West Virginia University

PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION

Brenda Wolfe
Academic Advisor
West Virginia University
Division of Physical Therapy, School of Medicine
PO Box 9225
Room 8701 Health Sciences South
Morgantown, West Virginia 26506-9225
Phone: 304-293-1690
Phone (alternate number): 304-293-3610
Email: bwolfe@hsc.wvu.edu
Website: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/pt/

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Final PTCAS Application Deadline	Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Deadline Type	Firm Deadline
Program has rolling admissions process?	YES

Other deadlines (if any):

First Round Deadline: 1-Dec
Second Round Deadline: 15-Jan

Additional Deadline Information: The admissions committee will review/consider applicants who meet the First Round deadline and will invite qualified applicants to submit supplemental application materials. If there are slots remaining in the class after the first round review process,the committee will then consider applicants meeting the Second Round deadline. The process will continue to the Final Deadline applicants, or until the class is filled.

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.hsc.wvu.edu/som/pt/prospectiveStudents/

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
Biology	REQ	8	.	YES	.
Chemistry	REQ	8	.	YES	.
Physics	REQ	8	.	YES	.
Human Anatomy	REQ	3	.	REC	Will accept a 2-semester, 8 credit sequence of combined Human Anatomy & Physiology. Separate Human Anatomy course with lab is preferred. Animal, Mammalian, or Comparative Anatomy courses are not acceptable.
Human Physiology	REQ	3	.	REC	Will accept a 2-semester, 8 credit sequence of combined Human Anatomy & Physiology. Separate Human Physiology course with lab is preferred. Animal, Mammalian, or Comparative Anatomy courses are not acceptable.
Statistics	REQ	3	.	NA	Must include descriptive and inferential statistics.
General/Introductory Psychology	REQ	3	.	NA	.
Additional Psychology	REQ	3	.	NA	Developmental Psychology (covering entire human lifespan) is preferred.

* “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):

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	.	460
Verbal Percentile	.	.
Quantitative	.	590
Quantitative Percentile	.	.
Analytical	.	.
Analytical Percentile	.	.
Writing	.	4
Writing Percentile	.	.

Additional information about program’s GRE requirements:
We do not have a minimum accepted GRE score. GRE scores must be provided at time of application. We do not accept GRE scores older than 5 years.

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	Not Accepted
Supervisor	Not Accepted
PTA	Not Accepted
Professor (Science)	Recommended
Professor (Math)	Recommended
Professor (Liberal Arts)	Accepted
Pre-Health Advisor	Not Accepted
Politician	Not Accepted
Physical Therapist (1)	Required
Physical Therapist (2)	Required
Health Care Provider	Not Accepted
Friend	Not Accepted
Family Member	Not Accepted
Faculty Advisor	Accepted
Employer	Not Accepted
Co-Worker	Not Accepted
Clergy	Not Accepted
OTHER	Not Accepted

Additional information about program’s reference requirements:
We require two references from licensed physical therapists. We do not accept letters from PTAs or other healthcare professionals. The third reference must be from a professor or faculty advisor who taught the student in at least one course in his/her undergraduate major. We do NOT accept letters from relatives of the applicant, even if the relative is a physical therapist or professor.

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 required - a licensed PT must verify hours with signed form
Total Number of Hours REQUIRED	60
Total Number of Hours RECOMMENDED	80
DEADLINE for Completion of All PT Hours	31-Dec-08
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: We require aplicants to have volunteer and/or work experience in at least two different practice settings. The minimum total number of hours required is 60. We recommend students have at least 80 hours of experience in a variety of practice settings. Volunteer/work hours must be under the direction/supervision of a licensed physical therapist. We do not accept volunteer/work experience in other health professions.

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	3.64
Program-specific Prerequisite	3.00	3.49
Other GPA 1:	.	.
Other GPA 2:	.	.

Additional information about program’s GPA requirements (if any): If a prerequisite course has been taken twice, we use both grades when calculating the prerequisite GPA.

