The George Washington University

PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION

Joke' Ogundiran
Director of Admissions
The George Washington University
Program in Physical Therapy
900 23rd Street, NW
Suite 6179
Washington DC 20037
Phone: 202-994-8528
Phone (alternate number): 202-994-8184
Email: hsphora@gwu.edu
Website: http://www.gwumc.edu/healthsci/programs/dpt/index.cfm

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Final PTCAS Application Deadline	Monday, December 15, 2008
Deadline Type	Soft Deadline
Program has rolling admissions process?	YES

Other deadlines (if any):

Additional Deadline Information: Selected applicants will be invited to attend one of the following interview/open house sessions:

Saturday – December 13, 2008
Friday - January 23, 20009
Saturday - February 21, 2009

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

Course Prerequisites

Must applicants earn a Bachelor's degree prior to enrolling into the PT program? YES

For more information about course prerequisites, visit the program Web site: http://www.gwumc.edu/healthsci/programs/dpt/admissions.cfm

Course prerequisite fields will be blank if program data is not available or applicable.

Course Prerequisite Name or Subject Area	Req, Rec, Crq*	SEM hrs	QTR hrs	Lab Required (Y/N)	Additional Program Information
Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II	REQ	6	9	NO	One semester each of Physiology and Anatomy or two semesters of combined Anatomy and Physiology will be accepted. Human focus is preferred. Exercise Physiology will be considered in lieu of Physiology.
General Biology I & II	REQ	6	9	YES	Two semesters of Biology for science majors, with laboratory will be accepted. Upper level biology courses may be considered. Exercise Physiology will be considered in lieu of one Biology course
Physics I & II	REQ	8	12	YES	Physics for science majors, with laboratory will be accepted.
General Chemistry I & II	REQ	8	12	YES	Chemistry for science majors, with laboratory will be accepted. Upper level chemistry courses may be considered.
English Composition	REQ	3	4.5	NA	Traditional English Composition course will be accepted. Other courses designated as "writing within the discipline" may be considered. Technical or Business writing courses will be considered.
English Literature	REQ	3	4.5	NA	A second English Composition course will be considered in lieu of English Literature.
Statistics	REQ	3	4.5	NA	Mathematics based courses are preferred, others may be considered.
Social Science	REQ	6	9	NA	Must include Psychology beyond the introductory level. Lifespan Development, Growth & Human Development will be accepted. Psychology of Sport and other courses outside of the Psychology Dept. may be considered.

* “Req” = required course; “Rec” = recommended course; “Crq” = conditionally required course

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

GRE: Required
Last acceptable GRE test date( if applicable):
Oldest GRE score considered (if applicable): Dec-03

GRE table below may contain blank fields if program data is not available or applicable.

GRE Section	Minimum GRE Score	Average GRE Score for Accepted Students
Verbal	500	527
Verbal Percentile	50	64
Quantitative	500	657
Quantitative Percentile	50	.
Analytical	.	.
Analytical Percentile	.	62
Writing	.	.
Writing Percentile	.	.

Additional information about program’s GRE requirements:
If applicants take the GRE test more than once, the highest of each Verbal and Quantitative scores will be considered.

References

Total number of references required by program: 2 References

REFERENCE TYPE	Reference Type Is Required, Recommended, Accepted, Conditionally Required, NOT Accepted, or Other
Teaching Assistant	Accepted
Supervisor	Accepted
PTA	Accepted
Professor (Science)	Accepted
Professor (Math)	Accepted
Professor (Liberal Arts)	Accepted
Pre-Health Advisor	Accepted
Politician	Accepted
Physical Therapist (1)	Accepted
Physical Therapist (2)	Accepted
Health Care Provider	Accepted
Friend	Not Accepted
Family Member	Not Accepted
Faculty Advisor	Accepted
Employer	Accepted
Co-Worker	Accepted
Clergy	Accepted
OTHER	N/A

Additional information about program’s reference requirements:

PT Observation Hours

Enter your PT observation hours on your PTCAS application. Login to the PTCAS application and print each customized PT Observation Hours form, if the program requires a physical therapist to verify your hours with a signature. Mail the signed form directly to the PT program, if required. Do not mail to PTCAS.

PT HOURS	PROGRAM REQUIREMENT
Description of Program’s PT Hours Requirement	PT hours are recommended, but not required
Total Number of Hours REQUIRED	.
Total Number of Hours RECOMMENDED	.
DEADLINE for Completion of All PT Hours	.
PAID Experience	Accepted
VOLUNTEER Experience	Accepted
INPATIENT Experience	Accepted
OUTPATIENT Experience	Accepted
Number of hours in each PT specialty (if specified)	.
Number of hours in each PT setting (if specified)	.

Additional information about program’s PT hours requirement:

GPA Requirement

GPAs will be blank if program data is not available or applicable.

Name of GPA	Minimum GPA	Average GPA for Accepted Students
Overall Undergraduate Cumulative	3.00	3.52
Program-specific Prerequisite	.	.
Other GPA 1: Prerequisite Science	2.79	3.43
Other GPA 2: Prerequisite non-science	3.00	3.72

Additional information about program’s GPA requirements (if any): Applicants must achieve a grade of "C" or better in each course in order to satisfy prerequisite requirements.

PTCAS Essay Instructions

You can customize your PTCAS essay for each designated PTCAS program. The PT program may require you to respond to specific essay questions. If program instructions below are blank, respond to 3 of the 5 essay questions on the PTCAS application form.

