Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio DPT program accredited?

 Yes. The DPT is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

When does the Physical Therapy program begin?

 The DPT Program is on “super semester”; the fall semester begins in July and ends in December; spring

semester begins in January and ends in June. Students typically start course work on campus the fourth week

in July. Orientation for new students is the first week of July and limited online content begins at that time.

What are the strengths of our DPT program at UT Health Science Center at San Antonio?

 There are several strengths to our program:

- We have highly qualified faculty - all of which have a terminal academic degree (Ph.D., Ed.D.) or a

professional doctoral degree (DPT), board certifications, vast clinical experience, and work well with

students to help them succeed.

- We are located on the campus of a health science center. There are many resources available to us,

and students have the opportunity to learn alongside other health professionals.

- The UT medicine physical therapy clinic allows students early exposure to patients.

How many applicants do you accept a year?

 Typically forty to forty-four candidates are accepted once a year.

Do you interview candidates for your program and what is the format?

 Yes. We interview applicants for our early offer program the first week in November. Regular offer

interviews are held in mid-December. Interviews consist of multiple stations in both a group and individual

format where applicants have the opportunity to interact with many of our faculty and clinical partners.

What characteristics would make me a competitive candidate for admission?

 We look for well-rounded individuals. A history of academic success, service to the community and/or to

others, Physical Therapy shadowing or observation, strong motivation to be a PT, letters of reference,

excellent critical thinking skills, written skills, and interpersonal skills are examples of characteristics that we

look for in applicants.

How important is a candidates’ GPA in getting an interview and how do I make myself more competitive?

 A minimum Overall GPA and Science/Math prerequisite GPA of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale are required for eligibility

of review. All required courses must be passed with a grade of “C” or better. As with other universities or

colleges, higher GPA’s make a more competitive candidate. The goal is for candidates to be competitive and

academically prepared to successfully handle the demands of the DPT program curriculum.

 However, the admissions committee does not base its decision solely on grade point averages. It evaluates

the application packet holistically. Therefore, the quality and quantity of academic preparation, strong letters

of recommendation, Physical Therapy shadowing experience, community service activities, leadership

evidence, and awards are all a part of the holistic evaluation process.

When must prerequisites be completed?

 Prerequisite courses do not need to be completed at the time of application. We do recommend having as

many as possible completed by the time you apply to allow the committee more insight of your academic

abilities.They must be completed by June 1

before the fall (July) semester begins. Once accepted, students

must provide official transcripts indicating that remaining prerequisite courses are completed. No

prerequisites can be “in-progress” after June 1

of the entering program year. No exceptions.

Does it matter when prerequisite courses were taken? For example, do you accept courses taken over 10 years

ago?

 We do not have an expiration date for our prerequisite courses. However, students are responsible for being

prepared for the DPT curriculum.

Does it matter if I take my prerequisite courses at a two-year college instead of a four-year university?

 The GPA is calculated the same way, whether it was taken at a community college or a four-year university.

No preference is given to courses taken at either institution. We understand the cost of education and want

to have as many options as possible in obtaining the prerequisite courses required for our programs.

 Please note that for your required DPT admission requirement academic coursework, vocational and/or

technical courses will not satisfy these requirements.

What course can I take if my institution does not offer courses in “Human Anatomy” and “Human Physiology?”

 If a combined Human Anatomy & Physiology course is taken, applicants must complete both Anatomy &

Physiology I and Anatomy & Physiology II with the appropriate laboratories. Neither Anatomy & Physiology I

nor II, alone, satisfies the Anatomy and Physiology requirements.

 Therefore, the prerequisite series of Anatomy and Physiology I and II may be taken in lieu of separate

Anatomy and Physiology courses (total of 8 semester credit hours).

What is considered acceptable for the developmental psychology, motor development, or human development

prerequisite course requirement?

 Pre-approved courses can be found on the Prerequisite Equivalency List for Physical Therapy.

