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BB919 Health Sciences The Department of Rehabilitation Medicine provides education for medical students, interns, residents, and allied health students in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and prosthetics and orthotics in a comprehensive approach to rehabilitation problems. This includes special diagnostic and evaluative procedures; methods and rationale in the application of principles of occupational therapy, physical therapy, prosthetics and orthotics, and other health professions; and advanced investigation of special problems encountered in the field. In addition, the department conducts a residency training program for the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation. The department offers curricula leading to the following degrees: Master of Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, and a Bachelor of Science in the field of prosthetics and orthotics. The department also offers post-professional degrees in rehabilitation science (M.S. and Ph.D.) with options for individuals with previous rehabilitation-related training to pursue academic or research careers. Occupational Therapy
Head Occupational therapists provide services related to occupational performance in everyday life in the areas of self-care, work and productive activities, and play/leisure. Occupational therapists work with people who have physical illness or injury, social or emotional difficulties, congenital or developmental problems, or who are in need of preventive strategies that promote well being. They work with people in all age groups from diverse cultural and ethnic groups and socioeconomic levels. Occupational therapists help people with impairments or limitations to live as productive a life as possible. They work with people to increase independent function in life activities, enhance development, and minimize or prevent disability. They use a variety of therapeutic methods including training in self-care activities; design, fabrication, and application of splints; sensorimotor activities; therapeutic group activities; selection and use of adaptive equipment; adaptation of physical environments in the home, school, work, or community; activities to enhance functional performance in everyday life; and work evaluation, work hardening, and workplace adaptations. Today's occupational therapists work in clinical and community practice, administration, education, and research. Work settings include rehabilitation centers and hospitals; public and private schools; home health agencies; mental health centers and psychiatric hospitals; private practice; vocational rehabilitation centers and industrial clinics; private industry, wellness and prevention programs; and hospices. The curriculum is designed to link theoretical and technical knowledge in occupational therapy with professional values, attitudes, and skills. The education of each student is based on the philosophy that "occupational performance" (including self-care, work, and leisure/play) is central and provides a purpose and meaning to one's life. Professional standards of practice, ethics, and continued professional growth are emphasized throughout the program. Program requirements include seven quarters of professional coursework and six months of full-time fieldwork training. Fieldwork training must be completed within 24 months after completion of professional course work. Completion of all program requirements leads to a Master of Occupational Therapy degree awarded by the School of Medicine, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. The occupational therapy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220, phone 301-652-2682. Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist. The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) is the certifying agency responsible for the development and implementation of this exam. Most states, including Washington, require state licensure in order to practice. Master of Occupational TherapyAdmission RequirementsApplicants must have completed a bachelor's degree in any major and taken the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) within the past five years. Eight prerequisite courses must be completed prior to admission to the program. In addition, applicants must have volunteer or work experience in at least two practice areas of occupational therapy. The admission process occurs once a year for entry autumn quarter of each year; applications are evaluated starting January 15 of each year. Specific prerequisite courses at the UW include the following. For students who have attended schools other than the UW, comparable courses must be taken:
To apply, students must have completed five of the prerequisite courses, with three courses in the natural sciences. They must have earned a 3.00 minimum GPA in the prerequisite courses with no single course graded less than 2.0; and have a minimum 3.00 GPA on the most recent 60 semester or 90 quarter credits. Admission is based on academic ability, communication skills, and understanding and experience in occupational therapy. Detailed program requirements and selection process information may be obtained by calling 206-598-5392, or by consulting the program's Web page, or by sending an email to ot@u.washington.edu. Degree RequirementsThe following courses must be completed satisfactorily in the scheduled sequence, beginning autumn quarter only, at the UW: REHAB 400, REHAB 401, REHAB 403, REHAB 414, REHAB 442, REHAB 444, REHAB 445, REHAB 448, REHAB 451, REHAB 452, REHAB 566, REHAB 570, REHAB 571, REHAB 572, REHAB 573, REHAB 574, REHAB 575, REHAB 576, REHAB 577, REHAB 578, REHAB 579, REHAB 580, REHAB 581, REHAB 582, REHAB 584, REHAB 585, REHAB 587, REHAB 591, REHAB 594, CONJ 480, and HUBIO 563. Student Evaluation: The University grade-point system is used in student evaluation. A student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all required professional coursework to retain satisfactory standing and to graduate. Detailed scholastic requirements are available on the program's Web site. If at any point the OT curriculum cumulative GPA falls below 3.00, the student is placed on academic probation and must raise it to 3.00 by the end of two subsequent quarters. If a student is unable to remove his or her probation status, he or she is subject to dismissal from the program. If a student receives a grade below 2.7 in a required course, continuation in the program is reviewed and determined by the Occupational Therapy Advisory and Evaluation Committee. The student must satisfactorily complete all academic coursework before taking the two required Level II Fieldwork placements (REHAB 594). Both placements must be satisfactorily completed within two years following completion of the academic portion of the program in order to graduate. For more information on the Master of Occupational Therapy program, visit the department's Web site. Physical Therapy
