Health Science Major and Learning Outcomes

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Students who enter DeSales University directly from high school as freshmen to obtain the terminal degree of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) begin their course of study in the accelerated Health Science major (3+3 pathway). After completion of three years of preparatory work in the Connections Curriculum (general education) and prerequisite mathematics and science courses required for entry into the professional phase of the DPT program, successfully progressing students will then complete the four-year Bachelor of Science in Health Science degree with two semesters of graduate-level coursework in physical therapy. After completion of seven additional consecutive semesters at the graduate level, students receive the DPT degree. To be eligible to sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination and to qualify for licensure as a physical therapist, students must graduate from an accredited Doctor of Physical Therapy Program.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at DeSales University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Health Science to DPT program is to provide a quality physical therapy education consistent with Christian humanism and the Salesian values of faith and reason. Students and graduates use their knowledge and skills to integrate scientific inquiry and evidence-based clinical reasoning into everyday practice, addressing the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of movement dysfunctions. With a focus on social responsibility and ethical conduct, students and graduates are committed to the advancement of the physical therapy profession and to an ongoing personal desire for learning and growth. Through inter-professional communication and collaboration, graduates are prepared to be adaptable in the complex healthcare environment of today and tomorrow.

Student Learning Outcomes

The Health Science to DPT program intends to graduate students who will successfully:

practice physical therapy with compassion and understanding that exemplifies Salesian and Christian humanistic values of gentleness, humility, and simplicity for every person in their care,
function competently in a variety of physical therapy settings upon entry into the field,
integrate theoretical knowledge of foundational and clinical sciences in physical therapy with evidence-based practice in the creation and implementation of effective and contemporary treatment plans,
communicate effectively with a spirit of camaraderie and collaboration as productive members of an inter-professional healthcare team,
respect the uniqueness of cultural beliefs and values that influence interpersonal communication and behavior in a complex healthcare environment,
engage in critical inquiry and scholarly activities within clinical practice that lead to innovation in the profession and a personal plan for lifelong learning, and
adopt a servant-leadership attitude to initiate and advocate for changes in health policy toward health promotion, disease prevention, wellness, and equitable access to care.

Technical Standards

Participation in and successful completion of the Health Science to DPT program requires that any enrolled students possess the ability to acquire academic knowledge, perform essential physical functions, and demonstrate professional attitudes and behaviors involved in physical therapy practice. The clinical doctorate degree awarded at the completion of the student’s educational process certifies to the public that each individual has acquired this broad foundation of knowledge and skills requisite for safe, effective, and efficient care to the community being served.

Every student in the Health Science to DPT program must be able to demonstrate the ability to perform these essential functions, with or without reasonable accommodations. Reasonable accommodations may be offered to a student upon request in accordance with the provisions outlined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, and DeSales University policy for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations may not: (1) fundamentally alter the nature of the didactic or clinical education curriculum, (2) compromise the essential elements of the program, (3) cause an undue financial or administrative burden for the University, or (4) endanger the safety of patients, self, or others. It should also be noted that completion of all clinical education courses is a graduation requirement, and some facilities with which the program affiliates may not be able to meet the same accommodations as those offered to the student by the University during the didactic portion of the curriculum.

Applicants to the Health Science to DPT program do not need to disclose information about reasonable accommodation needs before an admission decision. An offer for admission can be withdrawn, or a student already in the Health Science to DPT program may be withdrawn if it becomes apparent that the applicant/student is unable to perform any of the essential functions or meet any of the technical standards outlined below.

The following technical standards and essential functions 85 represent minimum skill sets ensuring the successful completion of the degree requirements and future success in the provision of physical therapy services. These standards and functions are described and defined by both (1) category and (2) examples. The examples are for clarification and do not represent an exhaustive list of all possible abilities.

Communication Abilities are needed to communicate effectively and sensitively in English using verbal, non-verbal, and written modes with faculty, other students, patients, family members, caregivers, and members of the healthcare team.

Examples include the ability to:

demonstrate appropriate interpersonal skills as needed for productive and respectful discussions with classmates, faculty, clinical instructors, and in varied therapist- patient situations,
demonstrate empathetic, active listening skills,
recognize, accurately interpret, clearly report, and appropriately respond to non-verbal communication of self and others,
elicit and transmit information on the patient’s status such as mood/affect, alertness, activity tolerance, and changes in posture or vital signs,
describe, explain, and teach physical therapy procedures in both oral and written formats,
document and interpret physical therapist actions and patient responses clearly and legibly in the medical record,
receive and send verbal communications in emergency situations in a timely manner within the acceptable norms of various clinical settings, and
answer questions to the satisfaction of faculty, clinical instructors, patients, co-workers, and other members of the healthcare team.