 If your institution is not listed or you are not sure, the key elements for consideration is that the course must

be three semester credit hours and cover the lifespan of a human’s development.

 If you need additional assistance, please see the instructions for “How can I find out if the prerequisite

courses I took at my college/university meet the required prerequisites?” below.

What will be acceptable for the medical terminology course requirement?

 Completion of a medical terminology course can be taken at an accredited community college, university, or

through an online certification course.

 If you are completing an online medical terminology course, be sure to select a course which includes the

certificate of your completed course.

What are the requirements in completing my personal written statement?

 The personal statement needs to address the applicant’s goal of becoming a physical therapist.

 We require that the statement is one page, typed, and single spaced. Please see PTCAS for instructions.

Do you accept CLEP or AP courses for prerequisites?

 We accept this type of credit as long as your courses have been recognized by your undergraduate institution

and the credit is recorded on your college/university transcript.

Can I have courses in progress when I apply?

 Yes, you may have prerequisite and/or bachelor’s degree course requirements in-progress until June 1

of the

year of program entry. The completion of your bachelor’s degree also is required by June 1

of the year of

program entry.

Is it beneficial to have Physical Therapy Shadowing experience prior to the application to the DPT program?

 Yes, a minimum of 50 hours of hands-on shadowing or observation experience with a licensed Physical

Therapist is required. Your hours must be documented on our Documentation of Volunteer Hours form and

will be asked to bring with to your interview if you are selected. Additionally, you will need to document your

hours on the PTCAS system electronically when submitting your PTCAS application. Please see PTCAS for full

instructions for the PTCAS submission. (Please See the DPT Application Admission Requirements for

additional information.)

What kinds of observation hours are required?

 We require applicants to spend a minimum of 50 hours of observation time with a licensed physical therapist.

This can be done through volunteering, shadowing or employment.

 We feel that a variety of hours is more important than quantity. We would rather an applicant have 50 hours

in a variety of settings like pediatrics, geriatrics, hospital, outpatient orthopedics, neurologic rehabilitation,

hospital, etc. compared to someone with 1000 hours at one clinic.

How do I obtain Physical Therapy shadowing hours?

 Take a HIPAA class (available online) so that you can tell prospective practitioners that you are HIPAA

compliant.

 Volunteer to work in any capacity in an office, clinic, or facility where PT’s are employed. In the course of

your volunteer work, you may become acquainted with a PT who may be willing to let you shadow separate

from your volunteer time.

 Approach smaller practices or rural practices where they might be more amenable to having someone

shadow.

 If you are affiliated with the military, try to find a military PT to shadow. PT’s are on typically on staff at

military medical facilities.

Does the School of Health Professions have any connections to the hospitals or clinics in the area where I can

volunteer or shadow?

 The School of Health Professions does not place applicants in clinics for observational experiences. The best

thing to do is to call your local hospitals and clinics and see if they allow individuals to observe their PT’s.

Many therapists are willing to let you shadow them, as they understand it is a requirement for acceptance

into the health care programs. Be sure to document any observation hours using our DPT Documentation of

Volunteer Hours form (will be required provide if selected for an interview) and when applying in PTCAS you

will need to document your hours electronically. Please see PTCAS for instructions.

Does it matter what in what area I have my undergraduate degree?

 The subject matter of the degree does not play a role in the admissions process. The degree should be in an

area of interest to the student; however, science courses are very helpful in preparation for our DPT

coursework.

What are the steps to apply?

 To ensure a successful application, please fully review our UT Health Science Center San Antonio DPT

Admissions Checklist.

 The DPT program application can be found online through the Physical Therapy Centralized Application

Service (PTCAS). For full information and instructions for the PTCAS application, please see the PTCAS

website at www.ptcas.org for full instructions and our DPT Admissions Checklist on the UT Health Science

Center San Antonio website.

What are the key dates in the DPT application cycle?

