University of Nebraska Medical Center Division of Physical Therapy Education 984420 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, Nebraska681984420
Phone: (402) 559-4259
Phone (alternate number):
Email: ptedu@unmc.edu
Website: http://www.unmc.edu/alliedhealth/pt/
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Final PTCAS Application Deadline
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Deadline Type
Firm Deadline
Program has rolling admissions process?
NO
Other deadlines (if any):
Proof of satisfactory completion of all required prerequisite coursework.: 15-Jul-09
Completion of UNMC supplemental application.: 15-Oct-08
Interview dates: 12/12/08 all day and 12/19/08 all day Invited applicants will be asked to attend only one of the two available days. Acceptance notifications will be sent out mid-January 2009. Classes for the incoming group of first year physical therapy program students will begin in late August of 2009.
PROGRAM PREREQUISITES
Course Prerequisites
Must applicants earn a Bachelor's degree prior to enrolling into the PT program? NO
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
Anatomy and Physiology
REQ
8
12
YES
Must be lecture/lab courses in human or vertebrate anatomy and physiology. May be fulfilled by completing one course in Anatomy and a second course in Physiology or by taking Anatomy/Physiology I and Anatomy/Physiology II.
Chemistry
REQ
8
12
YES
Must be lecture/lab courses. May be fulfilled by taking General Chemistry I and II or General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry or General Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Physics
REQ
8
12
YES
Must be lecture/lab courses (General Physics I and General Physics II). Must include mechanics, heat, light, sound and electricity. Physical Science will not fulfill this requirement.
Exercise Physiology
REC
4
6
YES
Recommended.
Abnormal Psychology
REC
3
5
NO
Recommended. Introductory psychology is commonly a prerequisite for abnormal psychology.
Last acceptable GRE test date( if applicable): 9/1/2008
Oldest GRE score considered (if applicable):10/15/2003
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
.
468
Verbal Percentile
.
.
Quantitative
.
641
Quantitative Percentile
.
.
Analytical
.
4.5
Analytical Percentile
.
.
Writing
.
.
Writing Percentile
.
.
Additional information about program’s GRE requirements: We accept GRE scores less than 5 years old. The old analytical test score is not accepted for our program application, only the new analytical writing test score is accepted.
References
Total number of references required by program: 3 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
Accepted
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
Total Number of Hours REQUIRED
.
Total Number of Hours RECOMMENDED
.
DEADLINE for Completion of All PT Hours
.
PAID Experience
Not Applicable
VOLUNTEER Experience
Not Applicable
INPATIENT Experience
Not Applicable
OUTPATIENT Experience
Not Applicable
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: There are no formal requirements for volunteer, observation, or employment experiences in the field of physical therapy. However, as with all career choices, a broad exposure to the field is to the applicant's personal benefit, and as such is encouraged.
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
3.70
Program-specific Prerequisite
.
.
Other GPA 1: Overall GPA
3.00
3.70
Other GPA 2: Required Courses GPA
.
3.65
Additional information about program’s GPA requirements (if any):
If an applicant will not complete a baccalaureate degree prior to matriculation, an additional requirement is a minimum of 3 upper level courses in a major area of study. These candidates must identify their major emphasis of study and satisfactorily complete a minimum of three upper-level courses towards that major by July 15 of the intended year of enrollment.
Overall GPA and math/science GPA are used for determining applicant rank. If the applicant has taken fewer than 3 math/science courses at the time of application, his or her rank will be negatively influenced.
If a student retakes a course at the same institution to raise a grade, it is up to the student to ensure that the lower grade is eliminated from their transcript by the granting institution, otherwise, the grades will be averaged for determination of overall GPA.
An additional set of transcripts are not required for UNMC until applicants have been admitted into the program.
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)
10/15/08, same as the PTCAS application deadline.
Link to supplemental application or instructions
Once we have received your completed application from PTCAS, you will receive an e-mail with the link to the UNMC supplemental application.
Supplemental FEE required?
