Program
The Department of Physical Therapy offers a professional, DPT degree program for persons desiring to become a physical therapist. This DPT Student MANUAL describes specific academic policies and procedures that are applicable to students within the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. Additional policies and procedures applicable to all students at MGH IHP can be found in the MGH Institute of Health Professions Catalog. Additional policies and procedures applicable to students can be found on the web at http://mghihp.smartcatalogiq.com/
. The policies and procedures described in this DPT Student Manual supersede the MGH IHP Catalog; however, where not specifically addressed, the policies and procedures as described in the Catalog will remain in effect. The Department of Physical Therapy regularly evaluates and modifies the curriculum, policies, and procedures in an effort to achieve and maintain quality within the DPT program; therefore the Department reserves the right to modify this manual as necessary. Amendments to this Student manual may occur over the course of the year .
P1. Program Mission Statement
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program educates its graduates to be part of patient/client-centered, interprofessional practice in a dynamic and diverse healthcare environment where they are prepared to be leaders in education, clinical practice, scholarship, professional service, and community engagement.
P2. Philosophy
At MGH Institute of Health Professions, we believe that physical therapists are an integral part of an interprofessional health care team and should be prepared to serve as the entry-point into the health care system with a concomitant responsibility to collaborate and consult with other health care professionals, patients, caregivers, and the community.
Physical therapists must interact with and value a complex and diverse society in a compassionate, humanistic, professional, and sensitive way. Physical therapists have a responsibility to understand how a physical therapist’s clinical decision-making interacts with the ethical/fiscal management of the setting within which they work while also advocating for patients and for the greater good of society.
A physical therapist’s goal is to optimize an individual’s ability to function within society by addressing prevention, wellness and rehabilitation across the lifespan and in a variety of settings.
The Physical Therapy Program at the Institute prepares clinicians who recognize that physical therapist practice is centered on the human movement system.
The faculty embraces the view that active adult learning is a process by which students employ an ongoing interpretive and reflective process that synthesizes prior and current experiences into new learning. This best happens within a learning community that continually strives for clinical excellence and professionalism among faculty, students and graduates.
The program is structured to be fluid, proactive and responsive in meeting the present and future needs of its students and of health care, including the incorporation of modern technology and innovation into education and practice.
Recognizing the responsibility to prepare members of a doctoring profession, the program prepares self-directed, life-long, collaborative learners who are able to use scientific and analytic approaches to clinical decision-making to achieve optimal patient care through evidenced-based practice.
P3. Goals and Objectives
Program Goals
To support the mission, the following program goals guide the design and implementation of the program:
Students/Graduates will:
1. Be reflective practitioners that demonstrate the ability to think critically, challenge assumptions, offer alternative solutions and assess outcomes.
2. Have a common and cohesive framework for efficient clinical decision-making that reflects best available evidence, a concern for patient-centered care, and is grounded in current best practice.
3. Act in a professional, ethical, and responsible manner in patient/client interactions, in peer collaborations, and in practice management.
4. Function effectively in the multifaceted roles of a physical therapist including clinician, scholar, administrator, consultant, educator and advocate.
5. Hold themselves accountable for independent decision-making with responsibility for interprofessional collaboration, consultation, and referral to others to optimize patient outcomes.
6. Respect and act with consideration for how differences, values, preferences, and expressed needs of a patient/client, family or group may influence or are influenced by the judgment, recommendations or decisions of the physical therapist.
7. Be able to apply principles of health, wellness and rehabilitation across the lifespan in a dynamic health care environment.
8. Contribute to the community and the profession through service and by exercising leadership skills.
9. Embrace the values of active and life-long learning to enhance professional development.
Faculty will demonstrate a commitment to:
1. Reflective practice and advocacy for contemporary, evidence-based practice
2. Student-centeredness and dedication to producing competent and effective professionals
3. Excellence as citizens of the Institute
4. Leadership in the profession
5. Leadership in scholarship, including the scholarship of teaching
6. Mentorship
7. Demonstrating passion for the art and science of physical therapy, as well as commitment to curiosity and life-long learning
Through its faculty and curriculum, the program will demonstrate a commitment to:
1. Innovation in both education and practice, embracing new ideas, and demonstrating a continuous drive for excellence that is not risk-aversive
2. Depth and breadth of expertise that includes faculty with clinical specialization across several practice areas
3. Interprofessional education and collaboration
4. Health promotion
5. Team collaboration in a non-competitive environment that values diversity of contributions
6. Embracing our clinical colleagues and their contribution to the education of our students
Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy Curriculum
Curriculum – Transitional DPT
Recognizing that currently licensed physical therapists are competent clinicians, this post-professional program focuses on providing the essential knowledge and skills physical therapists need to practice as a Doctor of Physical Therapy in today’s complex and demanding health care environment. Emphasizing clinical decision making, diagnostic and prognostic reasoning, and evidence-based practice, the 15-credit curriculum addresses the full scope of physical therapy practice, including health promotion and education; disability, injury, and disease prevention; and professional values and behaviors.
