University of Delaware PT program

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Hey SDN,
I got an invite for an interview with UD, and I'm asking if anyone had any thoughts on the program. I know that UD is ranked 4th in the nation for PT schools, but I wanted to know of any other opinions.

Thanks!

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I am curious as well. For such a highly ranked program I have not heard much of it. The faculty & students seemed outstanding during the interview & I enjoy the small town hospitality New Arc has to offer.

The cost of attendance is a bit high ~89,000 but i feel that a less duration (2.5 yrs) would compensate for that even without student assisstantship.

Anyone has any info or advice? Thanks!
 
I was very thrown off by the whole interview process. What I gained:
-all classes in that same ONE classroom the entire time
-95% of the students went to Delaware for undergrad
-the chairman said he wished their program was more like PITT

They didn't really sell it will to me...anyone else feel this way as well?
 
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Program certainly is well regarded. They can have good funding depending on your interests. I know of a valuable poster on these boards from what I can tell is in the program.
Oh, program is cheap for those very few Delawarean residents.. Half price 😉 OOS is a 90k though.

Interesting to hear your Pitt comment.

I'm not sure I'd want to live in a college town for 3-5 years again, neat experience in undergrad, but idk, I'm not sure about the doct route for career goals. 😳
 
Hi – I am currently a first year student at UD and have some comments. Yes, many of our classes (not all but many) are in the main classroom in our lab building. Also located in this building are all of the professor’s offices, the outpatient clinic, multiple state of the art research labs, the cadaver lab and multiple study areas and conference rooms. While things like this are a personal preference, I would much rather attend a program with a centrally located PT department then have to trek all over around a large campus after each class to get to the next and to different buildings to track down professors. Here our faculty and many of the teaching assistants are always around with their doors open, eager to talk things out, eager to educate. Seriously – it’s like that.


There has been a change to the tuition policy at UD. There is no longer an in/out of state tuition rate – it is the same for all. Some students get GA or TA positions and this assists with cost.


I don’t know what “they have good funding depending on your interests” means so it’s hard to speak to this point. I do know that it is definitely a leading university for research in this field (and similar fields like biomechanics, etc) and so there is a lot of opportunity to get involved with research should that be an interest. I am not involved in research but find that I benefit from having what I believe are current published experts in the field giving me instruction and exposing me to the latest evidence. There are also a lot of visiting experts from neighboring PT programs that speak to us. We’ve had professors from U of MD and Arcadia and more.



Newark is a college town and it is also an industrial town. I would not enjoy living above a pizza jt on main street like an undergrad and so I don’t. I have a great apartment in a single family home with a nice yard and lovely neighbors and I can still bike to campus in 15 minutes. The town is not one big undergrad dorm J. Main st. has enough bars and restaurants to support a good time out anyway. Wilmington, DE is 20 away and has a somewhat more plentiful cultural offering and of course Philly is 45 min away and Baltimore 1 hour but if you are in the PT program you aren’t going to be worried about night life – you are going to be working your tail off studying every single solitary night. This program operates on a compressed schedule and I’m not saying it’s harder than other PT schools (how could I know) but it is a challenging program and you will dig in and work hard here. I like the caliber of their graduates and I aspired to be one of them – so I signed up. Also I like the idea that I will be out in the job market 6 months ahead of my fellow 3rd year DPT graduates from other Universities.



I also liked how the faculty has a team approach; they communicate with each other and have been working together for such a long time they know what we are getting in our other classes. Lessons are coordinated and tie in with each other.



Oh and I disagree that 90% of the students come from UD undergrad. My class is diverse - we have a few people right out of undergrad, UD and definitely many from out of state. We have a few in the mid 20’s, a few in mid 30’s, and 1 or 2 older than that. Some have exercise science, athletic trainer backgrounds – many are from other fields taking advantage of the entry level doctorate for this field.



Feel free to PM me and I’ll answer any further questions and I will be honest with you. I had some folks do that for me when I was making decisions and it was valuable so I want to do the same for others.
 
whoa, finally got more info on UDel 🙂 Thanks everyone, esp redirtgirl for your thorough introduction!

I did hear about the all-purpose room. Though personally I don't mind because I'm too lazy to move around b/w classes anyways. The PT building (Mckenly lab?) seems to be well-equipped & has a clinic in the lower floor.

I really enjoyed my meeting w/ everyone during my interview. There was certainly an unified atmosphere among the faculty & studetns & also cooperation b/w different departments. Although Dr Mcleod did not make the statement about Pitts during my interview I am curious about what he meant by that.

