University of Nebraska Medical Center

PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION (2009-10)

Kathleen Volkman
Chair, Admissions Committee
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Physical Therapy Education Program
University of Nebraska Medical Center
984420 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, Nebraska 68198
Phone: 402/559-4259
Phone (alternate number): 402/559-4467
Email: ptedu@unmc.edu
Website: http://www.unmc.edu/alliedhealth/pt/

APPLICATION DEADLINE for 2010 ENTERING CLASS

PTCAS Application Deadline	Thursday, October 15, 2009
Deadline Type	FIRM Deadline
Application Close Date (for soft deadlines only)
Program Has Rolling Admissions Process?	No
Important Dates (if any): See UNMC Physical Therapy Program website for annual campus visit date.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

If supplemental materials are required, send items directly to the PT program.

Supplemental APPLICATION required?	YES
Supplemental MATERIALS required?	YES
If yes, list of items	Additional essay required for students applying for RHAT track
Supplemental FEE required?	YES
If yes, amount	$45
Supplemental deadline(s) YYYY-MM-DD	2009-11-01
Link to supplemental forms or instructions	Access to the supplemental application is given by email after the PTCAS application is received by the program.

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

Course Prerequisites

Must applicants earn a Bachelor's degree prior to enrolling into the PT program? NO
For more information about course prerequisites, visit the program Web site: http://www.unmc.edu/alliedhealth/pt/admission.htm

Course Prerequisite Name or Subject Area	Req, Rec, Crq*	SEM hrs	QTR hrs	Lab Required (Y/N)	Additional clarifying information, if any
Anatomy and Physiology	REQ	8	12	YES	Must be lectue/lab courses in human or vertebrate anatomy and physiology. May be fulfilled by completing one course in Anatomy and a second course in Physiology or by taking Anatomy/Physiology I and Anatomy/Physiology II
Chemistry	REQ	8	12	YES	Must be lecture/lab courses. May be fulfilled by taking General Chemistry I and II or General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry or General Chemistry and Biochemistry
Physics	REQ	8	12	YES	Must be lecture/lab courses (General Physics I and II). Must include mechanics, heat, light, sound and electricity. Physical Science will not fulfill this requirement
Exercise Physiology	REC	4	6	YES	Recommended
Abnormal Psychology	REC	3	5	NO	Recommended. Introductory psychology is commonly a prerequisie for abnormal psychology
Statistics	REC	3	5	NO

* “Req” = required course; “Rec” = recommended course; “Crq” = conditionally required course

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Is the GRE required?	Required
Program’s GRE College Code	# R6896
Last acceptable GRE test date – YYYY-MM-DD (if applicable)	2009-08-31
Oldest GRE score considered – YYYY-MM-DD (if applicable)	2004-10-15

GRE table below may contain blank fields if program data is not available or applicable.

GRE Section	Minimum GRE Score	Average GRE Score for Accepted Students
Verbal		460
Verbal Percentile
Quantitative		640
Quantitative Percentile
Analytical Writing		4.0
Analytical Writing Percentile
Composite (verbal & quantitative)
Composite Percentile
Additional information about program’s GRE requirements

References

Number of references required by program: 3 References

EVALUATOR TYPE	Applicant must send one reference from this SPECIFIC type of evaluator	Applicant must send a reference from one or more evaluators in this category to fulfill program's requirements	Evaluator Type ACCEPTED	Evaluator Type NOT Accepted
Physical Therapist-1			X
Physical Therapist-2			X
Professor in Major			X
Professor			X
Academic			X
Supervisor/Employer			X
Teaching Assistant			X
PTA			X
Pre-PT Advisor			X
Politician/Elected Official			X
Health Care Professional			X
Friend				X
Family Member				X
Co-worker			X
Clergy			X
OTHER			X

Additional information about program’s reference requirements:

PT Observation Hours

Enter your PT observation hours on your PTCAS application. Print the PT Observation Hours form from the PTCAS application or use online PT Hours signature process, if the program requires you to have your hours verified by a physical therapist. Send signed forms to PTCAS.

PT HOURS	PROGRAM REQUIREMENT
Description of Program’s PT Hours Requirement	PT hours are not required but are considered
Total Number of PT Hours REQUIRED
Total Number of PT Hours RECOMMENDED
DEADLINE for Completion of All PT Hours YYYY-MM-DD
PAID Experience	Accepted
VOLUNTEER Experience	Accepted
INPATIENT Experience	Accepted
OUTPATIENT Experience	Accepted
Additional information about program’s PT hours requirement	There are no formal requirements for volunteer, observation or employment experiences in the field of physical therapy. However, as with all career choices, a broad exposure to the field is to the applicant's personal benefit and as such is encouraged.

GPA Requirement

GPAs will be blank if program data is not available or applicable.