Applicants who submit an optional portfolio of evidence with their application that demonstrates competence in courses in the curriculum may receive a waiver of up to 12 of the 15 required credits. Students are, however, required to take a minimum of 4 courses or 8 credits after matriculation (including elective courses, if need be) in order to be awarded the transitional DPT.
The curriculum for the online transitional DPT program is based on a progressive sequence of course offerings that build upon each other. Emphasizing the crucial mix of Critical Inquiry and Clinical Science knowledge and skills physical therapists need to stay current in their practices, the transitional DPT curriculum challenges each student to fully grasp their responsibilities and obligations as clinical doctors within the context of the current health care environment. Our goal is not just to expose students to what they need to know, but to teach them how to apply that knowledge to future practice, and thereby help them become better professionals.
Within the 8-course tDPT curriculum, there is a contemporary mix of coursework covering critical fundamentals including: pharmacology, diagnostic imaging, diagnostic screening, clinical research design, statistics, principles of measurement and evidence-based practice. The online transitional DPT program culminates in a comprehensive case analysis seminar that hones critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills.
All required courses are available online, promoting a dynamic interchange between classmates and faculty.
Critical Inquiry Sequence
HP 720 | Designing Clin Rsrch | 2-3 |
HP 721 | Stats for Clin Rsrch | 2-3 |
PT 740 | Meas Principles for PT Practice | 2 |
PT 741 | Principles of Evidence Based Practice | 1 |
Clinical Science Sequence
PH 621 | Essentials of Pharmacology | 1 |
PH 750 | Diagnostic Imaging | 2 |
PT 785 | Diagnostic Screening for PT’s | 2-3 |
Integration of Professional Practice Concepts
PT 786 | Comprehensive Case Analysis | 2-3 |
Total Credit Hours: 15
Application Process and Requirements for the Entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy
Overview
MGH Institute of Health Professions welcomes applications from individuals holding a Bachelor’s degree who seek to enter the field of Physical Therapy with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.
Our professional staff is here to provide information and answer questions you might have during the admission and financial aid process, and to offer ongoing information throughout the application process.
APPLY NOW
Important Application Dates
For Program Starting: Summer 2022 (June)
The PTCAS 2021-2022 Application Cycle is now closed
Live Chat with Admissions
Application Process
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program participates in the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). All students are required to apply online through PTCAS.
Updates to the application requirements and related policies due to COVID-19, can be found here.
Items to submit directly to PTCAS:
- PTCAS application with application fee
- Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
- Three (3) reference letters
- MGH IHP Custom Questions
- Physical Therapy observation hours (optional for 2021 cycle)
- GRE Test Score (PTCAS GRE program code: 7615)
MGH Institute of Health Professions does not require a supplemental application.
*In order to be eligible for review, PTCAS applications must be completed on or prior to the deadline. Please note: you should allow several weeks for all required documents to be received and processed by PTCAS.
Prerequisites
Degree
Bachelor’s degree (BS or BA) from an accredited US college or university or recognized international equivalent.
Prerequisite Coursework for those applying in 2021 for a summer 2022 start
Completion of the following prerequisite courses at a fully accredited institution with a grade of C or better is required for admission. Please refer to our Frequently Asked DPT Questions about prerequisite courses.
At the time of submitting an application, prospective students must have at least 6 of the 10 required prerequisites complete in order to be considered for admission.
All of these courses are offered online by the MGH Institute. Learn more about our online prereqs or select a course below to view its description.
- Anatomy & Physiology (2 semesters, with labs)
- Biology (1 semester, no lab required)
- Chemistry (2 semesters, with lab)
- Physics (2 semesters, with lab)
- Abnormal or General Psychology (1 course)
- Statistics (including inferential statistics)
- Exercise Physiology (3 credits, no lab required)
- Please refer to our Frequently Asked DPT Questions for additional information about acceptable prerequisite courses.
- Applicants may be asked to submit mid-term reports for certain prerequisite courses.
- All prerequisite courses must be satisfactorily completed prior to matriculation.
- Prerequisite credit cannot be given for courses with a grade of Pass/Fail.
