Bellin College in collaboration with Evidence in Motion (EIM) will begin offering an Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy (OMPT) Fellowship Program and a Doctorate of Science in Physical Therapy (DScPT). The Fellowship is set to begin January 2019 with the Doctorate of Physical Therapy following in early spring 2019.
The Fellowship is an evolution of EIM’s highly regarded OMPT Fellowship, which is one of the largest programs in the physical therapy industry. The curriculum may be completed in as little as two years, although many Fellows-in-Training choose to extend this time to achieve a better work/school/life balance. Most current Fellows finished in three years or less. Students in the Fellowship will experience a combination of distance learning, online courses, weekend hands-on courses and clinical practice hours.
Students have the flexibility to complete the OMPT Fellowship alone or both the Fellowship and the DSc in a combined program. “There are three other similar terminal degree programs in the nation that are partnered with specific post-professional clinical fellowship programs,” said Dr. Julie Whitman, Bellin College program director. “Our program is unique because we will not only accept those who have graduated from our own fellowship from EIM and now through Bellin College, but we will also accept applicants from other credentialed OMPT Fellowship programs directly into the DSc in Physical Therapy. These graduates from other programs will be able to transfer credits from their program into the DSc in PT program. This opens the doors of opportunity to a large number of expert clinicians across the country who are eager to advance their education and professional skills!”
The Doctorate of Science in Physical Therapy degree is an 80-credit program, with 55 credits contributing to the fellowship and another 25 credits spread over about 30 months required to complete the DSc. Students involved in this program will complete courses involving orthopaedic manual physical therapy followed by courses focusing on research, curriculum and leadership.
“This Bellin College DSc in Physical Therapy program will help high-level clinicians develop their research, teaching and leadership skills,” Whitman said. “As graduates, they will have the skillsets needed to conduct clinically important research, to thrive in various models of educational programs, and to lead at local and national levels.”
Employment of physical therapists is projected to grow 28 percent from 2016 to 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Currently, half of Physical Therapy Education Program Collective Academic Faculty must have academic doctoral degrees, therefore this program will help to generate more academic faculty to serve in first-professional programs.
Bellin College is responding to the need of the physical therapy community by developing a program that develops leaders in clinical science, research and teaching.
“EIM’s collaboration with Bellin College for our fellows-in-training and our DSc in PT program allows us access to multidisciplinary experts in leadership and teaching, a high-quality healthcare system with Bellin Health and additional resources that are available through regionally accredited programs, such as grant writing assistance, an online library, and networking with multidisciplinary colleagues.”
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