Center for Excellence in Rural Health-Hazard

Physical Therapy

The Program
The physical therapy program at the UK Center for Excellence in Rural Health-Hazard was designed to meet the need for physical therapists in rural Kentucky. The program offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree granted by the UK College of Health Sciences. Graduates are eligible to take state licensure examinations. The average annual salary for physical therapists nationally is about $58,000 and the need for additional therapists is expected to increase over the next 10-15 years.

The requirements of the program are divided into two phases: (1) The pre-professional phase (taken at the college of your choice) and (2) the professional phase (9 contiguous registration periods taken over three full years at the UK Center for Excellence in Rural Health-Hazard). For specific information about the prerequisite courses please go to: www.mc.uky.edu/PT/admissions.html.

The pre-professional phase may be completed at any 4-year college or university (the first 2 years can be taken at any community college). It cannot be taken at the Center for Excellence in Rural Health-Hazard. During this phase, students take courses to satisfy the University Studies Program at UK, as well as required courses in biology (2), chemistry (2), physics (2), statistics (1), medical terminology (1), oral communication (1), and psychology (2). In order to be eligible for application prior to completion of a Bachelor’s degree, the student must meet the UK University Scholars criteria which include a minimum of 90 semester hours and senior status with an overall GPA of 3.2, and a GPA of 3.5 or above in all PT prerequisites and major courses. The student should be on track to graduate with a bachelor’s degree by the end of the senior year. Students must attend a 4-year college or university to have these upper division (junior and senior level) classes available. Students may also apply to the PT program after completion of a bachelor’s degree. In this case, the students are expected to have an overall GPA of 3.0, but a minimum of 2.75 is required. Questions concerning specific prerequisite qualifications are to be directed to the Office of Student Affairs.

The professional phase is taken at the Center for Excellence in Rural Health-Hazard. Students gain knowledge through coursework at the Center, and acquire experiences through a series of multi-week clinical rotations (most located outside the Hazard area).

Applications
The application process includes the submission of both University of Kentucky and Center for Excellence in Rural Health-Hazard applications, college transcripts, GRE test scores, three letters of recommendation, and forms to document clinical experiences in physical therapy (50 hours of which are required for admission). The application process also requires a personal interview. A bachelor’s degree is not required for application if the student meets the University Scholars criteria. Students who do not meet the University Scholars criteria must complete a Bachelor’s degree to be eligible for acceptance.

Application to the Professional Proagram
To be considered for admission to the Professional Program in Physical Therapy, you must complete the application procedure for the PT Division’s Professional Program. If accepted to the PT Professional Program, you must complete ALL the pre-professional (prerequisite) courses BEFORE starting the professional courses. The University of Kentucky Physical Therapy Program has chosen to participate in the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) to facilitate the admissions process. Applicants to the program can begin their PTCAS application on July 15. 2009. The UK PT program application deadline through PTCAS is December 15, 2009. To learn more about the PTCAS application process, please visit the PTCAS website at www.ptcas.org in June. In addition to the PTCAS application, you must also download the Supplemental Application unique to the UK program. The Supplemental Application deadline is January 11, 2010 and the Supplemental Application is available through the Professional Program in Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences, University of Kentucky at the UK PT Program website. Do not apply to the University of Kentucky Admissions Office or the Graduate School.

The professional phase of the program at the UK Center for Excellence in Rural Health-Hazard is restricted to those applicants who plan to practice in rural Kentucky. It is also limited to 16 students per year.

Tuition and Fees
Tuition information is located at the UK Registrar’s Office website. Throughout the 9-semester professional phase, students are enrolled as professional program students. There are no fees required of students at the Center for Excellence in Rural Health-Hazard.

For further program information regarding the Lexington and Hazard campuses, please go to the following web site: http://www.mc.uky.edu/pt/index.html.

Accreditation
The Physical Therapy Program at the University of Kentucky is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).*
 
* The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
Department of Accreditation
American Physical Therapy Association
1111 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Telephone: 703-706-3245
Website: www.apta.org/CAPTE