CHCS - Perspectives - Summer/Fall 2014

PHYSICAL THERAPY Fort Lauderdale PERSPECTIVES • SUMMER–FALL 2014 51 The Transition Doctor of Physi- cal Therapy (T.D.P.T.) Program ac- cepted its first students in June 2002. Now entering its 13 th year, over 225 students have graduated from the program as of June 2014. Initially most of the T.D.P.T. students were from the NSU Entry- Level Masters Physical Therapy Program. As our program and oth- ers across the United States have transitioned to entry-level D.P.T. status, however, our program has expanded its reach and now attracts students not only from the United States but globally as well. Our international students have included those from Canada, Eng- land, Hong Kong, Norway, Italy, Central and South America, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean. Interest- ingly, students from the Caribbean now account for 25 to 30 percent of the student body in any given se- mester. Recent program inquiries have come from several African countries as well as Turkey. The program’s international flavor adds diversity and dimension to class dis- cussions and on-campus sessions, providing students an appreciation of how physical therapy is practiced in other areas of the country as well as throughout the world. A voucher system for physical therapists who serve as clinical in- structors for entry-level D.P.T. stu- dents was introduced in 2010. This program has facilitated participa- tion in the NSU D.P.T. clinical edu- cation program by community- based physical therapists. This year, the voucher program was extended to international T.D.P.T. students, so we are looking forward to potential student placements with T.D.P.T. students abroad. Our greatest success at market- ing the program has been through word of mouth, with students con- sistently noting the flexibility and responsiveness of the program to their needs on exit surveys. With innovative offerings, such as a Manual Therapy Certification specialty track, course vouchers for those acting as clinical instructors for our entry-level D.P.T. students, and individual course advisement for students, we have created an environment that meets the needs of our students on an indi- vidual basis. We have worked closely with the Foreign Credentialing Commission of Physical Therapy to develop in- dividual academic plans for those PTs who are foreign trained and seek U.S. licensure. We expect to continue expanding our continuing education and course offerings for foreign-trained students to stay cur- rent with the needs of both our U.S.-based therapists seeking the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree as well as foreign-trained therapists hoping to acquire the U.S. license to practice in the United States. Transition Doctor of Physical Therapy Program: A DIVeRse AnD InTeRnATIOnAL gROUP By Bini Litwin, D.P.T., Ph.D., M.B.A., PT Director, Transition Doctor of Physical Therapy Program