P2. Philosophy
At MGH Institute
of Health Professions, we believe that physical therapists are an integral part
of an interprofessional health care team and should be prepared to serve as the
entry-point into the health care system with a concomitant responsibility to
collaborate and consult with other health care professionals, patients,
caregivers, and the community.
Physical
therapists must interact with and value a complex and diverse society in a
compassionate, humanistic, and professional way. Physical therapists have a responsibility
to understand how their clinical decision-making interacts with the
ethical/fiscal management of the setting within which they work while
advocating for health equity for all.
A
physical therapist’s goal is to optimize an individual’s ability to function
within society by addressing prevention, wellness and rehabilitation across the
lifespan and in a variety of settings.
The
Physical Therapy Program at the Institute prepares clinicians who
recognize that physical therapist practice is centered on the human movement
system.
The faculty
embraces the view that active adult learning is a process by which students
employ an ongoing interpretive and reflective process that synthesizes prior
and current experiences into new learning. This best happens within an
inclusive learning community that continually strives for clinical excellence
and professionalism among faculty, students and graduates.
The
program is structured to be fluid, proactive and responsive in meeting the
present and future needs of its students and of health care, including the
incorporation of modern technology and innovation into education and practice.
Recognizing
the responsibility to prepare members of a doctoring profession, the program
prepares self-directed, life-long, collaborative learners who are able to use
scientific and analytic approaches for clinical decision-making to achieve
optimal patient care through evidenced-based practice.