Observation/Sensory Abilities involve the use of one’s common sense as well as the functional use of the visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile senses to perceive all information necessary for safe and effective patient/client management. Examples include the ability to:

perceive the presentation of information in lecture, lab, and clinical education settings through demonstration, audiovisual presentation, and other experiential learning activities,
participate in cadaver dissection,
visualize and interpret images presented in text and on slides, films, videos, and radiographs,
accurately observe and monitor a patient’s movement patterns, gait, and transfers from a distance and close at hand,
discern changes or abnormalities in skin integrity, muscle, bone, joint, lymph nodes, and intra-abdominal organs (heart tones, lung sounds) through visualization, auscultation, or palpation,
perceive environmental safety cues such as phones, alarms, overhead paging systems, and verbal communication,
visual ability to read, auditory ability to hear, and tactile ability to manipulate dials, sensors, and switches on all examination and therapeutic equipment,
read medical records, lab/radiology reports, and notes from other members of the healthcare team.

Conceptual/Intellectual/Analytical Abilities are needed to clinically reason and make decisions in a timely manner using the skills of measurement, calculation, analysis, and integration. Examples include the ability to:

assimilate, learn, and apply large volumes of complex, technically detailed information,
comprehend three-dimensional and spatial relationships between structures,
recognize cause and effect relationships in the significant findings from history, examination, and laboratory data,
effectively and efficiently formulate evaluative and therapeutic judgments based on the ability to collect, process, prioritize and correctly interpret information from multiple sources,
respond calmly to emergency situations,
self-evaluate and acknowledge limitations in knowledge and/or skills, including the need to refer the patient to another healthcare professional to assure safe, effective care,
participate in the process of scientific inquiry, and
recognize the psychosocial impact of dysfunction and disability and integrate the needs of the patient/family into the plan of care.

Motor Abilities include having adequate strength and endurance along with fine and gross motor function to execute the movements and skills required for safe and effective physical therapy treatment. Examples include the ability to:

access transportation to the academic setting and to clinical education sites,
participate in classroom, laboratory, and clinical education activities for the entire defined work period (40+ hours per week),
assume and maintain a variety of positions including sitting for up to 2-4 hours continuously, frequent standing, walking, bending, squatting, kneeling, stair climbing, reaching forward or overhead, twisting, and quick directional changes,
lift, carry, and push patients in bed or wheelchairs (manage weights of 50+ lbs. independently and/or 200+ lbs. with assistance), manage/carry heavy equipment,
produce sufficient endurance to sustain performance of a variety of exertional activities for up to 8-12 hours with occasional rest breaks,
accurately and efficiently perform diagnostic procedures without violation of the testing protocol,
safely move oneself and a patient in three-dimensional space in the performance of motor function tests, transfers, and physical therapy interventions,
demonstrate fine motor ability and eye-hand coordination to accurately manipulate commonly used instruments and equipment (exercise and testing equipment, physical agents, durable medical equipment, and assistive and adaptive devices),
demonstrate adequate coordination, balance, speed, and agility to ensure patient safety at all times including the ability to assist with and provide physical support during ambulatory activities on level (diverse floor surfaces - tile, carpet, concrete) and unlevel surfaces (stairs, ramps, grass, curbs),
provide emergency care in a timely manner including performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, use of an automated external defibrillator, and applying pressure to stop bleeding.

Affective Abilities are needed to be able to respond in a professional manner and to work harmoniously with individuals from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds, often under complex and potentially stressful circumstances. Examples include the ability to:

display maturity, good judgment, sensitivity, and emotional stability in all academic and professional settings,
effectively cope with and prioritize heavy academic schedules and deadlines,
demonstrate time management skills and a work ethic that promotes punctual attendance and full participation in all classroom, laboratory, community, and clinical education experiences,
take initiative, be creative, prepared, flexible, enthusiastic, cooperative, tolerant, respectful of authority, and industrious in all academic, clinical, and professional settings,
develop respectful, empathetic, compassionate, yet effective relationships with fellow students, faculty members, clinical instructors, patients, family members/ caregivers, and other members of the healthcare team,
exercise good judgment and prompt, safe completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients and families,
demonstrate the emotional stability to function effectively under stress and to adapt to an environment that is likely to change rapidly, without warning and/or in unpredictable ways,
accept suggestions and feedback, and adapt one’s behavior as appropriate,
demonstrate the willingness to learn and abide by ethical, legal, and professional principles and standards of physical therapy practice,
be self-reflective with respect to one’s commitment to learning and professional development,
recognize personal limitations and request assistance as appropriate,
present a professional appearance and maintain good general health/personal hygiene, and
be able to maintain confidentiality.