YES
If yes, supplemental fee amount
$45
Briefly describe requirements for supplemental materials (if applicable)
Rural Health Admissions Track (RHAT) applicants must fill out additional information on the supplemental application. Details on the RHAT program can be found at: www.unmc.edu/alliedhealth/pt/apply.htm. An additional set of transcripts are not required for UNMC until applicants have been admitted into the program.
Criminal Background Check
Are accepted applicants required to complete a criminal background check? YES
Description of criminal background check process (if applicable): All students accepted into the UNMC physical therapy program will be required to undergo criminal background checks in order to complete clinical and licensure requirements.
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
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:
Foreign students who have not attended a college or university in the United States of America must sit for the TOEFL exam. Scores need to be submitted at the time students apply and a minimum score is required.
All foreign transcripts must be evaluated and converted into English before submitting them to this program. There are a number of these evaluation services in the United States. One example is: Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc PO Box 92970 Milwaukee, WI 53202-0970 USA Phone : 414/289-3400 Fax: 414/289-3411
PROGRAM INFORMATION
PT Degree Offered:
Program culminates in a doctoral (DPT) degree.
PT Program Start Date(s) For Entering Class:
8/24/2009
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
40
Anticipated Size of Next Entering Class
40
Percent of IN-STATE applicants accepted
95
Percent of WICHE applicants accepted (if applicable):
.
Percent of OUT-OF-STATE (non-resident) applicants accepted
5
Percent of CANADIAN applicants accepted
0
Percent of INTERNATIONAL (non-U.S/non-Canadian) applicants accepted
0
Additional information about the class profile: Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply regardless of residency, preference is given to applicants who are residents of Nebraska, Wyoming, Alaska and Hawaii.
Institution's religious affiliation (if any):
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) was one of the first public institutions to offer the entry-level DPT degree, accepting its first doctoral-level class in 2000. Accredited since 1972, the UNMC physical therapy program is designed to provide a broad scope education for entry-level practitioners. We pride ourselves on excellence in teaching, and benefit from being part of a world-class medical center with top-notch facilities.
Our PT program is housed on an academic health science center campus, enabling interaction with over a dozen other health education programs. We enjoy a strong relationship with our affiliated teaching hospital, The Nebraska Medical Center. Starting in the fall of 2008, our students will take classes in the state-of-the-art, $53 million Sorrell Center for Health Science Education and a newly renovated (~$1 million) gross anatomy laboratory.
Applicants must complete at least 90 semester hours of undergraduate coursework prior to admission into the DPT program; a Bachelor's degree is not required. During the 3-year professional program, students complete 125 credit hours of didactic and clinical coursework. DPT students are not required to complete a formal thesis, but are welcome to participate in clinical and basic science research. Students can also take advantage of international service opportunities. Intramural sports are popular, as are annual social events (open to all UNMC professional students) including the October costume party and April Luau.
DPT students enter the program in mid-August and graduate in May of their third professional year. Ninety-six (96) percent of admitted students graduate from the program, 95% of graduates pass the licensure examination on their first attempt, and 100% ultimately pass the exam (3-year averages, 2005-2007).
The Omaha area has a population of over 750,000, including billionaire investor Warren Buffet. It is a highly accessible and affordable city, with a relatively low crime rate and cost of living. Omaha is home to many Fortune 500 companies, and UNMC is renowned for leadership in healthcare. The city's 18,000-seat Qwest Center draws top concerts and events, including the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, and NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship. Omaha hosts the annual College World Series, and Husker football games are only a short drive away in Lincoln.
UNMC students can choose from newly-constructed campus apartments or plentiful housing options off-campus. Omaha's historic Old Market district, just 2 miles from UNMC, offers numerous loft apartments, restaurants, art galleries, street musicians, a summer Farmers' Market, and abundant nightlife.
Tuition for Nebraska residents averages $9,700 per year; nonresident tuition averages $23,500/year. Course fees, health care fees, general fees, malpractice insurance and books average approximately $3,000/year.
