scholarly journals Mismatch between the proposed ability concepts of the Graduate Record Examination and the critical thinking skills of physical therapy applicants suggested by an expert panel in the United States

Author(s):  
Emily Shannon Hughes

Purpose: The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a general examination predictive of success in US-based graduate programs. Used to assess students’ written, mathematical, and critical thinking (CT) skills, the GRE is utilized for admission to approximately 85% of US physical therapist education (PTE) programs. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the CT skills measured by the GRE match those deemed by an expert panel as the most important to assess for PTE program acceptance.Methods: Using a modified E-Delphi approach, a 3-phase survey was distributed over 8 weeks to a panel consisting of licensed US physical therapists with expertise on CT and PTE program directors. The CT skills isolated by the expert panel, based on Facione’s Delphi report, were compared to the CT skills assessed by the GRE.Results: The CT skills supported by the Delphi report and chosen by the expert panel for assessment prior to acceptance into US PTE programs included clarifying meaning, categorization, and analyzing arguments. Only clarifying meaning matched the CT skills from the GRE.Conclusion: The GRE is a test for general admission to graduate programs, lacking context related to healthcare or physical therapy. The current study fails to support the GRE as an assessment tool of CT for admission to PTE programs. A context-based admission test evaluating the CT skills identified in this study should be developed for use in the admission process to predict which students will complete US PTE programs and pass the licensure exam.

Author(s):  
Jennifer C. Reneker ◽  
Kyra Weems ◽  
Vincent Scaia

This study was aimed at determining the effect of an integrated group balance class for community-dwelling older adults within entry-level physical therapist coursework on student perceptions of geriatric physical therapy and geriatric physical therapy education. Twenty-nine Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students, 21–33 years old, in their second year of coursework in 2012, participated in an integrated clinical experience with exposure to geriatric patients at an outpatient facility at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Akron, Ohio, USA. Student perceptions were collected before and after participation in the 8-week balance class. The Wilcoxon sign-ranked test was used to identify differences in perceptions after participation in the group balance class. Cohen’s d-values were calculated to measure the size of the pre-participation to post-participation effect for each measure. At the conclusion of the group class, the DPT students demonstrated an increase in positive perceptions of geriatric physical therapy in 8 measures, with small effect sizes (d=0.15–0.30). Two perceptions of geriatric physical therapy demonstrated a significant positive increase (P<0.05) with moderate effect sizes (d=0.47 and d=0.50). The students’ perceptions of geriatric education in the curriculum demonstrated a large positive effect for quality (d=1.68) and enjoyment (d=1.96). Positive changes were found in most of the perceptions of geriatrics and geriatric education after participation, suggesting that integrated clinical experiences with geriatric patients are an effective way to positively influence perceptions of physical therapist practice with older adults.


2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (11) ◽  
pp. 1014-1021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela W Duncan

Abstract Pamela W Duncan, PT, PhD, FAPTA Dr Duncan has actively participated in and contributed to physical therapist practice, physical therapist professional education, professional preparation of other health care providers, national policy development related to rehabilitation after stroke and aging, and scientific investigation. She has served several government appointments and provides leadership within several organizations. She served as co-chair of the Consensus Panel on Establishing Guidelines for Stroke Rehabilitation for the Agency for Health Care Policy, Research, and Education. She was a panel member on the National Institutes of Health's Total Hip Replacement Consensus Conference and served on the Strategic Planning Group for Stroke Research for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. She recently was appointed to serve on the Steering Committee of the Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and is currently on the Executive Leadership Council of the American Stroke Foundation and the Advisory Committee of the Canadian Stroke Network. She has served on committees and panels for the American Heart Association and was president of APTA's Neurology section. Dr Duncan's research activities focus on geriatric rehabilitation, stroke rehabilitation, and health outcomes measurement. She developed the Functional Reach Test, used to assess balance in older adults. In the past 20 years, she has received $13 million in research awards as principal investigator or co-investigator from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, American Heart Association, Department of Veteran's Affairs, and National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research and from multiple private funding sources. Dr Duncan has disseminated her research findings in more than 80 peer-reviewed articles in 20 different journals, and she has written a book and 12 book chapters. Dr Duncan's work has influenced the care and rehabilitation of patients in the United States and worldwide. Physical therapy education programs across the country incorporate her findings and professional vision into the preparation of the next generation of physical therapists. APTA has awarded Dr Duncan the Marian Williams Award for Research in Physical Therapy, the Catherine Worthingham Fellowship Award, and the Mary McMillan Scholarship Award. She has also received research awards from the APTA Neurology Section, Sports Physical Therapy Section, and Section on Geriatrics, as well as a service award from the Neurology Section. She is an elected fellow of the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association and has given 8 invited lectureships at universities across the United States.