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 selected/competitive PTCAS applicants only (as identified by the program)
Supplemental deadline(s)	Competetive applicants will be notified by mail and/or email.
Link to supplemental application or instructions	To be determined.
Supplemental FEE required?	YES
If yes, supplemental fee amount	$50
Briefly describe requirements for supplemental materials (if applicable)	University application form, Residency form, Official GRE reports

Criminal Background Check

Are accepted applicants required to complete a criminal background check? NO
Description of criminal background check process (if applicable): Students must undergo criminal background checks and meet health/immunization requirements upon matriculation.

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
Program requires non-native speakers to submit TOEFL scores?	To Be Determined
Program policy for submission of non-U.S. (foreign/international) coursework:	Do not send any foreign transcript documentation. PT program only considers U.S. credentials.
Program policy for CANADIAN coursework:	Same as instructions for foreign transcripts above.

Additional information about program’s policy on foreign coursework: We only accept coursework completed at institutions in the US or Canada.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

PT Degree Offered:	Program culminates in a doctoral (DPT) degree.
PT Program Start Date(s) For Entering Class:	6/1/2009
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	32
Percent of IN-STATE applicants accepted	80
Percent of WICHE applicants accepted (if applicable):	.
Percent of OUT-OF-STATE (non-resident) applicants accepted	20
Percent of CANADIAN applicants accepted	0
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

West Virginia University Division of Physical Therapy offers an accredited three-year Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (DPT). The program graduates highly recruited and knowledgeable practitioners who provide evidence-based physical therapy in multiple specialty areas including sports medicine, orthopedics, pediatrics, geriatrics, and cardiopulmonary physical therapy. The program was established in 1970 as part of the WVU School of Medicine and has graduated over 800 physical therapists. The WVU program offers large medical school resources with a small, friendly class size and affordable tuition. The typical class consists of 32 students with an average undergraduate GPA of 3.6.

Admission to the DPT program requires a baccalaureate degree and completion of all necessary prerequisite courses. The curriculum is divided into 6 semesters and 2 summers for a total of 124 graduate credits. The program offers a carefully designed curriculum that integrates part-time and full-time clinical rotations with the necessary didactic course work. Graduates of the program obtain a total of 32 weeks of supervised clinical education experience in a variety of clinical settings. The program offers over 200 clinical educations sites, which provide a broad array of experiences and opportunities. Students are also offered the ability to take elective course work in their desired specialty area during the 3rd year of study.

A quality physical therapy education begins with highly trained and experienced faculty who are able to integrate basic science with real-life clinical experience. The core faculty consists of 9 dedicated physical therapists (7 hold a doctoral degree) and 3 exceptional adjunct professors. The faculty poses expertise in many aspects of the basic sciences including: neurology, anatomy, physiology, and exercise science. Faculty also have clinical expertise and/or clinical specialization in hand therapy, orthopedics, sports medicine, cardiopulmonary PT, geriatrics, women's health, pediatrics, adult rehabilitation, and acute care. All core faculty maintain clinical practice in their area of expertise as part of a faculty group practice or through affiliation with local clinics and hospitals. Additionally, all core faculty are actively engaged in clinical research and/or service within the American Physical Therapy Association.

The WVU Physical Therapy program is dedicated to the achievement of high standards in student outcomes including board pass rate, student retention and graduation, clinical performance scores, professionalism, employer satisfaction, and job placement. To ensure that students are prepared for the National Board Examination, second-year students take comprehensive written and practical examinations that simulate the Board examination and undergo a Board review course prior to graduation. The WVU first-attempt Board pass rate for 2006 and 2007 graduates was 93%, which is higher than the national average of 88%.

Advantages of WVU Physical Therapy program include: cadaver dissection, affiliation with a School of Medicine, small class size, high faculty to student ratio, knowledgeable and experienced faculty, long and honorable program history, rural health opportunities, affordable tuition, and exceptional support from local hospitals, clinics, and faithful WVU alumni.