to the knowledge base of Physical Therapy by completing a case report. The case report is submitted as a written document, in the format required for submission to the journal Physical Therapy. Each student then presents the case to other students and faculty in an open forum at the end of the semester.

Because all of the Scientific Inquiry courses are taught by Physical Therapy Department faculty, the concepts of research are integrated into the clinical courses as well. For example, in the spring semester of the first year, basic musculoskeletal examination is taught in Patient Management I. At the same time, students are learning the principles of Evidence-Based Rehabilitation and are completing critically appraised topics related to diagnosis and therapy for musculoskeletal examination as part of Scientific Inquiry II. This integration enhances each student's clinical and research skills.