Doctor of Physical Therapy Entry Level Program
Program Overview
The DPT program consists of a three and one-half year; graduate-level curriculum comprised of two and one-half years of intensive academic and clinical study experiences followed by a year-long, full-time, paid clinical internship.
Addressing the full scope of the physical therapy practice, including health promotion and education; disability, injury, and disease prevention; and professional reasoning, values, and behaviors, the program broadly prepares students to become competent, widely-skilled, reflective practitioners, equipped to practice in a variety of settings throughout the continuum of health care.
Students will be immersed in the science-based theory, current evidence, and clinical skills that lead to best practice. Charged with the pursuit of humanistic values, professionalism, and quality care, students will be cross-trained in the theories of basic, behavioral, and clinical sciences and become experts on the interplay of physical and psychological factors as they affect human motion.
Mentored by those on the leading edge of today’s dynamic physical therapy field, students will develop critical thinking and evidence-based analysis, evaluation, and decision making skills. Benefiting from unparalleled access to world-class health care facilities, students will learn in collegial, non-competitive settings using a variety of teaching-learning methods that foster self-directed learning, active engagement, and ability to function effectively in an interdisciplinary environment.
This program is open to individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in any field and have completed the prerequisite credits required for admission. Students typically enter the program with a variety of educational, occupational and geographic backgrounds, many pursuing second careers. This diversity provides a stimulating educational experience, and enriches interactions between classmates and faculty.
Accreditation
The DPT Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association. Graduates receive a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree and are eligible to apply for licensure in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Integrated Clinical Experiences
To integrate classroom and clinical learning, the MGH Institute DPT program offers intensive but supportive clinical experiences. Full-time and part-time clinical experiences are integrated throughout the academic curriculum. In the fall and spring semesters of years 1 and 2, students take part in Clinical Seminar and Practicum courses. These experiences vary with the students needs in a given semester but may include a half day per week in a clinical practice environment, as well as structured patient care experiences that advance the students’ critical thinking, provide exposure to a variety of patient problems, and allow students to continually practice what they learn in classroom.
Full-time Clinical Experiences and Internship
In the summer following year 1, and in the winter of year 2, students also participate in two, 10 week-long, full-time clinical experiences. Upon completion of the academic portion of the program at the end of the 3rd summer, students take part in a full-time 12 month paid clinical internship – the first of its kind in the country. Internship assignments are based on student interviews with participating clinical sites and a collaborative process of placement between the clinical sites and the program’s clinical faculty. Students begin their internship in September of their 3rd year, receiving their DPT degree in January. The internship placement continues through the following August with the interns continuing as licensed physical therapists.