Utica College Physical Therapy Residency Move Means More Opportunities for Students

Utica College Physical Therapy Residency Move Means More Opportunities for Students

UTICA, N.Y., Dec. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Utica College's highly acclaimed Post-Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy (PPtDPT) program is expanding its opportunities as the college moves the program's residency to Sarasota, Fla. next month.

The unique program, designed specifically for licensed physical therapy professionals seeking a doctoral degree, features coursework delivered via a convenient online format, with a single residency component traditionally held on the college's upstate N.Y. campus. 

For the first time, the college will host the DPT residency in the state-of-the-art Center for Innovation and Technology at the Lakewood Ranch campus of the State College of Florida. The residency, scheduled for Jan. 5-8, will feature keynote speaker Dr. R. Scott Ward, president of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). 

Highly qualified professionals from across the globe seek out Utica College's world-class faculty and the highly flexible yet comprehensive curriculum to augment their clinical knowledge and earn a doctoral degree, offering graduates the opportunity to thrive in an increasingly-competitive field.  The residency acts as a unifying event bringing students, faculty and current professionals together to discuss the latest practices, trends, and topics in the field of physical therapy. 

 Ward, who has served as the president of the APTA since 2006, will open the program with the keynote address.  He currently serves as chair of the division of physical therapy at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, in addition to practicing at the University Hospital's burn center.  Ward has been honored with accolades such as the APTA's Lucy Blair Service Award (1999) and the Barbara Knothe Burn Therapists Achievement Award from the American Burn Association (2003).  His address will provide UC students with the opportunity to learn from and network with one of the most prominent figures in their field.

The decision to move the residency from the UC campus to Sarasota comes as a result of many factors, all of which pointed to the Sarasota location being the most opportune setting for the program. 

Dr. James C. Brown, vice president for strategic initiatives at Utica College, said "Moving the January residency to Sarasota is the first part of a multi-faceted approach to expand our health care education opportunities to a broader scale. Our students come from all over the U.S. – as well as other countries - and this location has been identified as one that offers many benefits." 

"The campus is strategically located between Ft. Meyers and Tampa along the Interstate 75 corridor, allowing our operations to be easily serviced by three major airports, making domestic and international travel much easier," he added.

Without the fear of winter weather delaying or preventing students and other participants, organizers can focus on building the program around a diverse and comprehensive schedule, as well as recruiting many physical therapy professionals to the event to expand networking opportunities. 

The move comes in part as an acknowledgment of the geographically and academically diverse student body enrolled in Utica College's online and non-traditional programs, and their demand for education that combines the highest quality academics with universal ease of access. 

College president Dr. Todd S. Hutton recognizes the need amongst non-traditional students and working professionals seeking further education, and believes unique offerings like the online Doctor of Physical Therapy program meet those requests.

"By offering doctoral degree programs in an online format, coupled with residency programs attracting world-class talent, Utica College is once again answering the need expressed by online and non-traditional students to expand our highly successful educational offerings to meet an ever-increasing global demand," Hutton said.

In addition, said Brown, this move opens the door for Utica College to expand its health care offerings not only to the Southeast, but to the Caribbean, Dominican Republic and South America. Brown anticipates adding executive format academic offerings in the future.

Utica College offers a bachelor's degree in health studies, as well as entry-level and post-professional doctoral degree programs in physical therapy.  To learn more about the physical therapy program at Utica College, visit www.utica.edu/pptdpt.

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SOURCE Utica College