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*GTDPT 900: Incorporating Evidence into Daily Practice
This course is designed to acquaint the PT with utilizing the literature to defend their examination and treatment interventions with their specific patients. The sources of evidence for use in evidence based practice will be discussed. The students will search for and obtain primary and secondary sources of research evidence using available databases and search engines. The student will critically analyze primary and secondary sources of evidence across the spectrum of research and evaluate the potential impact on clinical practice and decision-making. This course will also include an assessment of measurement outcomes. (2 credits)

*GTDPT 901: Foundation of Current and Future Practice
This course provides an orientation of physical therapists to a doctoring profession, addressing the professional, interactive, ethical and managerial skills required to work in first-contact practice settings. Topics such as health care systems, professional issues and ethics, collaboration and referral process, and professional social responsibility to the community and society will be covered. (2 credits)

*GTDPT 902: Medical Screening/ Differential Diagnosis
This course will explore the therapist’s role as an independent practitioner working within a collaborative medical model. Inherent in the responsibilities associated with this role is the ability to recognize clinical manifestations that suggest that physician contact is warranted regarding a client’s health status. Equally important is knowing what can be omitted from the examination scheme on a given day while placing the client at minimal risk. A proposed examination scheme will provide the structure for discussion. Presenting the clinical tools and decision-making process necessary to more efficiently and effectively collect and evaluate the examination data will be the focus of this course.  This course will require a minimum of 10 hours on campus for lecture and laboratory experience. (3 credits)

The following two courses may be substituted for GTDPT 902 Medical Screening/Differential Diagnosis:
GTDPT 911: Seminar/Lab of Medical Screening and Differential Diagnosis (1 credit); and
GTDPT 912: Theoretical Aspects of Medical Screening and Differential Diagnosis (2 credits)

*GTDPT 903: Imaging and Pharmacology
A review of the principles of radiology, imaging and pharmacology, as both impact clinical physical therapy practice. The radiological component of the course emphasizes reading and interpreting films and imaging reports. The second part of this course includes pharmacokinetics, indications and contraindications of various drugs relative to their effects on diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention in physical therapy. (3 credits)

GTDPT 904: Teaching and Learning

Educational theories and models on the principles and practices of teaching and learning are presented. These principles are applied through educational experiences designed by the student for audiences including the patient/client, family/caregiver, professional colleagues, PT students and health care consumers in community settings. Cultural and age sensitive educational techniques are discussed, as are reflective practice, active learning techniques, presentation technology and tools for assessing teaching effectiveness. The APTA Clinical Instructor Credentialing program is included in this course.  (2 credits)

GTDPT 905: Health Promotion & Community Wellness
This course will include an introduction to concepts related to health promotion for individuals and communities including models of health behavior change, community health and education, and program planning and implementation. Students will learn how to identify health risks and levels of fitness and wellness for patients/clients. Culturally sensitive interventions for prevention, health promotion, and wellness programs to reduce risk of injury, disease, and disability of the patient/client will be identified. Students will demonstrate their role as an educator, advocate, or consultant through an educational project/presentation in the community. (2 credits)

GTDPT 906: Special Topics/Independent Study I
(1 credit / may be repeated 4 times)

GTDPT 907: Special Topics/Independent Study II
(2 credits / may be repeated twice)

GTDPT 908: Special Topics/Independent Study III
(3 credits / may be repeated twice)
These Special Topic/Independent Study (ST/IS) courses provide the student with the opportunity to pursue learning experiences specific to an identified area of clinical interest, such as: a unique interest that is not part of the current curriculum; preparation for taking the clinical specialist examination (OCS, PCS, NCS, GCS, SCS, ECS, CCS); or other specialty certification preparations and examinations (CSCS< CHT, ATC, CMT, etc.); practicing in a specialty area of clinical practice; academic and/or clinical teaching or research.

Through the structured learning experience of these ST/IS courses, the student will acquire a new or enhanced understanding and demonstrate competency of a body of knowledge. The student is responsible for initiating and designing the learning experience(s) through the development of the learning contract with assistance of faculty facilitation. The role or the ST/IS faculty advisor is to facilitate the learning process, act as a resource, be the evaluator the learning. .

GTDPT 909: Advanced Clinical Practicum
This course is required for any licensed physical therapist, who has less than 500 hours of clinical practice. A student may also use this practicum to create a unique clinical specialty experience. (2 credits)

*GTDPT 910: Program Synthesis
This capstone course through will require the student to apply curricular concepts to clinical cases in their area of interest. The format of the project may include case studies, development of tools for use with patients or in clinical education, or a research design. It may take the form of a publishable case report or manuscript on clinical, community or societal health care issues. The project will be graded by a faculty mentor and submitted to the t-DPT Program Committee for review in partial fulfillment of degree requirements. (2 credits)

*Indicates required course