GPA	Minimum GPA	Average GPA for Accepted Students
Overall Undergraduate Cumulative	3.00	3.70
Program-specific Prerequisite
Additional information about program’s GPA requirements (if any)	If an applicant will not complete a bachelor's degree prior to matriculation, an additional requirement is a minimum of 3 upper level courses (300-400)in a major area of study. These candidates must identify their major emphasis of study and complete this requirement by July 15 of the intended year of enrollment. If a student retakes a course at the same institution to raise a grade, it is up to the student to insure that the lower grade is el from their transcript by the granting institution; otherwise the grades will be averaged for determination of overall GPA. An additional set of transcripts are not required for UNMC until applicants have been admitted into the program.

Program Essay Instructions

Some PTCAS programs require applicants to respond to a custom essay question in addition to the standard PTCAS essay question. The PTCAS application will automatically prompt you to respond to the custom essays for your designated programs. The custom essay question for this program is below.

(NO CUSTOM ESSAY REQUIRED. However, if you previously applied to the program, you must also respond to the brief essay question for repeat applicants included in the "Background" section of the PTCAS application).

FOREIGN APPLICANTS AND TRANSCRIPTS

The program’s foreign (international) transcript policies do NOT apply to study abroad coursework that is itemized on a U.S. college or university transcript. Study abroad is processed in the same way as U.S. coursework.

Program’s citizenship requirements (individuals listed may be eligible for admission)	U.S. citizens U.S. permanent residents Canadian citizens
Program requires non-native speakers to submit TOEFL scores?	Yes
Program policy for submission of non-U.S. (foreign/international) coursework	Do not send any foreign documentation. PT program only considers U.S. courses.
Program policy for CANADIAN coursework	Do NOT send any Canadian documentation. Program only consider U.S. courses.
Additional information about program’s policy on foreign coursework

PROGRAM INFORMATION

PT Degree Offered	Program culminates in a doctoral (DPT) degree.
PT Program Start Date(s) For Entering Class YYYY-MM-DD	2010-08-23
Dual-degree programs offered in conjunction with the PT degree (if any)	DPT (also BS optional for 3 year students without degrees)
Institution's religious affiliation (if any)

Profile of Most Recent Entering Class

Items will be blank if program data is not available or applicable.

Size of Most Recent Entering Class	50
Anticipated Size of Next Entering Class	50
Percent of IN-STATE students in most recent entering class	86%
Percent of WICHE students in most recent entering class(if applicable)
Percent of OUT-OF-STATE (non-resident) students in most recent entering class	14%
Percent of CANADIAN students in most recent entering class
Percent of INTERNATIONAL (non-U.S/non-Canadian) students in most recent entering class
Additional information about the class profile	Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply regardless of residency; preference is given to applicants who are residents of Nebraska, Wyoming, Alaska and Hawaii

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) was one of the first public institutions to offer the entry-level DPT degree, accepting its first doctoral-level class in 2000. Accredited since 1972, the UNMC Physical Therapy Program is designed to provide a broad scope education for entry-level practitioners. We pride ourselves on excellence in teaching, and benefit from being part of a world-class medical center with top-notch facilities. Our PT program is housed on an academic health science center campus, enabling interaction with over a dozen other health education programs. We enjoy a strong relationship with our affiliated teaching hospital, The Nebraska Medical Center. Student take classes in the state-of-the-art, $53 million Sorrell Center for Health Science Education and a newly renovated (~$1 million) gross anatomy laboratory. In addition, patient simulations using various levels of technology are included throughout the curriculum (see the virtual tour of the Clinical Skills Center in the Michael Sorrell Center on our website). There are service learning and leadership opportunities available in UNMC student-run clinics.

During the 3-year professional program, students complete 125 semester credit hours of didactic and clinical coursework. DPT students are not required to complete a formal thesis, but are welcome to participate in clinical and basic science research. Students can also take advantage of international service opportunities. Intramural sports are popular, as are annual social events (open to all UNMC professional students) including the October costume party and April Luau.

DPT students enter the program in mid-August and graduate in May of their third professional year. Historically, ninety-six (96) percent of admitted students graduate from the program, 99% of our graduates pass the licensure examination on their first attempt, and 100% ultimately pass the exam.

The Omaha area has a population of over 750,000, including billionaire investor Warren Buffet. It is a highly accessible and affordable city, with a relatively low crime rate and cost of living. Omaha is home to many Fortune 500 companies and UNMC is renowned for leadership in healthcare. The city’s 18,000-seat Qwest Center draws top concerts and events, including the 2008 US Olympic Swim Trials, NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship. Omaha hosts the annual College Baseball World Series, and Husker football games are only a short drive away in Lincoln.

UNMC students can choose from newly-constructed campus apartments or plentiful housing options off-campus. Omaha’s historic Old Market district, just 2 miles from UNMC, offers numerous loft apartments, art galleries, street musicians, a summer Farmers’ Market, and abundant nightlife.

More detailed information is available at: http://www.unmc.edu/PhysicalTherapy.