Clinical Education Requirements
How many weeks of clinical education are part of the UVM DPT program?
DPT 460 8 weeks semester 5
DPT 461/462 12 weeks semester 7 and 8
DPT 463 12 weeks semester 8
P.T. students are required to complete 32 weeks of clinical rotations throughout the curriculum and demonstrate competence in entry-level physical therapist professional practice, patient/client management, and practice management in health care settings representative of those commonly found in physical therapist clinical practice.
Students must maintain enrollment, register and pay for all courses at least 4 weeks prior to the start of the upcoming semester
How are clinical education courses graded?
Courses are graded as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory based on the clinical performance instrument. Grade assignment is done by UVM. Students must demonstrate a satisfactory clinical education course grade to advance in the program. Action plans are developed to support student success in clinic. Students will be recommended for dismissal if they receive more than one U grade in a clinical education course. Students are offered remedial clinical education experiences on a case by case basis.
What is the role of my clinical advisor?
You will be assigned a clinical advisor iate summer. Your advisor will guide you in the selection and ranking of priority site locations and setting and supervise you during your clinical education experience.
How do I select my clinical education site?
Students may select from national networks of corporate clinics across the country, open and held clinical education offers from UVM partners. UVM uses Exxat as a platform for clinical education communications and assignment.
What are the program requirements for the diversity of clinical education experiences
Students must complete one out of state experience and one nonambulatory experience- hospital, subacute rehab, inpatient rehab, home health or assisted living.Students must complete one ambulatory experience generally in an outpatient setting.
What times will I work during my clinical education experiences?
You will follow the schedule of your clinical instructor, hours can range from start and stop times of 7 am-8 pm Sunday-Saturdays, for 8-12 hours.
What are the behavioral expectations while in clinical education experiences?
Students are expected to demonstrate behavior by the policies and procedures of the clinic, and APTA core documents.
Are accommodations provided for clinical education experiences?
Students must meet the technical standards with or without reasonable accommodations. The UVM DPT program works with SAS to provide accessible accessible clinical experiences.
Can I recommend a clinical site for my clinical education experience?
Students can suggest clinical sites for consideration that meet program values, needs, and contractual requirements. Clinics with a larger geographical representation and those that commit to taking multiple UVM DPT students are given consideration.
Can students complete more than one nonambulatory experience?
These sites are not as plentiful as ambulatory experiences. If interested in more than one non-ambulatory experience students should identify their interest with their clinical advisor. All students in the class must have one non-ambulatory experience before students can request a second experience in this setting.
Students must have valid drivers license, and must demonstrate adequate transportation to clinical sites.
What are clinical education mandatory requirements?
Mandatories are requirements to participate in clinical education, common requirements for all health care providers. Examples include immunizations, AHA CPR, Criminal background clearance, drug screening as required by clinical site, health insurance, HIPPA and OSHA training, UVM email use
How do I determine my clinical education priorities to select my clinical education experiences?
Students are encouraged to work with your clinical advisor to identify your interests and career goals. Location and housing is always a student question. Housing is at the expense of the student, and student solutions have included APTA student resources, airbnb, other classmates resources, family, sometimes sites have suggestions.
How do clinical sites provide clinical education experiences?
UVM DPT clinical partners provide clinical education experiences based on availability. Sites provide the timing and location of the experience.
What additional expenses are required for clinical education?
Students are responsible for all costs including transportation,housing, meals, uniform CBC, medical care,drug tests, and other expenses associated with each clinical education. In the unfortunate event a clinical site cancels, any incurred expense started in preparation for this experience will also be the responsibility of the student.
Can I have an exception to the out of state requirement?
It is unlikely that students will not follow the clinical education policies. Students with extreme hardship may request exceptions to be reviewed by a department panel. Few exceptions are granted due to the value of practicing in another state, understanding the other state practice acts, and the availability of clinical sites.
Can I create a clinical site for myself?
Clinical parnterships are created with partners who share the values and practices of UVM DPT. Clinical parnterships require a legal contract, are lengthy to verify, and are created for long term relationships for the DPT program. There is a process to create clinical sites, but it is not guaranteed it will be available or assigned for a specific student.