Physical Therapy-Residential, Glendale

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum cumulative GPA: 2.9 science, 3.0 overall on a 4.0 scale
• Successful completion of prerequisite courses
• Completion of 30 hours of observation

Full list of requirements*

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The College of Health Sciences Physical Therapy Program uses a holistic admissions process for students who possess the academic and professional promise necessary for development as competent, caring members of the healthcare community.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is open on a competitive admissions basis to applicants having bachelor's degrees in any field but who have not completed an accredited physical therapy program. To select these candidates, a competitive admissions framework has been established. Within this competitive admissions framework, multiple criteria are used to select the most qualified candidates from an applicant pool that exceeds the number of seats available.

The Physical Therapy Program uses the Centralized Application Service for Physical Therapy Schools (PTCAS). The Physical Therapy Program Admissions Committee reviews completed applications throughout the admissions cycle to determine the applicant's eligibility for an interview. Interviews are typically conducted during the fall and winter. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis.

Application Deadline 
Applicants for both residential and hybrid pathways are required to submit their applications to PTCAS at http://www.ptcas.org by February 15th. The Midwestern Physical Therapy Program has one PTCAS application for all applicants, with options for applicants to select the pathway to which they would like to apply (residential, hybrid, or both). The PTCAS application submission site opens on June 15th.

Please refer to the PTCAS application instructions for specific details about completing the application, required documents, and processing time. Applicants seeking admission into the hybrid pathway must complete the supplemental hybrid questions on the PTCAS application.

Admissions Information*

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• Applicants for all PT program pathways are required to submit their applications to PTCAS at http://www.ptcas.org by February  15th. The Midwestern Physical Therapy Program has one PTCAS application for all applicants, with options for applicants to select the pathway to which they would like to apply (residential, hybrid, or both).
• The PTCAS application submission site opens on June 15th. Please refer to the PTCAS application instructions for specific details about completing the application, required documents, and processing time. Applicants seeking admission into the hybrid pathway must complete the supplemental hybrid questions on the PTCAS application.
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early as completed applications are reviewed on a rolling basis from August through February.

Application process and deadlines*

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Mission

The Midwestern University Physical Therapy Program will use the highest educational and professional standards to prepare physical therapists who can provide quality physical therapy services to a diverse population across all levels of the healthcare continuum.

Expected outcomes for the program emphasize strengthening program-community relationships by providing continuing professional development opportunities for practicing physical therapists, encouraging expertise in clinical practice, and enhancing the awareness and knowledge of the physical therapy profession among diverse communities.

Goals  
 

Student/Graduate Goals:

1. Graduates and students will be prepared to provide culturally competent, whole-person physical therapy services to a diverse population across all levels of the healthcare continuum.
2. Graduates will demonstrate a commitment to professional development in the areas of clinical practice, service, and advocacy.
3. Graduates will have the ability to contribute to the educational growth of future practitioners and to the body of knowledge in the profession.
4. Students and graduates will participate in interprofessional education and/or interprofessional collaborative practice.

Faculty Goals:

1. Faculty will provide high-quality teaching and professional standards.
2. Faculty will participate in scholarship activities which may include the scholarship of discovery, integration, application, or teaching.
3. Faculty will be engaged in service to the Department, College, University, community, or profession.
4. The collective core faculty will demonstrate expertise in contemporary, evidence-based clinical practice in a variety of settings across the continuum of care.

Program Goals:

1. The program will contribute to meeting the needs of the physical therapy workforce that supports a diverse population across all levels of the health care continuum.
2. The program will create post-professional educational opportunities for faculty, graduates, clinical instructors and the greater physical therapy community to facilitate continuous professional development in areas such as teaching, research, leadership, practice, service, and advocacy.
3. The program will collaborate with other health professional programs, community partners and clinical sites to support the development of interprofessional collaborative practice across the curriculum.
4. The program will cultivate a culture of diversity and inclusivity that benefits students, faculty, staff, patients, caregivers, and communities that we serve.
5. The program will provide an innovative curriculum that integrates the highest educational standards and contemporary practice.  
    

