Program Philosophy, Goals & Technical Standards

Program Philosophy

As an integral member of a dynamic healthcare system, the physical therapy profession is dedicated to the promotion of health and prevention of movement dysfunction through practice that emphasizes consumer education, restoration, and maintenance of function considering the total needs of the individual.

We view learning as an evolving, collaborative and continuous process, one that integrates the learner's needs and goals and that extends beyond the climate of formal education.

The student, therefore, is charged with the shared responsibility to establish learning objectives and the necessary collegial relationships to meet both academic and professional standards. The faculty is responsible for providing experiences that engage students in the teaching-learning process and that prepare students for competent, ethical, and evidence-based practice. Such preparation includes:

• assisting the learner in the development of self-directed abilities;
• assisting the learner in the development of analytic and decision-making skills;
• providing the learner with opportunities to ask critical clinical questions, search for, critically appraise, and integrate scientific evidence with clinical expertise and consumer circumstances;
• creating a secure and open environment where collaborative learning can take place;
• designing classroom, laboratory, and clinical experiences which involve the student in the discovery process;
• assisting the learner in the plan of their professional development beyond the entry-level curriculum;
• promoting service to one's community beyond one's role as a health care professional; and,
• providing the opportunities for self-evaluation, peer evaluation, and program evaluation.

We believe that faculty members should continually grow in their roles as educators, professional advocates, mentors, and researchers through active participation in educational, clinical, research, professional, and community activities.

Program Goals

1. To educate physical therapists who are qualified to practice in a collaborative, ethical, legal, safe, welcoming, and effective manner.
2. To foster self-directed learning, critical thinking, reflective and evidence-informed practice, and professional adaptability.
3. To promote an academic community of students, faculty, and clinical instructors who are committed to clinical excellence, scholarly activity, advocacy, and community service that contributes to current and future societal needs.
4. To support practices in university, school, classroom, and clinical environments that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Technical Standards

Graduates of Chatham’s DPT Program will be qualified to function in a variety of clinical settings and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. The technical standards outlined below describe specific expectations for student performance in didactic and clinical environments. Students must meet these expectations with or without reasonable accommodations. Reasonable accommodations may not: (1) fundamentally alter the nature of the didactic or clinical education curriculum, (2) compromise the essential elements of the Program, (3) cause an undue financial or administrative burden for the University, or (4) endanger the safety of patients, self, or others. Regardless of accommodations, a student should be able to demonstrate the skills/abilities in a reasonably independent and timely manner. 

Students who believe they may need academic accommodations to fulfill these standards must contact the Office of Academic & Accessibility Resources (OAAR) at 412-365-1611. If at any time while enrolled in the DPT Program a student is unable to meet the standards, the student must inform the Program Director. After consultation, if it is deemed the student requires accommodations, they should contact the OAAR.

To perform the essential functions of a physical therapist and succeed in the DPT Program, the student must demonstrate abilities and skills including (but not limited to) those listed the five areas below:

Observational Skills

With or without reasonable accommodations, the student must demonstrate adequate sensory skills to:

• Effectively observe demonstrations in the foundational and clinical sciences such as anatomical structures, normal and faulty movement, and performance of manual skills
• Visually assess measuring devices such as a goniometer, a tape measure, and dials and displays on equipment
• Effectively observe a patient/client accurately at a distance and close at hand, including during dynamic movement sequences

Communication Skills

With or without reasonable accommodations, the student must demonstrate adequate communication skills to:

• Effectively speak to, hear, and observe patients to elicit information
• Recognize and respond to changes in mood, activity and posture
• Demonstrate and perceive nonverbal communication in self and others

Psychomotor Skills

With or without reasonable accommodations, the student must demonstrate adequate psychomotor skills to:

• Sustain the necessary physical activity level required in classroom and clinical environments (e.g., lift 50 pounds, stand for prolonged periods of time)
• Obtain information from patients by palpation, mobilization and other diagnostic maneuvers
• Aid patients and co-workers with intervention and functional activities
• Use therapeutic interventions that require force and resistance
• Adjust equipment
• Respond quickly in the event of an emergency situation to provide patient care or to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• Manipulate objects using one and/or both hands

Intellectual Skills

With or without reasonable accommodations, the student must demonstrate adequate intellectual and cognitive skills to:

• Comprehend text, numbers, and graphs
• Analyze complex problems with attention to detail
• Comprehend three-dimensional/spatial relationships
• Comprehend, retain, assimilate, analyze, synthesize, integrate concepts and problem solve with attention to detail
• Use computers and other technology to learn and apply new content
• Utilize knowledge from multiple sources

Behavioral/Affective Skills

With or without reasonable accommodations, the student must demonstrate adequate behavioral and affective skills to:

• Develop mature, sensitive, and therapeutic relationships with patients
• Endure close physical contact with other students, colleagues, and patients
• Function effectively while engaged in stressful situations
• Make sound ethical and legally correct decisions
• Adapt to changing environments and circumstances
• Display compassion, integrity and respect for others
• Self-assess in a reflective and constructive manner
• Make clinical decisions despite uncertain conditions

Disability self-identification is voluntary and confidential. Chatham University offers reasonable accommodations for qualified, eligible students with disabilities. Please contact our Disability Support Services at 412-365-1611 or visit the OAAR website for information regarding documentation guidelines.