Lastly it looks like the 2014 class will consists of ~20-30% UDel graduate & the rest from various states.

Right now I'm just waiting for the official letter (which should contain info regarding financial aid/assistanceship info) to make my decision. I am very inclined toward UDel right now so most likely I will meet you in the near future redirtgirl 🙂 Right now I am most curious about the compressed schedule & how busy I would be if I take up 10 hrs of GA work in addition. Thank you & hope you are having a relaxing holiday!
 
redirtgirl, thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's nice to hear from someone in the program. Some quick things you pointed out.

There has been a change to the tuition policy at UD. There is no longer an in/out of state tuition rate – it is the same for all. Some students get GA or TA positions and this assists with cost.

That change you mention is true in a literal sense, but I doubt Delaware taxpayers are high and dry on their flagship state university. From your Philly location I'll assume it was your hometown/school before entering at UD. The initial flat tuition was true but, they also state the following:

"Effective July 2009, UD graduate school tuition is the same for residents and non-residents. owever, the Dean of the College of Health Science is awarding a 50% tuition scholarship for DPT students that are considered Delaware residents. The tuition rates below reflect the 50% scholarship."
http://www.udel.edu/PT/Study With Us/residenttuition.html

Say you went to UD for undergrad, that 50% scholarship by the dean is still there right? Still seems fair of a public uni. Everyone's charged the same but in reality scholarships equal in and out of state. My public undergrad did a similar policy with IS scholarships and an overall flat tuition, we had >30% OOS come. If you can say up front initial costs are the same for everyone, then more people don't feel bad for being OOS. I could be wrong here, if that website is wrong

Your program lists many forms of funding some programs only dream, I do not doubt that GA and TA spots exist.

I don't know what "they have good funding depending on your interests" means so it's hard to speak to this point. I do know that it is definitely a leading university for research in this field (and similar fields like biomechanics, etc) and so there is a lot of opportunity to get involved with research should that be an interest. I am not involved in research but find that I benefit from having what I believe are current published experts in the field giving me instruction and exposing me to the latest evidence. There are also a lot of visiting experts from neighboring PT programs that speak to us. We've had professors from U of MD and Arcadia and more.

Sorry if the point was vague, I was saying if you have interest in a terminal degree beyond the entry-level PT in a dual degree program your program offers what appears generous funding (due to NIH grants, ect.), which for these additional years I believe it should. Those who are in you program are fortunate for this, thus essentially the phrase of "if this is your interest, there's funding for it."

Your faculty and program is well regarded and ranked highly for a reason, you should be proud. 😀
 
I did not go to UD for undergrad and my state of residence is not DE so I am paying full price and taking out 100% of available loans I might add. That being said, out of state tuition for UD and instate tuition for Temple and/Jeff are comparable. THAT is what is really insane. Newark is a cheap town to live in, I'm making it work without eating ramen every night 🙂 I am not sure if the 50% scholarship situation will apply once the current recipients have graduated. In other words, they couldn't screw over the residents right in the middle of their education - but for new students coming in, I'm curious if they are getting the scholarship. I want to say they are not but am open to correction on this point.

I am not sure what Dr. B-M said, seeing as he is a very very long standing faculty member, current chair of our dept. and pretty much the star researcher (and fund receiver) at UD in PT it is challenging me to hear that he insinuated going to Pitt over UD would be better. Perhaps he made an unclear statement? Bygones - this is a small pt.

I can say though that what I am learning from academia in general and from friends in grad school in other fields - schools pretty much pay you to do your research or help out someone else with theirs. Something I wish I knew just a little bit earlier...

As far as carrying a GA - I won't lie, it's challenging. It's done all the time however and people make it work and if it's really too much for you - you could drop it. It takes a significant bite out of the finances so it is worth it and just like anything else, I'm sure you just get into the swing of it.

GA and TA spots open up sometimes even after acceptance letters go out - be aware. They are highly sought after but they absolutely exist - a handful of my class work these jobs - they are not mythical - though don't ask me how the recipients are determined...

Any other questions?

Happy New Year and best of luck no matter what you choose.
 
I know that a lot has been said on this post already but maybe I can clarify a few things. I have been accepted at both Pitt and U Del.

Speaking to the fact that Dr. B-M suggested Pitt is a better program. I have been through both the open house and interview at U Del. What I recall Dr. B-M saying is that if he could change something about the program it would be the facilities. He openly admits they are not the best and that they had to sacrifice additional teaching space for valuable research equipment. As for U Del being an inferior program, I don't think he meant it in that way.