Reported by the Federation of State Boards in Physical Therapy for MWU graduates:

Ultimate pass rate - 94.9% (averaged over the past 2 years for the Class of 2023 and 2024) 

• Ultimate pass rate - 98% (Class of 2023)
• Ultimate pass rate – 91.8% (Class of 2024)
   

• 2-year average for Class of 2023 and 2024 - 99%
• The Class of 2023 had a 100% graduation rate (50/50)
• The Class of 2024 had a 98% graduation rate (49/50)

100% (Classes of 2023 and 2024)

As a physical therapist, you are trained to diagnose and treat individuals of all ages who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. You examine each individual and develop a treatment plan that helps restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent disabilities for patients suffering from injuries or disease. You'll also help restore, maintain, and promote overall fitness and health through wellness-oriented programs that develop more active lifestyles.

Your education in physical therapy starts with basic science courses such as biology, chemistry, and physics, and then introduces specialized courses, including biomechanics, neuroanatomy, human growth and development, manifestations of disease, examination techniques, and therapeutic procedures. In addition to classroom and laboratory instruction, you'll receive supervised clinical experience where you examine patients' medical histories and then test and measure strength, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, muscle performance, respiration, and motor function. Your treatment plan identifies appropriate exercises that encourage patients to use their muscles and increase capacity and endurance in these areas.

Pre-professional education should include courses in anatomy, biology, chemistry, social science, mathematics, and physics. Experience as a volunteer in the physical therapy department of a hospital, clinic, or with a high school athletic trainer will benefit your application to physical therapy educational programs. Strong interpersonal skills will help you educate your patients about physical therapy treatments, better communicate with patients' families, and provide compassionate treatment.

All states require physical therapists to pass national and state examinations and be licensed in the state of practice. An important member of the health care team, you'll provide your knowledge of physical therapy in consultation with other professionals such as physicians, dentists, nurses, educators, social workers, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists. Some PTs treat a wide range of ailments; others specialize in areas such as pediatrics, geriatrics, sports medicine, neurology, or cardiopulmonary physical therapy.

Nearly 60 percent of physical therapists work in hospitals, clinics, or private practice. You may also be employed in home healthcare, nursing care facilities, outpatient care centers, physician offices, rehabilitation centers, adult day care programs, or schools. Physical therapists also teach in academic institutions and conduct research. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in the field will grow 28 percent through 2026, much faster than average for all occupations. Demand will be spurred by increasing numbers of individuals with disabilities or limited function, chronic or debilitating conditions associated with aging, and children saved by technology but with severe birth defects, or people who must cope with the aftermath of trauma.

According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA):

With just a 0.2 percent unemployment rate, physical therapists are now experiencing the best employment conditions since the enactment of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. 
Physical therapists formed their first professional association in 1921, the American Women's Physical Therapeutic Association, led by Mary McMillan. By the end of the 1930s, both genders were admitted and membership grew to nearly 1,000 practitioners. 
During the 1940s and 1950s, demand increased significantly for physical therapists to collaborate in treating the nationwide polio epidemic. 
If you want to be the type of healthcare provider who sees a whole person rather than a symptom or illness; someone who gets to know your patients as people and wants to be involved in your community; someone who is compassionate, has a healing touch, and communicates well; and someone who enjoys knowing a diverse range of people from different backgrounds, a career in physical therapy may be just right for you.

Sources: American Physical Therapy Association; US Bureau of Labor Occupational Outlook Quarterly; ExploreHealthCareers.org

The Physical Therapy Program at Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave, Suite 100, Alexandria, VA 22305-3085; telephone: 703/706-3245; e-mail: accreditation@apta.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 623-572-3920 or email azpt@midwestern.edu.

In April 2023, CAPTE approved Midwestern University’s Application for Approval of Substantive Change to offer a hybrid pathway to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree.

Midwestern University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, Il 60604-1413; 800/621-7440.Midwestern University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission/A Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC/NCA), 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1413.