Physical Therapy
Congratulations DPT Graduates August 10, 2018
WELCOME
The Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Central Arkansas offers a PhD in Physical Therapy, Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), and an accredited Residency in Pediatric Physical Therapy Program. The UCA Department of Physical Therapy began graduating students in 1972 as the first PT Program in the state of Arkansas. As a member of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, the Department of Physical Therapy is chaired by Nancy B. Reese, PhD, PT.
The Department of Physical Therapy web site provides resources for prospective students, clinical faculty, and physical therapy alumni. The UCA DPT Brochure 2018-2019 provides details regarding admission.
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Twitter: @UCADPT |
Dr. Forbush to Receive ArPTA Distinguished Service Award
Congratulations to Dr. Steve Forbush – who was notified that he will be receiving the ArPTA Distinguished Service Award at the 2018 ArPTA Awards Banquet in September. “This award is for significant contribution to physical therapy in Arkansas in one or more of the following areas: Public awareness, Administration, Education, Patient Care, or Research.”
2018 DPT Convocation August 10
2018 Outstanding DPT Student Morgan Crowder with Dr. Forbush
The Department of Physical Therapy recently held DPT Convocation ceremonies for the Class of 2018 on August 10 at Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas. Dr. Chad Lairamore, Association Professor of Physical Therapy, was the keynote speaker. Dr. Angela Barlow, Dean of the Graduate School, and Dr. Jimmy Ishee, Dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, greeted the graduates and guests. Fifty-two students completed the UCA Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The class selected Morgan Crowder as the Outstanding DPT Student of the Class of 2018. Dr. Forbush presented the award to Morgan who also served as the Class President of her class from 2015 – 2018. Also during Convocation DPT Student Excellence Awards were announced for students in the Class of 2018 including awards for Leadership, Service, Research, Academics and Clinical Excellence as well as the 2018 PT Foundation Scholarship recipients. Following the Convocation ceremony the graduates and family and friends were greeted by faculty and staff at DPT Reception held in McCastlain Hall on campus. See more at http://uca.edu/pt/events/
APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor Course
The UCA Department of Physical Therapy will host the APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor Course next on November 9 – 10, 2018 at the PT Center on campus in Conway. See registration brochure UCA CCIP November 2018. Contact Stacey Stephens at staceys@uca.edu or 501-450-5549 if you have any questions.
Dr. Forbush Honored with APTA’s Lucy Blair Service Award
Dr. Steven Forbush, an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Central Arkansas, is being honored as a recipient of the Lucy Blair Service Award by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). The award will be presented at the NEXT APTA Conference and Exposition on June 17-30, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. Continued on News and Events.
UCA Ranked #11 in Most Affordable DPT Programs
BestMedicalDegrees.com has published a listing of the most affordable in tuition cost for the Most Affordable Doctor of Physical Therapy degree ranking. UCA has been ranked #11 in the most affordable Doctor of Physical Therapy programs in the U.S. – see the link. Programs are programs evaluated based on publicly available information regarding accreditation, academic quality, student satisfaction, cost and estimated
length of study.
UCA ranked 3rd in Nation for PT Again!
“The 2018 Top Graduate Program rankings represent graduate schools and programs all across the nation and are based on student reviews. Due to extremely high student satisfaction ratings, the University of Central Arkansas made the rankings at #3 in Physical Therapy degrees! The full rankings are available here:
https://www.graduateprograms.com/doctoral-degrees/best-physical-therapy-schools
UCA Commercial Features Robyn Everson
Recent UCA commercial features 2013 DPT graduate, Robyn (Smith) Everson. Dr. Everson attended UCA for her undergraduate degree and played volleyball, in addition to earning her bachelor’s degree, she earned her DPT degree from UCA in 2013. After graduation, Robyn was selected for the UCA’s Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program which she completed in 2014. She is currently practicing in Little Rock and is married to Dr. Eric Everson, also a 2013 UCA DPT graduate.
DPT Students Experience Hands-on Learning in Pediatrics
A recent UCA Bear Tales features DPT students participating in lab for their Neurological Rehabilitation in Pediatrics course presented in the Fall 2015 semester by Dr. Charlotte Yates, PhD, PT, PCS and Dr. Leah Lowe, PhD, PT. The course has historically included a lab experience allowing students to interact and experience hands-on time with infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Dr. Yates and second year students Matthew DeGroot and Nick Lensing are interviewed as well as Dr. Carly Hood from the DPT Class of 2015. Many PT alums and friends in the community graciously share their beautiful children with the class each year.
View our UCA PT Slideshow to learn more about the UCA Physical Therapy program including pictures of the Physical Therapy Center, the Gross Anatomy and Neuroscience lab, DPT Students in lab, presenting research and attending community outings as well as pictures of the UCA campus.
Mission
The mission of the UCA Department of Physical Therapy is to develop collaborative Physical Therapist practitioners, leaders and scholars.
Vision
The UCA Department of Physical Therapy will be a national leader in advancing the health of society through education, research, service and clinical practice.
Core Purpose
Our core purpose is to advance and improve the profession and practice of physical therapy.
DPT Accreditation
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the University of Central Arkansas is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email:accreditation@apta.org; website:http://www.capteonline.org. Filing a complaint with CAPTE: If you have a question about the department’s accreditation status or wish to express a concern about accreditation, you are encouraged to contact CAPTE. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (501) 450-3611 or email pt@uca.edu.
 
Student Outcomes (updated 8-29-2018)
UCA DPT graduates of 2018 achieved a First Time Pass Rate of 98% for the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE). Performance of UCA DPT graduates over the past two years is as follows:
- Pass Rate on the NPTE: = 100% (2016-2017)
- Graduation Rate = 95% (2015, 2016)
- Employment Rate = 100% (2016, 2017)
Location
The Department of Physical Therapy is a member of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences where programs in psychology, nursing, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, dietetics, and athletic training are also provided. The Department is housed in the Physical Therapy Center, which includes over 40,000 square feet of teaching, lab and research space. The PT Center is located on Bruce Street across from the Farris Center between the Prince Center and Estes Stadium (see campus map below). The building emergency plan (PTC Emergency Procedures) is provided below. Contact the Department of Physical Therapy directly at (501) 450-3611 or email at pt@uca.edu.
UCA Physical Therapy Article: A Brief History
“A brief history of physical therapy at UCA” by UCA Archivist Jimmy Bryant appears in the October 29, 2012 edition of the Log Cabin Democrat. The article can be viewed at the following link.
Links
“You Can Be Me” Video and Information for Prospective Students: www.beapt.org
Arkansas Physical Therapy Association (ArPTA)
American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
Department of Physical Therapy Physical Therapy Center, Suite 300 201 Donaghey Avenue, Conway, AR 72035 Phone 501-450-3611 FAX 501-450-5822 Email: pt@uca.edu Web: uca.edu/pt