After visiting Pitt I would agree that the facilities are for nicer at U Del. However, I did not get the same energy from the faculty or staff that was present at U Del. IMO either program is excellent. Both focus heavily on clinical education and have fantastic reputations.

For me though I am leaning towards Pitt b/c the overall cost is less expensive and all things being equal money wins my vote. But it was really hard to come to that conclusion b/c U Del was my top pick when I set out on this journey.
 
I think getting a feel from a visit is really important. It is actually why I chose UD over 2 other schools that were close to my apartment at the time and were in state! I was very impressed with the way the faculty seemed to have worked together for a zillion years - knowing what each other taught, working as a team to teach us really. I felt their energy as educators as well as clinicians/researchers. Bottom line, they really impressed me and I wanted an opportunity to have those people giving me my foundation in physical therapy. I don't know what to say about facilities - we have amazing research equipment in labs and in clinic - I personally don't care what my classroom looks like. It's a classroom. It has desks, chairs and multiple flat screens so no matter where you sit you can see the powerpoint. I visited a school in another town and the main classroom stunk like a locker room/pool since it was near the workout facilities for the school. I can't explain why but this turned me off. To each his/her own!

Also the university just spent a gazillion dollars buying a Chrysler plant down the street and plan on making it into a science campus so perhaps the dept will move in a year or two. I don't know, don't care. I really like being in one building as stated above - I guess I'm lazy 🙂

Best of luck - I hope you enjoy Pitt!

To hefe: be forewarned, instate tuition is not always less than out of state. Should be. Isn't.
 
I am in-state PA. At Pitt that doesn't matter too much.....something like 4k each year. What makes it less than U Del is the 15k they give you in your final year when you are on full-time clinicals. That helps a good bit to lower the cost.

At this point I am still undecided and I think everything that was said about the faculty at U Del is spot on. That was why I fell in love with it in the first place.

Good luck in making your decision!
 
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It's great to hear fellow applicants and students views/reasoning on why they choose their respective schools. 🙂 These schools mentions are among the best in the field, and have great vision. I'm sure they produce very knowledgeable clinicians, regardless!

I hate to admit, I'm slightly biased on my preferences. I hope most on this forum don't think I'm completely a stingy ba****d on my education. :laugh:
The way I project online, is merely to be aware and think of the subject among other things... My plans after education may be different than others, so I respect it.

fisher29er: You're right not that great of difference at what I calculate ~$16,000 over 3 yrs for IS/OS given that it's partially public and private institution. That was just close enough for to go over the edge, after heavy thought. The 15,000 stipend for your final internships is nice, and IMO unique to Pitt's program.

I'm at the point where I've pretty much elected a GA at my IS school few slots down, since I'd like the research and financial enrichment it would offer.

Best of luck to you in your pursuits at UD and Pitt. 👍
 
For the record, I think it makes a HELL of a lot more sense to go to the least expensive school you can get into (and want to go to). I think the US News Rankings are quite unimportant and don't really give you a sense of the quality of a PT program. It is absolutely about what each individual has planned for themselves and what they can get out of a particular school that can further their lives, their careers. If you show up at a job and are a good clinician nobody will care where you got your piece of paper. Props to anyone who resists the hype and makes smart financial moves. Seriously.
 
I got an offer to interview at UD...how's the interview process at UD? Are they conversational or do they interrogate you?
 
I got an offer to interview at UD...how's the interview process at UD? Are they conversational or do they interrogate you?

Interview day is pretty nice actually. You get to meet the faculty and see them interact with each other which had a lot of value for me personally when I did it. You get a feel for the vibe of the place, get to speak to students without the staff around to ask your questions, get a tour of the department and it's facilities, get fed pizza (we get your leftovers so we love this) and what I think is SO cool is that you are attend a grand rounds class where the 1st and 2nd years gather and a physical therapist either on staff or visiting presents a case and asks clicker questions of the audience to test our knowledge. The cases are usually very interesting, give a real insight into what real PTs do and how they think and also give you a feel for just how good the education at UD is. It's pretty impressive I think. Yes - you are interviewed in a conversational manner. Everybody wins, you truly are our department's honored guests that day hopefully pushing you towards wanting to come to our school and at the same time, decision makers have an opportunity to feel out who is the best fit for our program. Congratulations on getting an interview - it is an accomplishment and you are so close to the END of the application process (horray!)

