Usa Dpt Where Do My References Send Their Letters

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Doctor of Physical Therapy Program participates in the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). A class of 40 students begin the program each June.Please do not apply to the program if you have not met all admission requirements. Your application will not be considered.

COVID-19-related changes to admissions

The UW-Madison Physical Therapy program has already enacted numerous changes for its 2021-22 application cycle related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please use the provided link to stay up-to-date on how the pandemic affects your application.

IMPORTANT: Learn about admissions updates related to COVID-19

Admission deadline: Nov. 1, 2021

All PTCAS deadlines expire at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET); please note that our program falls within the Central Time (CT) zone, therefore applications will close at 10:59 p.m. PTCAS must receive ALL application materials (including GRE scores, official transcripts, and references) by the deadline in order for an application to be considered. The deadline is firm, applications that are incomplete at the deadline will not be reviewed. We encourage applicants to apply prior to the deadline date to allow time to remediate any adverse event that may occur.

Application process

All application materials must be submitted to the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service.

The program does not have an interview process. The Admission Committee considers all parts of your PTCAS application. Both academic and non-academic factors are valued. We strongly encourage you to highlight the unique aspects of your background and life experiences in your application. References, your PTCAS essay, observation hours, answers to our school-specific questions and all your supporting information is appreciated.

Non-academic factors are strongly considered and include all parts of your PTCAS application, except for your transcript(s), course work, GPAs and GRE scores. No particular community or extracurricular activities are preferred. However, evidence of community service and leadership are valued, as is your unique background and life experiences. We strongly encourage you to include these in your application materials. Qualified applicants who possess characteristics that are underrepresented in the profession, and who would enhance the overall diversity and experience for the class, are also valued.

The rigor of your undergraduate education (e.g., intensity of course load, school attended, and honors courses) is also considered, in addition to your GPAs and GRE scores.

Applications for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program that begins summer 2022 will be accepted from the PTCAS 2021-22 cycle between July and Nov. 1, 2021.

Candidates with completed applications received by Nov. 1 will be emailed their admission decision by the end of December. We do not have rolling admissions; all applications completed by Nov. 1 will be fully considered. However, you are encouraged to submit your materials to PTCAS as early as possible. This will help ensure that PTCAS receives all our required application materials by the deadline.

Academic eligibility

A bachelor's degree must be completed prior to beginning the University of Wisconsin-Madison Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Please see prerequisite courses. Minimum Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores and GPA thresholds noted below must be achieved for your application to be considered. We do not superscore; the best set of GRE scores (from a single test date) at the time of application submission will be considered.

1. GRE scores must be sent to our program-specific PTCAS code: 0315 when the exam is taken. Scores sent to the general UW-Madison code will not be received. It's recommend to allow at least 2 weeks for GRE scores to be reported to PTCAS by ETS.
2. Scores are accepted up to five years old. Minimum required scores are:
   • Verbal: 144
   • Quantitative: 144
   • Writing: 3.5
3. Overall GPA of at least 3.0. This is calculated by PTCAS and includes all undergraduate, graduate and professional courses.
4. Science GPA of at least 3.0 (calculated by PTCAS). Refer to the PTCAS course subject breakdowns:
   • Course subjects that are included in PTCAS science GPA calculation include all anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry and physics courses (not solely our required prerequisites).
   • Course subjects not included in PTCAS science GPA calculation include English composition, mathematics, movement science, other course, other science, psychology or social/behavior science.
5. All prerequisite courses must be complete prior to the program beginning in June and no more than two prerequisites can be outstanding when you apply. Courses in progress and courses you have not yet enrolled in are considered outstanding.

Students learn by working with patients during regular pro bono clinics.

Custom questions specific for our program

The following custom questions are found and answered in PTCAS. You can view and answer these questions only after you have chosen to have your PTCAS application submitted to our program.