 The application period opens on July 1

and closes November 1

. Please do not send items to the UT Health

Science Center at San Antonio Admissions Office (Supplemental Application) prior to July 1

 The early-application/offer deadline is October 1

. If your full application and all required documents are

completed prior to the October 1

early application/offer deadline, your application may be considered for

the early interview opportunity.

 Interviews for those meeting the early-application/offer deadline are held the first week in November.

Students are notified of an admission decision by mid-November.

 The regular application period closes on November 1

. Interviews for the regular cycle are in mid-December

and applicants are typically notified of an admission decision prior to Christmas.

 We encourage all applicants to plan accordingly and APPLY EARLY in the application cycle. To ensure a quality

application, please review the Application Admissions Requirements and instructions.

How does the department calculate GPA?

 We calculate two GPAs – the overall GPA of every college/university course ever taken and the math/science

prerequisite GPA (this includes the biology, anatomy/physiology, physics, chemistry, and statistic courses).

If I re-take a course, how does this affect my prerequisite GPA?

 If an applicant re-takes a math/science prerequisite course, the program will use the higher grade in

calculating the prerequisite GPA.

 If an applicant re-takes any other course (a non-science/math prerequisite course) both the low score and

high score are used in calculating the overall GPA. Usually re-taking one or two courses makes little

difference in the overall GPA calculation.

 We encourage all students to know where they stand regarding their GPA for planning and goal-setting

purposes. Please utilize the unofficial GPA calculator tool on our website to assist you with your projected

GPA calculations. All official GPA calculations will take place after you have officially applied to the UT Health

Science Center at San Antonio Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

Is the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) required?

 Yes. The Graduate Record Examination is required as part of the application. There is no minimum GRE score

required for admission and currently is used for program development purposes only.

 At this time, your GRE scores are not used as a factor in admission decisions.

 Scores from the GRE must be received by the October 1

early-application/offer or the regular application

deadline of November 1

. Applicants may choose to submit scores from a previous examination if it was

taken within the past five years. Please note that all PT applications are assessed from a holistic evaluation.

 See PTCAS for full application instructions of GRE submission.

In order for my GRE scores to be sent to the Physical Therapy Program at UT Health Science Center at San Antonio,

what is the GRE code?

 The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio institutional GRE code is 7558.

If I am re-applying, what do I need to do?

 Students will be required to send in all new materials, transcripts, PTCAS application, fees, etc. Records of

past applicants are not kept on file at UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Is the program a full-time program or can it be taken part-time?

 The program is a full-time program. There are no part-time options.

Can I work while going to the DPT program?

 The Physical Therapy program is a full-time endeavor. Although employment should not impact the

coursework or class attendance, we recommend that students plan accordingly with their time-management

skills, financial management, study time, and personal balance to ensure academic success.

What does the DPT class schedule look like?

 All courses are only offered on weekdays during normal business hours. Students are in class every day for 4

to 8 hours, Monday through Friday.

Where do I send my application materials?

 Send ALL application materials, including transcripts to PTCAS. Please see the UT Health Science Center at

San Antonio Admissions Requirement Checklist for full instructions. Before submitting your application, it is

highly recommended to fully review all instructions at www.ptcas.org

How can I find out if the prerequisite courses I took at my college/university meet the required prerequisites?

 Please refer to the Prerequisite Equivalency List for Physical Therapy for additional information. If you have

additional questions for a course, it is best to email us at SHPwelc[email protected]du and include: Name,

contact information, program of interest, prerequisite you have a question regarding, course name, number,

institution and credit hours (semester).

 Please note that all physical therapy program perquisite coursework completed at regionally accredited

institutions will be accepted for review.

 All required science courses must be designated for Science majors or Pre-Allied Health majors; Vocational

and/or technical courses do not satisfy admission course requirements.

 Please note that each year the department reviews their admission requirements for accreditation purposes.

Therefore, it is important to check the UT Health Science Center San Antonio School of Health Professions

website for all updated information, deadlines and requirements.