- All prerequisite courses must have been taken at an institution that is accredited by one of the six regional accrediting bodies. Please refer to theCouncil for Higher Education Accreditation website for additional information.
- Applicants with questions about prerequisite course equivalency and/or acceptability should complete and submit the DPT Prerequisite Inquiry Form. Upon submission of the form, replies can be expected by email within 7-10 business days.
- Applicants who are currently in the process of completing prerequisite courses are still encouraged to apply.
Tests
GRE
The General Test is required for admission and must have been taken within 5 years of application. An official score report should be sent directly to PTCAS from ETS (www.ets.org). The Institution code for MGHIHP Department of Physical Therapy is 7615.
TOEFL/IELTS
The language of instruction at MGH IHP is English and a high level of proficiency in both written and spoken English is required. If English is not your first language, or you have graduated from an undergraduate program in a non-English speaking country, or with instruction in a language other than English, you must demonstrate English language proficiency as part of your application to IHP. In some circumstances, demonstrating English language proficiency may be required even if you are a citizen of a country whose primary language is English.
Applicants whose first language is not English must provide test scores from either the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). The test must have been taken within two years of the application deadline and official score reports are required.
Minimum TOEFL (internet-based) requirement is 89 and the minimum IELTS requirement is 6.5.
TOEFL and IELTS test requirements are automatically waived for students for whom English is a first language from the following countries: United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (except Quebec)
For TOEFL, score reports can be obtained by contacting Educational Testing Service (ETS). MGH Institute of Health Professions code is 3513.
For IELTS, a Test Report Form may be mailed to MGH Institute of Health Professions and score information will be verified by IHP directly. You may designate up to 5 schools to receive Test Report Forms at the time you register for the test. To request additional Test Report Forms, contact your test center.
Transcripts
Please refer to our page on PTCAS for specific information. All official transcripts should be submitted directly to PTCAS.
Applicants that have earned a degree from a non-US institution are required to submit a course-by-course credential evaluation from one of the following NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) members: Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., SpanTran: The Evaluation Company, World Education Services (WES), or the Center for Educational Documentation. If you earned your bachelor’s degree outside of the U.S. this credential evaluation must document minimum equivalency of a US baccalaureate degree or higher.
Documents
Statement of Intent/School Specific Questions
Please refer to our program page in PTCAS for specific information. Statement should be completed and submitted through PTCAS.
Reference Letters
Please refer to our program page in PTCAS for specific information. Recommendation letters should be completed and submitted through PTCAS
Hours
Physical Therapy Observation
Please refer to our program page in PTCAS for specific information.
For the summer 2021 application cycle Observation hours are an optional part of your application. Virtual observation hours are acceptable. It is highly recommended that applicants have obtained at least some observation hours to demonstrate knowledge and experience with the profession. A combination of depth and breadth of exposure is strongly recommended. Depth refers to the amount of exposure in any single PT practice setting. Breadth refers to variety of exposure to PT practice settings or areas of specialty (i.e., outpatient, inpatient, rehabilitation, pediatrics etc.). Please refer to our program page for more information.
Informational Open House
A selected group of qualified applicants for the Summer starting cohort will be invited to attend an informational Open House in early December.
Attendance at this event is not required, but we expect it will be very informative. We encourage all invited applicants to attend, if possible. The Open House is an opportunity to learn more about the Institute, our new innovative and integrated curriculum, and to meet and ask questions of faculty and current students.
The Department of Physical Therapy anticipates that this event will be virtual to allow applicants to participate remotely.
FAQs
Who do I contact for more information about the academic program, curriculum, or requirements?
You may find many of your questions may be answered on the Curriculum Overview page. If you have additional questions, please contact the Department of Physical Therapy.
Who do I contact for more information about the application process, my application status, or what documents to submit?
You are welcome to email the admission office, or call 617-726-1304 weekdays between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Eastern Time.
What is a good way for me to learn about the MGH Institute of Health Professions?
Please refer to the Upcoming Admissions Events webpage for additional information and upcoming dates for all of our informational webinars and virtual events.
What is your mailing address?
MGH Institute of Health Professions
Office of Enrollment Services
36 1st Avenue
Charlestown Navy Yard
Boston, MA 02129
Can I defer my admission to a future term?
Though generally not permitted, deferral requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and are generally approved only in extreme circumstances or military deployment. To request a deferral, email the admission office.
Are there other Conditions of Admission?
Yes. If applicable, final transcripts and test scores must be submitted to satisfy the conditions of admission.
I’m an international student. Can I receive an F-1 Visa?
Please see General Information for Prospective International Students.