1. Have you previously applied to this physical therapy education program?
2. If you are reapplying to this program before, how have you strengthened your application during this admission cycle? If you are not reapplying, write "not applicable." (4500 characters)
3. Please explain why you are applying specifically to the UW-Madison Doctor of Physical Therapy Program? (2000 characters)
4. What do you feel that you could contribute to our program? (2000 characters)
5. What would you like us to know about you that is not reflected in your application? (1000 characters)
6. If you speak a language(s) in addition to English, please list the language and briefly describe your level of fluency and how the language was acquired. (300 characters)
7. If you have aspirations to practice physical therapy with medically underserved (i.e. urban, rural) populations, please explain how you envision integrating this into your future career path/endeavors. (600 characters)
8. Explain your understanding of the breadth of the physical therapy profession. What methods were used to gain this knowledge (e.g. informational interviews with PT's, researching the profession online/YouTube videos, APTA website/videos, telehealth or in-person observation)? (600 characters)
9. Are you applying to the DPT-MPH dual degree Program? Please note that applicants who indicate yes, are committing to the Dual Degree Program only, and will not be considered for our DPT Program alone.  Applicants who are applying for the DPT-MPH dual degree are required to submit the following essay: Please describe why you are interested in pursuing the dual degree.  (4,000 characters)

This PTCAS essay question is part of your PTCAS application and is not specific to our program:

• Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that "help" others, please go beyond your initial interaction or experiences with physical therapy, and share the deeper story that has confirmed your decision to specifically pursue physical therapy as your career. (4500 characters)

Physical therapy observation hours

Note: Requirement for in-person observation has been waived for the 2021-22 cycle due to COVID-19.

Observations must be verified by a licensed physical therapist. Applicants are required to have a minimum of 40 total hours of physical therapy observation (paid or unpaid) from at least two different types of physical therapy settings. Types of settings identified in PTCAS include:

• Acute care hospital
• Rehabilitation/sub-acute rehabilitation
• Nursing home/extended care facility
• Free-standing PT or hospital clinic
• School/pre-school
• Wellness/prevention/fitness
• Industrial/occupational health
• Home health
• Other outpatient facility - please use this choice for unique types of outpatient facilities, such as sports medicine or pediatric clinics.
• Other inpatient facility - please use this choice for unique types of inpatient facilities, such as a children's or specialty hospital.

Download a full explanation of physical therapy observations as a volunteer (pdf).

References

• Three letters are required. If a fourth letter is submitted, it will also be considered.
• It is required that one reference be from a physical therapist. There is no other requirement as to who writes reference letters; however letters are not to be written by friends or family members.
  • Note: Requirement for a reference from a physical therapist has been waived for the 2021-22 cycle due to COVID-19.
• Letters that provide information about your unique background and diverse life experiences will strengthen your application.

Program-related esssential functions

Be sure to read the program-related essential functions (pdf). If there is anything that may interfere with your ability to successfully complete the program, including fulfilling course requirements and participating in program activities, please contact the director of admissions or program director to discuss accommodations. Reasonable requests for appropriate academic adjustments will be granted. All requests are treated confidentially.

International applicant requirements

In addition to all the above requirements, international applicants must have:

• A degree comparable to an approved U.S. bachelor's degree (World Education Services evaluation of foreign transcripts)
• Quality of work high enough to warrant admission
• Evidence of adequate financial resources for the duration of the program

Applicants whose native language is not English and who have not completed all their undergraduate work in English, must provide Test of English as a Second Language scores that are current within the past two years. Preferred scores are: 92 TOEFL iBT, 9.5 TOEFL Essentials.

Further information for international students is available from the International Student Services website.

If you are offered admission

If you are offered admission, you must do the following to accept a position in our program:

1. Complete a UW-Madison DPT Program supplemental application and pay the $75 application fee (university admission is guaranteed)
2. Complete the WI Record of Residency form
3. Sign a program enrollment agreement
4. Pay a non-refundable $500 program deposit, which is applied toward your first semester tuition

Compliance

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program complies with all federal and state laws and university policies, including affirmative action and equal opportunity.

Transfer students

Due to the highly integrated and longitudinal natures of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health's health profession programs' curricula, beginning immediately upon matriculation, transfer students are not accepted. Written petition for exception must clearly document that the transferring student's education can only be completed at the School of Medicine and Public Health and must state why the student's original institution cannot fulfill the training needs of the student.

Usa Dpt Where Do My References Send Their Letters

Source: https://www.med.wisc.edu/education/physical-therapy-program/how-to-apply/

Share this post