 If you have additional needs, please contact the School of Health Professions Office of Admissions and Special

Programs and make an appointment to have an advisor evaluate your course work. See contact information

below.

How many applications are received and how competitive is acceptance?

 UT Health Science Center at San Antonio receives a large volume of completed applications annually. Total

numbers of applications varies per year. See the chart below for the entering 2014 DPT class statistics.

Applicants are welcome regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or

disability.

What are the average statistics of admitted students?

 Although it varies per year, please see the entering 2014 DPT class statistics below.

Number of Applicants in 2014

655

Class Size

40-44

Overall GPA

range 3.2 – 4.0; average 3.65

Science/Math Prerequisite GPA

range 3.2 – 4.0; average 3.65

Age of Incoming Class

I noticed on the Admission Requirements Checklist DPT program that prerequisite hour requirements are listed in

semester credit hours. What if I attended an institution college credit awarded in quarter hours?

 Semester credit hours and quarter hours are not the same equivalent credit hours. Please refer to the

quarter hour to semester hour equivalency chart below. If your quarter hours do not equate to the required

semester credit hours, you will be missing the prerequisite requirement hours.

Quarter Hour to Semester Hour Equivalency Chart

Quarter Hours

Semester Credit Hours Equivalent

0.67

1.33

2.0

2.67

3.33

4.0

4.67

5.33

6.0

6.67

How can I ensure a successful application submission?

 Plan early and accordingly for the PTCAS and UT Health Science Center San Antonio listed application

deadlines and document submissions.

 Your application and full instructions for your application submission can be found on the PTCAS website and

also the DPT Admission Requirements Checklist.

 It is recommended that students apply and complete their PTCAS application before they submit their

payment of the non-refundable supplemental application fee.

 Apply early in the admissions application cycle. The UT Health Science Center San Antonio provides an Early

Decision Period for Application Deadline. Please see the DPT Admissions Requirements Checklist for full

deadlines and information.

Where else can I get tips on applying?

 We hold Physical Therapy Open House Workshops typically in late spring through summer leading up to the

application cycle deadline. Questions will be answered at these workshops and tips on how to apply and

strengthen your application will be shared.

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 Videos of the workshops are typically posted online after the event at http://uthscsa.edu/shp/welcome.asp if

you are unable to attend in person. To attend a workshop, you must RSVP in advance. The event is free and

recommended for prospective applicants who are within two years applying.

 Please note that the Physical Therapy Department does an annual review of the admission requirements. Be

sure to check our website for updated requirements, information, and plan accordingly for the application

cycle which you anticipate applying for. We recommend annual attendance to the Open House Workshop

event in case there are changes in the application process from year to year.

If I have questions about the application process, who should I contact?

 The first step for advice about the application process is the School of Health Professions Admissions Office at

210-567-6220; Toll-free 1-866-802-6288; Fax 210-567-6230; or email at SHPwelc[email protected]. The

program also offers Open House application workshops. Please visit the Open House Workshop page on the

School of Health Professions Admissions website to look for these workshops.

Where can I get additional information?

 School of Health Professions Office of Admissions and Special Programs:

shpwelcome@uthscsa.edu or 210-567-6220/Toll-free 1-866-802-6288

 Additional information about the DPT program:

[email protected] or 210-567-8750

 Questions regarding PTCAS application process and procedures: see the PTCAS website at: www.ptcas.org

Note: Please do not call or email PTCAS until you have read their online instructions

[email protected] or 617-612-2040

 Additional information regarding required documents if you are accepted to the MOT program procedures

contact the: UT Health Science Center at San Antonio Registrar’s Office:

[email protected]u or 210-567-2621

Additional Resources for Physical Therapy Applicants:

 UT Health Science Center Physical Therapy Department

 UT Health Science Center School of Health Professions

 UT Health Science Center Office of the Registrar

 UT Health Science Center Student Services

 American Physical Therapy Association

 Move Forward DPT: www.moveforwardpt.com

Updated April 2015