Clinical Educators

The clinical education component of the DPT curriculum includes two semesters of part-time integrated clinical experiences and 36 weeks of full-time clinical experiences.

Integrated Clinical Education

  • Both integrated clinical education courses include a clinical component and a community-based component
  • Assignments focus on integration/carryover of content and skills from the classroom to practice.
  • Each student participates in learning experiences in both inpatient and outpatient clinical settings.
  • WVU Health Science faculty serve as mentors for the community-based experiences, which include an interprofessional education component.

Full-Time Clinical Education

  • Each student spends at least 10 weeks in ambulatory/primary care settings. These settings include outpatient clinics that may be hospital-based, group/corporate, or private practices.
  • Each student spends at least 10 weeks in a setting where PTs care for patients with medically complex rehabilitation needs. Settings may include acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation units/hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.
  • At least one of the student’s three full-time clinical experiences must be in a rural location in WV or an area of another state that is designated as underserved.

Contacts:

Ralph Utzman, PT, MPH, PhD

  • Professor and Director of Clinical Education
    Division of Physical Therapy

Kayla Poling, MPA

  • Assistant Director of Clinical Education
    Health Professions (SOM)