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 Curriculum
& Courses - MPT
Physical therapists, as
essential members of the health care team, address health maintenance
and the prevention of disabilities, the identification and assessment
of impaired motor function and rehabilitation toward optimal health and
function. The physical therapist provides therapeutic services to
individuals of all ages with musculoskeletal, neurological,
sensorimotor, cardiovascular, and other physiological dysfunction.
Physical therapists may be employed in hospitals and extended care
facilities, ambulatory clinics, school systems and sports medicine
centers. They may also be self-employed professionals in private
practice.
The purpose of a Master of Physical Therapy Program is to
prepare professionally competent physical therapists who will be
capable of providing a diverse scope of Physical Therapy services. The
educational goals of the MPT Program at Hunter College are to prepare:
- Clinical professionals capable of providing a full range of
physical therapy rehabilitation and health care services to meet the
diverse needs of patients with musculoskeletal, neurological,
integumentary and/or cardiopulmonary conditions, as well as health
promotion and wellness services to the general population.
- Physical therapists who are capable of assimilating the
changing health care needs of society into their delivery of services.
- Physical therapists who are knowledgeable consumers of
scientific information and research, and who demonstrate a professional
commitment to the further development of the profession of physical
therapy.
Physical therapists who have an appreciation for life long learning in
their career.
The curriculum has continuously evolved to provide graduates
with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in a physical
therapy career. The design and content of this program is based upon a
detailed review of physical therapy practice, accreditation guidelines,
and the Guide to Physical Therapy Practice. The Program is full time,
during the days, and three calendar years in duration. Students enter
in the Fall Semester only. Students have no scheduled PT courses during
the summer between their first and second year. Refer to the curriculum outline for actual courses.
Some entry-level programs have abbreviated their curriculum
to require two years of post-baccalaureate professional course work.
Many in the profession disagree with this limited curriculum. The three
year Masters degree curricula for Hunter's PT Program is based upon the
need for students to receive a strong foundation covering all aspects
of Physical Therapy practice, followed by the attainment of advanced
skills. This philosophy, is supported by an internationally renowned
physical therapist, Florence Kendall, PT, FAPTA. In presenting the
second annual John HP Maley Lecture 1 during the 1997 APTA Scientific
Meeting and Exposition, she discussed the need for evidence based
(scientifically based) practice and indicated that one of the most
innovative ways for educational programs to lead the way is to get back
to basics. "The basics are the foundation from which all innovations
should develop and are essential for further learning and discovery."
(from Kendall, F. 1997 Innovations in Clinical Practice, Maley
Lecture at Annual Physical Therapy Scientific Meeting. PT Bulletin, p. 8.)
This graduate curriculum builds from such a basic foundation,
beginning with a series of core courses for examination, intervention
and clinical problem solving skills, followed by advanced clinical
course work covering all specialize areas of clinical practice. Other
programs' curricular designs reduce clinical training in various areas
to allow inclusion of additional research objectives. However, Hunter
College PT faculty feel entry level graduates need greater emphasis on
clinical skills and critical inquiry of evidence more than research
expertise.
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