An important component of the curriculum is for the students to develop their professional communication and clinical decision-making skills and to develop as a reflective practitioner. As one means to accomplish this each student delivers three professional patient case
study presentations (fall and spring of 2nd year and the spring of the 3rd year) using current technology and resources. The patient cases are obtained from the students' clinical practicum and affiliation experiences (
Clinical Education
)
These case studies provide the student with the opportunity to integrate didactic knowledge with clinical applications. These presentations are a requirement for the Clinical Judgment and Integration Seminar courses (link to full
curriculum
).
In addition, the students participate in peer and self-assessment activities through the process of critiquing presentations given by self and classmates to improve critical thinking, clinical decision-making, and presentation skills.
Student Comments:
"(The) Clinical Judgment and Integration (course) has allowed me
to not only reflect upon my own clinical experiences but has also
allowed me to share my own learning experiences with my peers. It has
served to prepare me for case presentations and patient rounds in the
clinical setting. It is also a great opportunity to learn from my
classmates information or a technique that I might not have been exposed
to during my own clinical affiliations."
- Daniel Witkowski, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Class of 2014.
“The clinical judgment case presentations have been very
enlightening because they have given me insight into what my classmates
have been experiencing during their clinical affiliations. During my
clinical affiliations, I more than likely will not have the opportunity
to treat a patient with temporomandibular joint dysfunction after brain
surgery or a pediatric patient with Down Syndrome in the school setting
but, because of the fascinating case presentations my peers have shared,
I have been exposed to many different clinical situations I would
otherwise not have been”. - Erin Dean, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Class of 2014