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Kris Legters
Program Chairperson

Phone: (814) 871-5548
Fax: (814) 871-5662
legters001@gannon.edu

 

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Prerequisite course requirements for the DPT program have changed. Click for more information...

Gannon's Physical Therapy program prides itself on its high degree of versatility. Undergraduate students choose from eight majors as their studies prepare them for doctoral work in Gannon's DPT program or elsewhere. Traditional DPT students step away from Gannon in seven years fully equipped to practice in the field. A six-year accelerated option is also available for ambitious students who qualify.

The Physical Therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation on Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

The mission of the Doctor of Physical Therapy is to facilitate holistic patient/client-centered management for body functions, activity and participation related to movement, function, and health. We prepare our graduates to be knowledgeable, service-oriented, collaborative, and reflective practitioners.

Our graduates render evidence-based, independent judgments concerning patient/client needs by virtue of critical thinking, commitment to lifelong learning, and ethical values. They possess the intellect, psychomotor proficiency and core values to meet the current and future needs of the profession and the health care system.

Physical therapists are integral members of the health care team who are recognized and respected for their education, experience, and expertise in movement, function and health. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Gannon University is guided by the following tenets:

• The essence of physical therapy practice is patient/client-centered management for body functions, activity and participation related to movement, function, and health.
• Professional physical therapist education should prepare individuals to be autonomous practitioners capable of providing direct access.
• Active, integrative and experiential learning methods promote student self-reliance, increase self-assessment skills and develop a pattern of independent learning that will promote lifelong learning and continuing professional development.
• Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the framework for physical therapy practitioners’ clinical decision making. EBP skills are cultivated through development of self-directed learning, utilizing a variety of resources that are enhanced by technology.
• The health care environment is continually evolving, Physical therapist practice encompasses roles in primary, secondary, and tertiary care, as well as prevention, health promotion and wellness.
• Practitioners are educators who use their knowledge, creativity, communication and interpersonal skills to promote the health of individuals and communities.
• Competency-based education ensures that practitioners demonstrate proficiency in knowledge, psychomotor, and affective domains.
• Professionalism is an integral part of physical therapy education and practice.