While certain technological compensations can be made for some disabilities on a case-by-case basis, a student should be able to perform in all of the standard areas noted above in a reasonably independent and timely manner. The use of a trained intermediary means that a student’s judgment must be mediated by someone else’s power of selection and observation, and as such is unacceptable.

When requested, the University will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified students with documented disabilities. It is the student’s responsibility to reveal the need for reasonable accommodations and provide the diagnostic data to substantiate this request. Requests for accommodations are made by contacting the director of disability services at 610.282.1100, ext. 1453 or by visiting www.desales.edu/disability for additional information.

Admissions to the Health Science Major

To achieve excellence in the Health Science to DPT program, and to accomplish program goals and student learning outcomes, highly selective criteria for admission at the undergraduate level have been identified. Each undergraduate application for freshman entry will be reviewed by PT faculty for consideration of acceptance into and progression toward the graduate curriculum on the basis of the following requirements:

Enter the university from high school in the top 10% of the graduating class with a strong mathematics and science academic background
- 3.75 GPA in all mathematics & science courses (on a 4.0 GPA scale)
- 3 or 4 math courses including algebra, geometry, trigonometry/precalculus
- 3 or 4 science courses including biology, chemistry, and physics. with human anatomy & physiology strongly encouraged if available
SAT score of 1270 (combined critical reading and math); ACT 26 with no subsection score below 24
Completion of a personal interview with the program director or other DPT faculty member
No internal or external admissions or transfers into the Health Science major are accepted

Language Requirements

International applicants should refer to the language requirements detailed in Section 4 of the Undergraduate Catalog, under the heading of International Students.”

Progression to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Graduate Program

Students accepted as a freshman into the Health Science major are guaranteed a seat in the graduate DPT program without further application as long as all of the following requirements are met during the 3-year undergraduate phase of the program:

Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 each semester.
Maintain a mathematics/science GPA of 3.2 each semester. The mathematics/science GPA is calculated on the basis of the following courses taken at DeSales University: CH 103 , CH 104 , BI 151 , BI 355 , BI 356 , MA 112 or MA 121 , MA 111 or SX 285 , PH 203 , PH 204 , SX 362 , PS 109 plus any 2 other psychology courses. The required mathematics/science courses must be taken at DeSales University or at an LVAIC school (Lehigh University, Lafayette College, Moravian College, Muhlenberg College, Cedar Crest College), except for advanced placement credit earned before starting at DeSales University. In order to have a working knowledge of mathematics and science, the DPT program faculty strongly recommends that health science students take all of the above mathematics/science courses regardless of AP credit status. AP test credits will be accepted for BI 151 (AP score of 4 or 5), PS 109 (AP score of 4 or 5), and MA 121 (AP score of 4 or 5 on Calculus test AB or 3 or higher on Calculus test BC) in accordance with guidelines as stated in Academic Regulations , under the heading of Advanced Placement. Courses completed as any form of dual enrollment or concurrent enrollment before matriculating at DeSales will not satisfy the required mathematics and science coursework for this program.
Earn no less than a “C” (C- is not acceptable) in any of the courses that make up the calculation of the cumulative mathematics/science GPA noted above. Only one retake of any of these courses will be allowed in the calculation of the mathematics/science GPA in the semester in which the retake occurs. Retake of any course must adhere to the repeat course policy as stated in this catalog under Academic Regulations. Retake of any course will not remove a health science major from a previous DPT program academic probation.
The academic performance of health science majors is evaluated by the DPT program director and faculty at the end of every semester. Failure to achieve the required cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the end of each semester or the required semester mathematics/science GPA of 3.2 will result in the student being placed on health science program academic probation. Failure to meet these requirements in any subsequent semesters will result in academic dismissal from the health science major and loss of a guaranteed seat in the DPT program. Undergraduate students are allowed only one academic probation period in the entirety of the undergraduate phase of the DPT curriculum. The DPT program academic probation cannot be appealed.
Students who are academically dismissed from the health science major are given an opportunity to appeal under the DPT program’s dismissal policy (as specified in the Graduate Catalog). Any student dismissed from the health science major may continue to attend the University, provided he/she meets the DeSales University acceptable academic standing policy. Upon completion of any related bachelor’s degree, the student may reapply to the DPT program after meeting all graduate admission requirements; however, reacceptance is not guaranteed.
Complete all major, undergraduate general education (Connections Curriculum), and minor requirements in three years (six consecutive semesters).
Complete a minor by the end of the junior year. Although any subject of interest may be pursued, minors in the disciplines of psychology, biology, sport and exercise physiology, or neuroscience are advised.
Following the start of the program, any mathematics/ science courses taken between semesters (e.g., summer, winter, etc.), will be considered under the progression policy.
Present two favorable letters of recommendation from DeSales faculty members describing excellence in undergraduate academic and extracurricular activities before admission to the graduate program.
Demonstrate understanding of the field of physical therapy through completion of a minimum of 100 hours of volunteer observation within two (2) physical therapy practice settings. Submission of Verification of Observation forms for each experience, along with a 500-word essay, must be received by the program director before the start of the junior year.

