DPT clinical education is the second pillar of knowledge and skill acquisition supporting the DPT degree.
Integrated Clinical Education (ICE) courses occur in both semesters of the first year of study, and the spring semester of the second year of study. ICE courses are designed to allow students to be exposed to clinical practice under the supervision of licensed PT clinical faculty at a clinical partner site one afternoon per week while they are also learning in the classroom so that students are able to integrate classroom learning and clinical application in real-time.
During each of four full-time clinical experiences, students are expected to apply skills learned in the classroom to real patients in a real clinic setting under the supervision of a licensed PT clinical instructor. By the end of the 30 total weeks of full-time clinical experiences, it is expected that the student is able to exhibit entry-level clinical performance in any general practice setting. All four clinical education affiliations provide a complete and well-rounded educational experience.