Head Physical therapy is a direct form of professional patient care that can be applied in most disciplines of medicine. The principal objective in physical therapy is to restore or improve motor function in individuals with musculoskeletal or neuromuscular problems. Management of problems related to motor function is only part of the work of physical therapy. Equally important is rebuilding self-confidence and creating a desire to return to a normal, active life. Other primary objectives of physical therapy are prevention of disability and pain, and training in mobility skills for those who must adapt to permanent disability. As a consequence of the scope of the profession, physical therapists function in a variety of settings, the most familiar being the hospital. Physical therapists also plan, provide, evaluate, and direct patient care in outpatient clinics, rehabilitation centers, health maintenance organizations, developmental centers, home-health agencies, schools, extended-care facilities, voluntary health programs, industry, and private practices. The physical therapist may be found anywhere quality health care is needed. Increasingly, physical therapists are becoming involved in basic and clinical research, such as the academic community, either as full-time faculty members or as supervisors of clinical education, and as consultants in local, state, and federal health-planning activities. Physical therapists function in compliance with the licensing laws and ethical principles that govern the practice of physical therapy. The steps to licensure as a physical therapist vary slightly from state to state, but all physical therapists graduate from an accredited curriculum of physical therapy that includes a specific period of clinical training. As physical therapy relates to the majority of medical specialties, the education program is broad in scope, including an emphasis on physical and social sciences. The physical therapist evaluates the patient's problem by testing such factors as range of joint motion, muscle strength, posture and gait, pulmonary function, sensation and sensory perception, orthotic and prosthetic fit, reflexes and muscle tone, and functional skills. Some intervention procedures used may include ultrasound, superficial heat and cold, electrical stimulation, massage, traction, joint mobilization, biofeedback, therapeutic exercise, and training in the use of orthotic, prosthetic, and other assistive devices, such as crutches, canes, and wheelchairs. As with all professionals in health fields, physical therapists are responsible for subscribing to a program of continuing education. Some therapists also develop the knowledge and skills of a specialist via continuing education and concentrated practice in one area, such as sports or pediatric therapy. A formalized mechanism for certifying specialists is implemented by the national professional association, the American Physical Therapy Association. The University of Washington program in physical therapy is accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Doctor of Physical TherapyAdmission RequirementsEnrollment is limited to 30 students each year and admission is competitive. Application is restricted to those who are U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents by the autumn program entrance date. Applicants are required to submit scores from the General Test portion of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Prior to the application deadline of December 15, the student must have met the following minimum academic requirements:
Minimum requirements above must be maintained until program entrance and all prerequisite courses must be finished at that time. Applicants must complete a bachelor's degree before they start the program. Most clinical internship placement sites require potential trainees to undergo a Washington State Patrol criminal history background check for crimes against vulnerable populations. To ensure that all students offered positions in the PT program have no such history and therefore will be able to finish the clinical portion of the curriculum, the completion of a criminal background check process is required of applicants accepting admission. Degree Requirements148 credits, as follows:
Prosthetics and Orthotics
Director The prosthetist-orthotist is a member of the rehabilitation health care team, which also includes physicians, surgeons, physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and other appropriate specialists. Team members work together with physically challenged individuals to enhance their daily life and increase their functional abilities. The two groups of prosthetic-orthotic devices which can potentially enter into the rehabilitation of an individual are (1) prosthetic devices, which replace or substitute for a missing limb or part of a limb, and (2) orthotic devices, which help with the control of motion and the support of a weakened body segment. Practitioners provide direct patient care and management. Practitioners work in conjunction with physicians, surgeons, and therapists to evaluate the prosthetic or orthotic needs of the patient. They design the appropriate device, supervise technicians who fabricate them, and evaluate the fit and functional use for each patient. To evaluate function, the prosthetist-orthotist must have a detailed knowledge of anatomy and kinesiology, joint range of motion, muscle strength and human locomotion. Before designing a prosthesis or orthosis, the prosthetist-orthotist examines a patient to find any conditions that might affect the future success of the orthosis or prosthesis. Following the evaluation, the prosthetist-orthotist obtains an impression of the affected segment along with the appropriate measurements. A technician fabricates the prosthesis or orthosis, and the prosthetist-orthotist fits the patient and makes changes as necessary.
