Clinical Education

Overview

 Gannon University, Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences, physical therapy program's curricular design represents a hybrid, competency-based curriculum organized around body systems. The curriculum includes full-time clinical experiences integrated into the curricular plan at times appropriate for the student to practice and refine the assessment process and skills learned. The clinical education component serves to augment and enhance the didactic portion of the curriculum.

We adopted the integrated approach to clinical experiences throughout the students' professional education for the following reasons:

1. To allow students the opportunity to practice and refine their assessment process, skills and techniques shortly after they cover that material.
2. To provide a mechanism to assess student performance at a variety of points in the curriculum.
3. To continue the problem-oriented building process in the clinical education component as well as the didactic component.

The recommended emphasis of each clinical experience is detailed below and is created as a guideline for student’s consideration in the selection of their experiences.  Availability of sites at certain times of the year requires flexibility on the part of the student.

• The first full-time clinical experience (10 weeks) takes place in the first year immediately following completion of the students' study of the musculoskeletal system. This experience provides students with an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills for individuals with musculoskeletal movement system dysfunction. 

• The second full-time clinical experience (10 weeks) takes place following the second year of didactic material. Students are assigned to facilities where they work with individuals with neuromuscular, cardiovascular and pulmonary, integumentary, and other movement system dysfunctions

• The third full-time clinical experience (8 weeks) occurs in the fall of the third year, after all didactic coursework is completed. This clinical experience is designed to provide students with additional exposure to individuals with neuromuscular, cardiovascular and pulmonary, integumentary, and other movement system dysfunctions. 

• The final twelve-week clinical experience (12 weeks) in the third year, allows the student to pursue areas of specialty practice such as working with individuals with movement dysfunctions associated with pediatric, geriatrics, and sports-related conditions as well gaining exposure to clinical research, education, administration and so forth.

Clinical Education Resources

• Clinical Education Handbook  
• CPI Instructions  
• Three Rivers Academic Consortium