Clinical Education in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

There are four full-time clinical rotations sequenced throughout our systems-based curriculum.

• The first full-time placement is in outpatient orthopaedics and occurs after the first year, which focuses on musculoskeletal disorders.
• The second and third placements are in neurological rehabilitation and acute care, respectively, and occur after the second year, which focuses on neurological and cardiopulmonary disorders.
• The fourth clinical placement is an elective rotation and takes place in the last semester of the third year.

Early Application

• Integrated clinical experiences rotations start the first week of the first semester.
• Students are able to treat patients independently in their first full-time placement.

Lockstep With the Didactic Curriculum

• Full-time clinical placements closely follow relevant didactic training.
• Didactic orthopaedics content is immediately followed by the application of content in full-time orthopaedics placement.
• Neurological and acute care didactic content is closely followed by application in neurological and acute care settings.

Common Experiences

• All classmates learn from each other by sharing experiences during the same type of clinical environment.

Post-Clinical Faculty Feedback

• Students have the chance to debrief and discuss what worked well and what didn’t work well with the faculty to further improve before the next full-time placement.

High-Value Clinical Sites

• We have 255 contracted clinical sites in 16 states.
• Each clinical site we partner with has been chosen because they know our curriculum and how best to support our students to develop and refine their clinical skills.

The clinical education program follows a progression from the first semester of the curriculum to graduation similar to climbing a mountain.

First are the outpatient integrated clinical experiences that occur during the first year in the program.

Next is the first full-time clinical rotation at the end of the first year in an outpatient orthopaedic facility.

Climbing higher up the clinical education mountain in the second year, students begin Interprofessional Education at the on-site pro bono clinic to work with neurological and complex medical conditions.

Next are the second and third full-time clinical experiences in inpatient neurological and acute care settings.

At the summit of the clinical education mountain is the final clinical education experience — an elective placement in a setting of the student’s choosing.

Students begin to work with clinical instructors and patients beginning in the first semester of the program through integrated clinical experiences. These integrated clinical experience rotations occur at several facilities, including our on-site outpatient clinic and on-site skilled nursing facility

UAMS Health Outpatient Therapy Clinic in Fayetteville

Our on-site outpatient clinic offers comprehensive rehabilitation. We have physical, occupational, and speech therapy services. The clinic possesses state-of-the-art therapeutic devices, including an Alter-G Anti-Gravity Treadmill, a Balance Master System, and a Solo Step Overhead Track and Harness System. Visit the clinic website.

Arkansas State Veterans Home in Fayetteville

Our UAMS Northwest Regional Campus includes the Arkansas State Veterans Home. This facility provides skilled nursing and rehabilitation services for our Arkansas Veterans. Visit the Arkansas State Veterans Home at Fayetteville website.

Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education in Springdale

Community-based center with emphasis on the care of rural older adults in the local area. Provides caregiving consultations, aging resources, certified home caregiver training, community learning opportunities, continuing education for health professionals, aging information, referral, and consultation services. Visit the website.

PACE of the Ozarks in Springdale

Program for older adults aged 55 and older who are nursing home eligible; but allows patients to keep living in their homes while receiving care.

Schmieding Kids First in Springdale

An interdisciplinary program providing care to young children with special needs. Provides physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech, nursing, nutrition, and specialized services. Visit the Schmieding Kids First website.

UAMS values the time and commitment given by our clinical sites for the education of our students. In appreciation for this partnership, UAMS offers a variety of continuing education unit opportunities for clinicians throughout the year in the new, state-of-the-art physical therapy department. Clinicians who have agreed to serve as clinical instructors are given a significant discount for all continuing education courses. In addition, the director of clinical education or other faculty may provide in-service presentations for affiliated clinical sites for therapist development. UAMS will provide clinical instructor development workshops for continuing education credit at a low cost to the affiliated clinician. On-site UAMS library privileges are also available upon request.

• American Physical Therapy Association Clinical Education Resources
• American Physical Therapy Association Guidelines to Promote Excellence in Clinical Education Partnerships
• Guidelines for Student Supervision with Medicare Part B

For more information about clinical education, please contact:

Andrea Myane, PT, M.S.
Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy
Assistant Professor
Director of Clinical Education
AHMyane@UAMS.edu