What personal characteristics do you have that make you suitable for the profession of physical therapy?
What is your motivation for pursuing a career in physical therapy?
How has your background and experience prepared you to interact effectively with individuals who are different from you in their social, cultural, or economic perspectives?
What types of patients have you observed with the greatest frequency, and what have you learned from them?
If you were to be accepted to two or more physical therapy education programs, what would help you make the decision regarding which program you should select?
REPEAT APPLICANTS If you have applied to a physical therapy program in the past five years, what have you done to improve upon, or enhance, your application for this current admissions cycle?

PROGRAM’S ESSAY REQUIREMENTS (If program instructions are blank, you must respond to 3 of the 5 essay questions on the PTCAS application form):

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

If supplemental materials are required, send items directly to the PT program.

ITEM	PROGRAM REQUIREMENT
Supplemental application required?	YES - For all complete PTCAS applicants
Supplemental deadline(s)	December 15, 2008 - Soft deadline January 15, 2009 - Hard deadline
Link to supplemental application or instructions	https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=gwu-smhs
Supplemental FEE required?	YES
If yes, supplemental fee amount	$60
Briefly describe requirements for supplemental materials (if applicable)	.

Criminal Background Check

Are accepted applicants required to complete a criminal background check? YES
Description of criminal background check process (if applicable): All applicants selected for admission to the program will be required to go through a background check and drug screening test. Information about the screening (company, fees, etc) will be provided along with admission letter.

FOREIGN APPLICANTS AND TRANSCRIPTS

The program’s foreign (international) transcript policies do NOT apply to study abroad coursework that is itemized on a U.S. college or university transcript. Study abroad is processed in the same way as U.S. coursework.

POLICY	PROGRAM REQUIREMENT
Program’s citizenship requirements (individuals listed may be eligible for admission):	U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, Canadian citizens, Foreign (non-U.S.) citizens with a visa, Foreign (non-U.S.) citizens, Other non-citizens (e.g., refugees)
Program requires non-native speakers to submit TOEFL scores?	YES
Program policy for submission of non-U.S. (foreign/international) coursework:	Send foreign transcript evaluation to PTCAS.
Program policy for CANADIAN coursework:	Same as instructions for foreign transcripts above.

Additional information about program’s policy on foreign coursework:

PROGRAM INFORMATION

PT Degree Offered:	Program culminates in a doctoral (DPT) degree.
PT Program Start Date(s) For Entering Class:	8/26/2009
Dual-degree programs offered in conjunction with the PT degree (if any):	.

PROFILE OF MOST RECENT ENTERING CLASS

Items will be blank if program data is not available or applicable.

PROFILE INFORMATION	PROGRAM DATA
Size of Most Recent Entering Class	30
Anticipated Size of Next Entering Class	30
Percent of IN-STATE applicants accepted
Percent of WICHE applicants accepted (if applicable):	.
Percent of OUT-OF-STATE (non-resident) applicants accepted	.
Percent of CANADIAN applicants accepted	1
Percent of INTERNATIONAL (non-U.S/non-Canadian) applicants accepted	0

Additional information about the class profile:

Institution's religious affiliation (if any):

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The George Washington University is a private institution built upon a foundation of integrity, creativity, and openness to the exploration of new ideas. It is a dynamic, student-focused community stimulated by cultural and intellectual diversity. The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program is housed in an academic medical center comprised of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the School of Public Health and Health Services whose mission is:

Teaching with creativity and dedication,
Healing with quality and compassion, and
Discovering with imagination and innovation.

The DPT Program provides quality graduate education and is committed to developing generalist practitioners who are: autonomous practitioners; reflective practitioners who think critically and use best evidence to effectively solve problems; compassionate practitioners who demonstrate excellence in communication and interpersonal skills, a respect for individual and cultural differences and the core values of the profession; and dedicated practitioners who value the tenets of lifelong learning.

The curriculum consists of 102 credits of professional course work requiring three years of full-time study beginning in the fall semester. It combines content from the foundational sciences, behavioral sciences, clinical sciences, professional practice expectations, practice management expectations, and critical inquiry. Students develop the skills needed to examine, evaluate, diagnose, prognose, develop a plan of care; and implement and re-evaluate that plan of care for patients with dysfunction in the cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal, neuromotor and integumentary systems across the lifespan. Skills in the use of best evidence in making clinical decisions and predicting outcomes in physical therapy practice are developed throughout, beginning with a three course research sequence.

The curriculum is built on the overarching principles of integration and application. Information is integrated and applied through a series of six integrative units entitled Clinical Conference I-VI. During this course sequence patient-actors are hired as "standardized patients" enabling students to apply their knowledge in authentic situations prior to entering the clinical setting. Integration and application are further reinforced through early clinical practice. Clinical experiences begin in the second semester with a weekly 1/2 day experience throughout the semester, builds to a 4-week full-time transition to the clinic, and culminates in three full-time clinical internships of 8, 10, and 12 weeks in length. These internships provide depth and breadth to each student's unique educational experience. A comprehensive examination in the sixth semester validates the student's readiness for the full-time clinical internships, and helps the student begin to prepare for the national board examinations. In the past two years, 100% of GW graduates who took the national licensure exam passed and 100% of the graduates seeking employment were employed.

The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences is an exciting and vibrant community in which to live and learn. GW has an active student program through the Office of Graduate Life. Access to the nation's capital is only one of many opportunities available to students who choose to attend GW. Our Washington, D.C. metropolitan location provides unique access to national and international organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health, The National Academy of Sciences, and the World Health Organization. The University is within minutes of the headquarters of our national organization, The American Physical Therapy Association. Of course, Washington is the ideal location for sightseeing and cultural activities. The White House, the Kennedy Center and national monuments are all within walking distance of campus.