School of Health Professions

Doctor of Physical Therapy clinical experience

Our program includes 30 weeks of full-time clinical affiliations and a four-week specialty clinical rotation.  

Our director of clinical education organizes student rotations so that not all students are doing the three rotations in the same sequence. For example, some students are doing acute care as their first rotation, while others are doing outpatient orthopaedics and others are in the rehabilitation setting. 

We take into account student preferences with regard to location and site requirements. In-town locations are given as a priority to married students with families, however, all students are instructed to be flexible due to availability of clinical sites.

Students will do one 10-week rotation in each of three settings that include an acute care hospital setting, a rehabilitation setting with focus upon management of patients with neurological disorders and finally in an orthopedic outpatient setting. Students can work in facilities in Texas or at other locations in the United States. 

Specialty internships include areas in which students may want additional exposure. Such areas are pediatrics, geriatrics, administration, international physical therapy, sports medicine, adult neurological management and other options, which are based upon student interest.