Department Events:

Save the Date:  October 4, 2024
PTRS Educational Summit
 

Physical Therapy Student Organization Events:

UI Physical Therapy Apparel Order
The Physical Therapy Student Organization's (PTSO) fall apparel order is now closed. If you wish to be put on the mailing list for the spring order, please email us at physical-therapy@uiowa.edu.  

• Thomas M. Cook, PT, PhD, Professor Emeritus
• David H. Nielsen, PT, PhD, Professor Emeritus
• Gary L. Smidt, PT, PhD, FAPTA, Professor Emeritus
• Gary L. Soderberg, PT, PhD, FAPTA, Professor Emeritus
• H. John Yack, PhD, Associate Professor Emeritus

Clinical education is a valued component of professional formation.  Actively engaging in the provision of physical therapy services fosters student development in professional identity, motivation, confidence, communication, and clinical skills. Our clinical education curriculum begins in the first fall semester and consists of both integrated and terminal clinical education experiences. Strong relationships between academic faculty, clinical sites, and clinical instructors create learning environments that strive for excellence in clinical education.  Student physical therapists deserve a quality education in the clinic, and clinical sites deserve well-prepared students and continual support from the faculty at the academic institution. 

The mission of our clinical education program is to graduate new physical therapists who strive for excellence in professional behavior, clinical care, and lifelong learning. Our Directors of Clinical Education provide advisement, teaching, support, and student assessment throughout the clinical education curriculum to endorse this mission. 

Directors of Clinical Education

Marcie L. Becker, DPT, GCS
Co-Director of Clinical Education
319-335-8552
marcie-becker@uiowa.edu

Kelly J. Sass, PT, PhD
Co-Director of Clinical Education
319-335-9798
kelly-sass@uiowa.edu

Clinical Education Experiences

The professional clinical entry-level program admits ~50 students in July of each year into a 2.5 year curriculum which includes 35 weeks of full time clinical education experience.  There are five (5) scheduled full time clinical experiences. The first is a 6-week clinical experience in the summer between year 1 and year 2. During year 2 there is a 2-week clinical experience at the start of the spring semester. Then following year 2 there are three different 9-week clinical experiences totaling 27 weeks. Clinical education experiences are completed in physical therapy settings in the United States with whom The University of Iowa has contracts. These are arranged by the education program's Clinical Education Coordinators with significant input from department faculty and students. The clinical education experiences begin in mid to late May and end in mid December.  In addition to the 35 weeks of full time clinical education experiences, students have scheduled clinical experiences integrated into their schedules beginning Semester 1.  These integrated experiences are half day or day-long experiences every other week for each student. 

The goals of the clinical education experiences are:

• Develop and demonstrate entry-level competence in patient care activities.
• Opportunity to develop special interest area in patient care.
• Exhibit appropriate professional conduct and represent the profession of physical therapy effectively.
• Demonstrate a commitment to continued learning.