Health Science Program of Study

Students in the health science major will follow a suggested plan of study as noted here, which includes all Connections Curriculum (general education) and major curriculum courses, graduate program pre-requisite requirements, and minor electives:

First Year

Composition and Rhetoric I (EN 103 )
Composition and Rhetoric II (EN 104 )
First-Year Experience (UNIV 101 )
Fundamentals of General Chemistry (CH 103 )
Introduction to Organic and Biological Chemistry (CH 104 )
Introduction to Biology I (BI 151 )
Philosophical Principles (PL 109 )
Introduction to Psychology (PS 109 )
Psychology Course
Lifelong Health & Wellness (UNIV 110 )

Second Year

Human Structure and Function I (BI 355 )
Human Structure and Function II (BI 356 )
Expanded Literacies: Cultural Awareness
Expanded Literacies: Literary Analysis (EN 110 , EN 112 , or EN 115 )
Precalculus (MA 112 ) or Calculus (MA 121 )
Psychology Course
Introduction to Theology (TH 109 )
Financial Literacy (FN 100 )
Free Elective/Minor
Free Elective/Minor
Free Elective/Minor

Third Year

Lens 1
Lens 2
Lens 3
Catholicism in Dialogue
Introductory Physics I (PH 203 )
Introductory Physics II (PH 204 )
Probability & Statistics (MA 111 or SX 285 )
Assessment and Prescription (SX 362 )
Free Elective/Minor

Fourth Year

Human Anatomy I - Trunk (PT 501)
Human Anatomy II - Upper Extremity (PT 502)
Professional Development I (PT 510)
Principles of Therapeutic Exercise (PT 519)
Evidence-Based Practice (PT 550)
Foundations of Patient Care I (PT 520)
PT Modalities (PT 521)
Musculoskeletal 1- Spine Function & Patho (PT 530)
Musculoskeletal II - UE Function & Patho (PT 531)
Differential DX & Intervention MS 1 (PT 540)
Differential DX & Intervention MS II (PT 541)

Doctor of Physical Therapy Program of Study

Upon completion of the above Health Science program of study, students meeting all of the aforementioned progression standards will matriculate into the graduate DPT program. The year-round program of seven remaining consecutive semesters is designed to prepare entry-level graduates to enter the field of physical therapy practice as knowledgeable and skilled experts in treating movement dysfunction. Students and graduates from the DPT program are value-guided, adaptable, reflective, collaborative, and capable of making independent clinical decisions based on integrative thinking and best-practices evidence. Successful matriculation through all semesters of the graduate curriculum satisfies eligibility requirements to sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination. There is no advance placement into the DPT graduate program, and no credit is awarded for experiential learning. For more information about the DPT program and all operational policies and procedures for the graduate phase of the program, please refer to the Graduate Catalog of the University.

Professional Requirements for Clinical Education

Students matriculating into the DPT program are required to complete four clinical education experiences in a variety of physical therapy settings. Successful completion of all clinical experiences is a requirement for graduation from the DPT program. Criminal Background and Child Abuse Clearance checks are performed as a requirement of participation in this aspect of the curriculum. If a student has a positive history in these regards, it is possible that he or she will not be able to be placed at clinical sites, nor will he or she be eligible for licensure depending on the laws of the state to which application is made. Clinical sites also require that health and immunization clearances be performed before students have contact with patients. Students must complete a battery of immunizations before any clinical placement. Information regarding all professional requirements for clinical education will be made available by the director of clinical education upon matriculation into the graduate program.