Adviser The prosthetics and orthotics division offers the following program of study:
Bachelor of ScienceSuggested First- and Second-Year Courses: Courses fulfilling the general education requirements including proficiency and areas of knowledge (20 VLPA, 20 I & S) should be completed during the first two years prior to entry into the program. Prerequisite coursework (general biology, general physics, human anatomy and physiology, general chemistry, psychology) is also completed during this time. Suggested courses include: SOC 110, COM 201, COM 220, PSYCH 203, PSYCH 306, and courses using computer applications. Department Admission Requirements
Postbaccalaureate (fifth-year) students are exempt from the writing and reasoning requirements but not from the Areas of Knowledge requirements.
Major Requirements90 credits as follows:
Student Outcomes and Opportunities
Upon successful completion of the prosthetics and orthotics program, the student has learned the skills necessary to function as an entry-level resident in prosthetics-orthotics, and is awarded a Bachelor of Science degree by the University of Washington School of Medicine. The practitioner program is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 1361 Park Street, Clearwater FL 33756, 727-210-2350 (phone), 727-210-2354 (fax), www.caahep.org. The degree in prosthetics-orthotics gives the student eligibility to enter a one-year clinical residency for each discipline at a National Commission on Orthotics and Prosthetics Education (NCOPE) approved site. This residency requirement must be completed for eligibility to apply for the National Certification Boards administered by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics, Inc. (ABCOP).
National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education
American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics, Inc.
Students are placed throughout the curriculum in eighteen facilities in the surrounding Seattle area for their required 500 hours of clinical experience.
Post-Professional ProgramsMaster of Science in Rehabilitation ScienceDesigned for rehabilitation practitioners who wish to pursue coursework and research to enhance their professional growth. For selected students lacking appropriate post-professional training, it is the degree that precedes the Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Science
Director Rehabilitation science is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on human function and disability. Basic and applied research from health sciences, social sciences, engineering, and related fields are directed toward (1) enhancing physical and psychosocial functioning, participation in life situations, and quality of life of people with disabilities; and (2) informing relevant social and health care policy. The program targets students from diverse backgrounds in rehabilitation-related fields including occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language pathology, rehabilitation counseling, medicine, nursing, prosthetics and orthotics, and engineering. The goal of the Ph.D. program in rehabilitation science is to prepare researchers, educators, and leaders in the area of rehabilitation science to contribute to the development of rehabilitation practice, research, and policy. Graduates of the Ph.D. program are prepared as researchers, educators, and leaders in the field of rehabilitation science, who may work in academic institutions, service delivery systems (e.g., hospitals, public schools), government agencies, and the private sector. These individuals are prepared to address research, education, service delivery, and policy issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. Following are three overarching outcomes for graduates of this program.
Admission Requirements
Degree Requirements100 credits minimum, as follows: Core course series (21 credits), coursework and practicum experiences in teaching (minimum of 5 credits), and coursework in research methods (minimum of 18 credits). Relative to the latter, credit requirements may partially be met through independent study. In addition, each student must complete three cognates (minimum of 6 credits each) specific to the student's goals. The student's committee and the core faculty in the rehabilitation science doctoral program must approve the entire course of study. In addition to meeting all requirements of the UW Graduate School, all students are expected to meet the following general requirements.
For more information on the Ph.D. Program in Rehabilitation Science, visit the program's Web site at http://depts.washington.edu/rehab/phd. |
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