2019 ◽  
Vol 152 (6) ◽  
pp. 370-375
Author(s):  
Erin Davis ◽  
Richard Braha ◽  
Shannon McAlorum ◽  
Debbie Kelly

The move from a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy to a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, both in the United States and in Canada, has been accompanied by a general move towards increased prepharmacy admission requirements and longer pharmacy programs. Historically, the most thoroughly researched pharmacy admissions variables include grade point average (GPA), Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT), interviews and critical thinking tests. Most programs now require a combination of academic (GPA ± PCAT) and nonacademic characteristics (e.g., interviews, volunteering, critical thinking tests, essays). This review focuses on GPA and the PCAT as academic admissions measures and the interview (both traditional and the multiple mini-interview) and critical thinking tests as nonacademic measures. There is evidence that prepharmacy GPA, the PCAT and admissions interviews are correlated with academic success in a pharmacy program. Repeating a prepharmacy course is a negative predictor of academic success. The multiple mini-interview and various critical thinking tests have been studied in pharmacy admissions, but the evidence to date does not support their use for predicting success. Several areas require further research, including finding an effective measure of reasoning and critical thinking skills. The relationship between admission test scores and clinical performance also requires further study, as academic achievement in pharmacy programs has been the main measure of success to date.


2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (11) ◽  
pp. 1511-1519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kendra L Harrington ◽  
Esther M Haskvitz

Abstract Background and Purpose. Constipation is a prevalent condition in the United States, with typical treatment consisting of diet modification, stool softeners, and laxatives. These interventions, however, are not always effective. The purpose of this case report is to describe the use of abdominal massage in physical therapist management for a patient with constipation. Case Description. An 85-year-old woman with constipation was referred for physical therapy following unsuccessful treatment with stool softeners. The patient was instructed in bowel management as well as a daily, 10-minute home abdominal massage program. Outcomes. Upon re-examination, the patient reported a return of normal bowel frequency and function without the need to strain or use digital evacuation. Discussion. Physical therapy incorporating abdominal massage appeared to be helpful in resolving this patient's constipation. Unlike medical management of constipation, no known side effects have been identified with abdominal massage. [Harrington KL, Haskvitz EM. Managing a patient's constipation with physical therapy. Phys Ther. 2006;86:1511–1519.]


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nhung Thi Tuyet Pham

Over the past several years, various stakeholders have continued to express concerns about the quality of U.S. higher education. Under the accountability and transparency pressures, institutions must provide evidence of student learning, especially the value of general education programs upon graduation. Therefore, a case study at a U.S. comprehensive university was conducted to assess five general education competency skills (written, oral, quantitative literacy, critical thinking and information literacy). To facilitate “close the loop” conversations with faculty and committees, in addition to descriptive analysis, the university disaggregated the assessment data in a non-traditional way by examining the relationship of student factors (race, year and college) and student learning. The researcher used ANCOVA and ANOVA to identify significant differences. Results indicated year and race were related to student outcomes, except for critical thinking skills. The researcher provided suggestions for use of the study’s findings to close the loop in the general education program.


2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Genevieve Pinto Zipp ◽  
Valerie Olson

Effective mentorship is demonstrated in a variety of venues. Good mentors lead students on a journey that forever changes the ways in which they think and act, and consists of different and diverse experiences. Acknowledging faculty beliefs regarding mentorship and instruction is important to understanding why mentors select and implement specific strategies throughout the mentee’s academic tenure. The purposes of this paper are first, to describe the “Layered Learning Mentorship Model (LLMM)” presented in the Department of Graduate Programs in Heath Sciences curriculum; second, to provide an understanding of how the LLMM was developed so as to promote critical thinking skills in graduate students; third, to provide educators with an understanding of the tools essential for the integration of critical thinking opportunities at all levels of doctoral education; and finally, to assess student and faculty perceptions regarding the use of LLMM.


2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-108
Author(s):  
Kelly McGonigal

Matthew J. Taylor, PT, PhD, RYT was elected president of the board of directors for IAYT in February 2008. He has 27 years of clinical experience in physical therapy and is a leader in integrating Yoga with Western approaches to rehabilitation and therapy. He received his Masters of Physical Therapy degree from Baylor University in 1981, and served as a physical therapist and active duty Army Medical Specialist officer in the United States Army from 1980 through 1988. In 1988, he left the military and opened a private physical therapy practice in Galena, Illinois. In 1995, he expanded his physical therapy practice into an integrated clinic and health club. He became a certified, advanced-level Integrative Yoga Therapy therapist in 1998, and in 2006, he completed his PhD in transformational learning and change thorough the California Institute of Integral Studies. In 2003, he founded the Dynamic Systems Rehabilitation (DSR) clinics in Scottsdale, AZ. The clinic offers therapy and wellness services that integrate classical Yoga, physical therapy, and modern transformation learning theory. He has been an IAYT board member since February 2007 and is IAYT's representative for the Academic Consortium for Complementary and Alternative Health Care. Matt sat down with us to discuss his perspective on Yoga therapy, IAYT, and some possibilities for the future of both.


Author(s):  
Trevor Thomas Stewart

This chapter employs a dialogic, sociocultural perspective to describe ways teacher educators can support teacher candidates as they develop the critical thinking skills needed to make the transition from student to teacher in contemporary classrooms in the United States. Data from a longitudinal qualitative study are used to examine the utility of problem-posing seminars and subsequent reflection as tools that can help English teacher candidates embrace the tension they encounter as competing ideologies both complicate and nurture their efforts to enact a student-centered framework for teaching. Specifically, participants' reflections on their efforts to employ dialogic approaches to teaching are explored in the context of standardized curricula and classroom settings. Data suggest that making dialogue and reflection key facets of teacher education programs creates conditions for critical thinking and creativity to flourish.


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