Frequently Asked Questions

Before making the choice of where to go to school, here are some questions that you should ask. These questions come from our own first year students.

Academic Questions

What are the student/professor relationships like?

This is an important component for students in any professional curriculum, since you are learning a profession from practitioners and role models in the field. Thus, besides being an expert in a particular subject, faculty members are also members of the profession that you are training for. You will want opportunities outside of the classroom to speak with faculty, and discuss aspects of the profession, career opportunities and specialty areas of interest.

At the University of Miami, faculty are always available to students and are actively engaged in the profession in many different ways: holding regional, state or national offices or appointments in the APTA. They are also very involved in community service, and work along side students in projects such as Habitat for Humanity, Junior Orange Bowl Sports Ability Games, Miami-Marquette Challenge, Annual Wheelchair Challenge, Shake-a-Leg, Inc. of Miami, National Handicapped Sports and the Paralympic Games. They can also be found with the students on intercollegiate softball games between local PT programs on occasion.

What is the licensure pass rate of the graduates?

While only one indicator of quality of an educational program, the pass rate on the national licensure examination is (and should be) an important part of a prospective student’s assessment of the program. Success on the national examination vary widely, with the mean pass rate for all CAPTE accredited programs in the U.S. being approximately 80% (2000 Biennial Accreditation Report Data, Department of Accreditation, APTA).

At the University of Miami, we have a 5 year pass rate of 96% for first-time takers of the examination by our graduates. From 1988-1995, our pass rate was 99%. For more information, visit the National Physical Therapy Examination website.

What specialties are represented by the faculty?

Because PT is such a diverse profession with many different clinical specialties, it is important that a faculty reflect those different areas of expertise in order to prepare the practitioner of the future. In keeping with the Guide to Physical Therapy Practice, the four major elements of the patient/client management model are musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, integumentary and neuromuscular - all of these specialty areas should be reflected in a PT faculty.

At the University of Miami, we have faculty members who are Board Certified Clinical Specialists in Cardiopulmonary, Geriatric, Pediatric, Orthopaedic, and Sports Physical Therapy. Additionally, faculty expertise is notable in sub-specialty areas of Orthopaedics, Spine, Pediatrics, Neurology, Geriatrics, Amputee Rehabilitation, Kinesiology and Biomechanics, Vestibular Rehabilitation, Spinal Cord Injury, Electrophysiology and Women’s Health.

What kind of electives are available?

Electives, while not a major element in most PT programs due to the rigor of the professional preparation for an autonomous generalist practitioner, are nevertheless important for an introduction to specialized areas of practice beyond entry level. Electives are usually found in areas of faculty or guest faculty expertise and enable a student to gain a broader understanding of a specialized area of practice that is not usually found in entry level education.

At the University of Miami, there are 25 elective courses in specialty areas such as private practice management, wellness, sports physical therapy, recreational activities for the disabled, women’ health, interdisciplinary pediatric assessment, the foot, complementary therapies, etc. (See List of Electives).

What are the hours of faculty and the facility?

Sometimes it is important to know when faculty are available and where they are located. Many students also like to be able to study in a comfortable place, have access to the laboratory to practice skills, or use the library to study in the evening.

At the University of Miami, all the classrooms, student library and faculty offices and labs are located in the same building. General operating hours of the facility are from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., which is when faculty can be found in their offices, research labs or in the faculty practice on site. Enrolled students also have 24 hour availability to the Student Floor, which contains the classrooms, labs, computer rooms, student library, etc. Faculty also can be reached via email at any time.

Professional Questions

Are the professors active in the profession?

Limited research has shown that an active faculty promotes increased professionalism in its students. Beyond merely membership in the professional association, the APTA, active participation and leadership indicate a strong professional commitment on the part of the faculty member and also a strong role model for students.

At the University of Miami, nearly all faculty at one time or another have held national office in one of the Section of the APTA (Education, Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Neurology, Orthopaedics, Sports, Electrophysiology, Acute Care, Cardiopulmonary), or at the state or regional level. Many have also held national appointments (CAPTE Site visitor, Commissioner on CAPTE, Advisory Panels, Task Forces, etc.). And many have received some of the highest honors for Service from the Sections or the APTA.

Miscellaneous Questions

What kinds of extracurricular activities are there? Is there a student recreation center?

There is a life beyond the classroom! Having an outlet for physical exercise and wellness activities is increasingly important to all Americans. At the University of Miami, we have the George Smathers Wellness Center. For specific information about this, go to the George Smathers Wellness Center website

Is there a “Help line” for prospective students?

No one likes a run-around or playing phone-tag. It is important to have a readily available person with whom to speak with about most of your concerns as a potential student.

At the University of Miami, we have an office of Student Services, who handle all questions from prospective students, as well as current students and alumni. If they do not have an answer, they will forward your question to a faculty member or the Director of the program for the information. Telephone and fax number, as well as email addresses are found in the Contact section.