Studying Physical Therapy Online

 

The university I used to work for recently announced its first hybrid doctoral program, a PhD in physical therapy. Very exciting, but really, physical therapy (PT)? It’s physical therapy, so doesn’t it need to be taught physically, in person? That’s exactly why the University of Utah created a hybrid program. The new program, starting in May 2023, will offer asynchronous lessons to cover basic concepts, weekly synchronous online student-faculty meetings, 1-2 weeklong in-person on-campus immersions each semester, and clinical placements near each student’s residence. The intent of the hybrid program is to empower students from any location to participate, while also honoring the practicality of the subject matter.

 

In the US, you need a PhD in physical therapy to be a licensed practicing physical therapist. That got me to wondering, are there other online PT programs? How do they handle the hands-on nature of physical therapy?

 

University of St. Augustine offers a “flex” physical therapy doctorate program. It combines online classes with in-person practice at clinical simulation centers (every weekend, with a choice of five campuses in Florida and Texas) and immersive virtual simulations.

 

Andrews University in Michigan offers a “transitional” Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Students in this program participate in in-person short courses, as well as independent study and distance learning.

 

The University of Southern California in Los Angeles offers a hybrid doctorate program. Students will attend classes on-line and in person, and can complete their clinical rotations in their local community.

 

Arcadia University in Pennsylvania offers a hybrid physical therapy PhD program. Students participate in live synchronous online classes and eight immersive in-person experiences. Additional clinical experiences will occur in  one of 250 facilities in the institution’s international network.

 

University of Michigan/Flint offers a transitional physical therapy doctorate program that is completely online, but does not lead to licensure. Courses run asynchoronously. Clinical experiences can be completed in the student’s local community.

 

Shenandoah University in Virginia offers a transitional physical therapy PhD program that is primarily online. In addition to an extensive online curriculum, students attend a short in-person class before graduation and must complete a capstone project (to build on their existing professional life).

 

 

 

At Least One US City May Be Building Its Own Internet Network

 

We’ve written before about universal broadband access, cost-effective access to the internet for all. The US federal government has pledged $95 billion to help close the digital divide. Private internet providers have offered a variety of reduced cost options to provide internet access to low income families. Rural areas will be building the infrastructure to physically expand the reach of the internet.

 

All this activity may not be happening fast enough or encompass a wide enough population for some elected officials. The City of Baltimore intends to build a city-wide broadband network to ensure that its large low-income population will have affordable access to the high-speed broadband services they need for jobs, education, health, and quality of life.

 

Other communities are already providing low-cost broadband services by treating it as a public utility. That means rates are regulated to ensure that access is universal and profits are kept to a sustainable level. A list of US communities with municipally-owned internet providers can be found here. Other communities provide free wi-fi within their boundaries, allowing anyone to use the internet for free. A list of international communities providing free wi-fi can be found here.

 

It will be interesting to see what additional creative ways communities come up with to provide their residents with the cost-effective internet access necessary to thrive in the 21^st century.