Mapping Domestic and International Experiential Learning Opportunities in United States-Based Physical Therapy Education Programs
Purpose/Hypothesis: An increasing number of DPT programs in the United States are organizing unique domestic and international learning experiences for students. To what extent is unknown. The purpose of this study is to better understand the types of experiences being offered in DPT programs, to what extent, and in what locations around the world during the 2017-2018 academic year. The investigators will use this information to better understand the global and domestic experimental learning efforts of DPT programs in the United States and to create a database that will be made accessible by the APTA to the public
Number of Subjects: A total of 109 DPT programs participated
Materials and Methods: A common list of definitions encompassing the wide variety of service, learning, and clinical experiences was created by a consensus of GH leaders and used to frame a survey that was initially piloted to 10 DPT programs. The survey was then distributed via email to the APTA’s list of 243 accredited DPT programs. Follow-up emails were sent after 2, 4, 7, and 11 weeks. A total of 125 surveys were returned and 16 were discarded for duplicative or incomplete data.
Results: During the 2017-2018 academic year, 93.4% of the schools surveyed offered domestic and/or international experiential learning experiences in 60 different countries and 6 continents around the world. As many as 74.3% offered service-learning experiences (SL), 48.6% offered service experiences (SE), 39.5% offered international clinical education (ICE), and 32.1% offered international broadening experiences (IBE). Of the students who had these opportunities available to them, 61.6% participated in SE compared to 56.4% for SL, 15% for IBE and 7.4% for ICE. Most experiences outside the United States occurred in high and upper middle income countries with Latin America and the Caribbean being the most prevalent. Outcome measures for these experiences were collected by 79.4% with the majority of measures focusing on student performance.
Conclusions: DPT programs are offering unique learning and service opportunities both domestically and abroad. A high percentage of students are taking advantage of these opportunities.
Clinical Relevance: With a high percentage of DPT students serving in local communities and visiting almost a third of the countries around the world on an annual basis, great opportunity exists. This information, along with the creation of a database accessible to the public, will provide greater awareness, facilitate collaboration, and unify institutional efforts resulting in a greater potential for learning and significant impact within communities around the world.