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Course Descriptions - BS in Health Sciences

The BS/DPT curriculum in the physical therapy program at SUNY Downstate consists of 132.5 credits of physical therapy professional courses. This includes 42 credits at the undergraduate level, and 90.5 credits at the graduate level.

The following are descriptions of the Undergraduate Physical Therapy professional courses.

PHTH 3201 Professional Development I

This course covers the psychosocial manifestations of disability, issues related to professionalism, ethics, patient rights, and physical therapy practice. The following topics will be explored: history and development of the profession, legal and ethical aspects of physical therapy practice, The Guide to PT Practice, professional and ethical patient care responsibilities, interpersonal communication, the ADA and issues surrounding people with disabilities. In an off-campus assignment, students will measure the accessibility of a public facility in NYC and compare their findings to ADA guidelines.

Lecture/discussion. Summer. 1.5 credits

PHTH 3302 Patient/Client Management I

This course will introduce the key concepts needed for patient/client interactions for the practicing clinician, including documentation and patient-clinician communication. In addition, students will investigate the best evidence for complementary and integrative therapeutic interventions and the role of the physical therapist in administering and supervising hands-on interventions. Laboratory experiences focus on the process of using the hands-on intervention of therapeutic touch (i.e. massage) to help facilitate the restoration of function and the reduction of pain. Students learn to design goals and plans of care and select and administer hands-on therapies based upon current evidence, the needs of the individual and the results of patient/client examination and evaluation. Conceptual frameworks for clinical decision-making models are discussed along with the need for appropriate and thorough documentation.

Lecture/laboratory/discussion. Fall. 2.5 credits

PHTH 3304 Physical Therapy Examination I

This laboratory course is taught concurrently with Kinesiology lecture, and is designed to provide students with an opportunity to integrate the lecture's theoretical concepts with "hands on" practical application of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular tests and measures that form the foundation of physical therapy examination. This course covers specific musculoskeletal and neuromuscular tests and measures including goniometry, manual muscle testing, sensory testing, deep tendon reflex testing, posture evaluation, gait analysis, and select musculoskeletal special tests. Issues of reliability, validity, sensitivity and specificity will be addressed with all examination techniques.

Laboratory. Fall. 1.5 credits

PHTH 3402 Patient/Client Management II

In this course, students discuss, identify, select, and implement basic patient care strategies and techniques related to range of motion, transfers, ambulation with assistive devices, strength, endurance, plyometric and flexibility training, basic care skills in acute care settings and use of therapeutic exercise equipment. Students critically evaluate and practice ways to maximize the relationship between the patient/client and therapist, educate others and assure efficient posture and body mechanics/ ergonomics of both parties. Students apply the patient/client management model, preferred practice patterns, and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as part of clinical decision-making in this basic skills course. This course provides a foundation for the learning of therapeutic exercise, which will be further integrated in the musculoskeletal physical therapy courses. The learning format of this class is lecture, laboratory, clinical observation, role-playing, case-based learning, and discussion.

Lecture/laboratory/discussion. Fall. 3.0 credits

PHTH 3205 Pathology

Basic disease processes and functional impairments are studied in correlation with their anatomical substrates; major emphasis is on the cardiovascular/pulmonary, neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems. This is a foundational science course, which builds upon previous study of anatomy and physiology, and concurrent knowledge being learned in the Medical Sciences course. Pathology provides an important background for study of the clinical sciences and physical therapy professional courses. Students learn through interactive lecture and textbook readings.

Lecture. Spring. 2.0 credits

PHTH 3206 Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy I

This course will develop the student's clinical decision-making skills and ability to appropriately screen, examine, evaluate, develop and implement physical therapy plans of care for people who have musculoskeletal dysfunctions. In this lecture/laboratory course, the student will critically review the theory and practice of orthopedic physical therapy with emphasis on methods of examination, evaluation, and interventions for the spine and  extremities. The student will also have an opportunity to observe musculoskeletal examination and intervention in a physical therapy clinic.

Lecture/laboratory/Clinical Preceptorship. Spring. 3.0 credits

PHTH 3207 Principles of Education in Physical Therapy

This course covers the study and application of teaching techniques as applied to the practice of physical therapy.  There will be opportunities to design home programs and to discuss issues of patient adherence to physical therapy programs.  Students will also have the opportunity to develop skill in preparing and presenting teaching modules to various target audiences.  The clinical education of the physical therapy student will be addressed including preparation for their future role as a clinical instructor and challenges they might face in the clinical or workplace environment.

Discussion/laboratory. Spring. 2.0 credits.

PHTH 3401 Physical Therapy Examination II

This course is designed to integrate the neuromuscular tests and measures covered in Physical Therapy Examination I into a patient evaluation that leads to a diagnosis based on subjective and objective evidence. The elimination of biases and errors in the clinical decision-making process and the role of the examiner as an instrument in the physical therapy patient examination process will be covered, with an emphasis on performing the subjective examination. This course will also provide an introduction to the differential diagnosis of sensory complaints by integrating the "MRS" process into the objective examination. Concepts such as cerebral perfusion pressure, mean arterial pressure, intracranial pressure, cerebral autoregulation and the pathophysiology underlying the onset of upper motor signs in traumatic brain injury will also be covered. This course will also cover specific neuromuscular tests and measures including, but not limited to, cutaneous sensory testing, the King-Devick Test, Sensory Organization Testing, the Berg Balance Test, the Multidirectional Reach Test, the Timed Up and Go Test, the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, the Standards for Classification of Neurologic Injury (ASIA) and the Glasgow Coma Scale.

Lecture/laboratory/discussion. Spring 1.0 credit