My advice which you don't have to take, is be relaxed and above all don't try too hard. A warm, authentic smile, a comfort level with yourself, good eye contact are all that is necessary. Just be personable and human enthusiastic - and do your homework. Learn about UD's program - spend time on the website and figure out why you want to go there and be prepared to explain it. It's better to ask one "good" question that has depth and took consideration then to show off by prattling off the contents of the website from your perfect photographic memory :laugh: You'll find out that being an uber-genius and over achiever is unremarkable around here! Enjoy the day and best of luck to you.
 
So they're not gonna grill me with hard questions the entire time? Conversation is great; I love chatting with people, but I'm not a huge fan of being the target of a million trick questions...
 
For the record, I think it makes a HELL of a lot more sense to go to the least expensive school you can get into (and want to go to). I think the US News Rankings are quite unimportant and don't really give you a sense of the quality of a PT program. It is absolutely about what each individual has planned for themselves and what they can get out of a particular school that can further their lives, their careers. If you show up at a job and are a good clinician nobody will care where you got your piece of paper. Props to anyone who resists the hype and makes smart financial moves. Seriously.

I believe you are totally correct. I was told this by a director of physical therapy at trauma hospital in NY. He said after your first job or your first year, no one will care where you went to school as long as you are licensed. He told me not to get caught up with rankings.
 
Oh, and another question...I know they have three rounds of interviews, but do they interview a ton of people each round? The invite made it sound like there would be a good number of students coming, but I feel like there can't be that many spots left by the third round...
 
Oh, and another question...I know they have three rounds of interviews, but do they interview a ton of people each round? The invite made it sound like there would be a good number of students coming, but I feel like there can't be that many spots left by the third round...

xctrackgirl2289, you sound a bit negative... perhaps you are just a bit stressed from the whole process? hang in there!

anyway - i'm not sure exactly how they figure it all out - you could straight up ask them and find out yourself! but i do believe they break it all up so they have a certain number of invitees per session per number of slots. they have to give offers to more than the number of slots and not everyone has accepted/declined by the 3rd round. i think what I am trying to say is they don't invite 20 people to campus for 3 slots - it's much more reasonable. i myself was a 3rd rounder.
 
Haha not so negative and surprisingly not all that stressed...just trying to figure out how this process works so I can be somewhat prepared and know what to expect 🙂
 
Hello all! I've got another question for anyone who knows about UDel PT. Can anyone give me more info about the integrated clinical experiences? This is what is really attracting me to the program. How many hours/week are you in the clinic, and are you pretty much on your own with patients or are the faculty right there to supervise? Thanks!
 
Where do most PT students live at UD? Are there affordable and safe options near the McKinley Lab?
 
Where do most PT students live at UD? Are there affordable and safe options near the McKinley Lab?

Yes. It's a college town. There are lots of apartment complexes, student houses and people renting rooms. The dept. is always updating lists on things like this - if you have been accepted just contact them. Also look on the UD classifieds and craigslist. Also when I was accepted our cohort set up a facbook group and people made arrangements to room together through there.
 
Just wonder who's attending UDel & if the class list for the incoming students (UDPT 2013) has been compiled.

So 2 months until the program starts & all I have gotten so far are the acceptance letter & information regarding associateship. Is it time to start panicking or should I sit back & relax, trusting that the department knows what they are doing.
 
@henohenoman - do not take this in a snarky way but what exactly are you looking for from the department at this point? I don't understand. Whatever you need, just contact them (Terri) and I'm sure they will be sure to help you. They certainly know what they are doing - the administrative staff in our department are seriously amazing. Get to know them, they rock!

What are you panicking about? What is going on with you that you aren't excited, you are stressed? If there is a question you have that I can answer, I will surely do so. Try and relax, you will have scholastic stress for the next 2.5 years, your only job as an incoming student is to be a beginner, have an open mind and to go with the flow - being freaked out before you even start isn't... y'know... gonna help 🙂

What do you need?
 
Hello all! I've got another question for anyone who knows about UDel PT. Can anyone give me more info about the integrated clinical experiences? This is what is really attracting me to the program. How many hours/week are you in the clinic, and are you pretty much on your own with patients or are the faculty right there to supervise? Thanks!

Hey I didn't see this earlier. When you are in a clinical experience either integrated (ICE) or out in the world on an affil, you have what is called a CI (clinical instructor) and they are assigned to mentor/monitor you. This is a standard in our field, not specific to this school so it's good terminology and concept to know about. Since you are a student, you need supervision. As you progress through the program the expectations for your level of independence obviously changes with your skill acquisition.

The CIs are sometimes faculty members who teach you in the classroom and sometimes they are graduate professional PTs that have been CI'ing (?) for many years in our clinic and as such have experience not only in PT but with students. I won't lie, it's challenging to be in clinic but working with patients is where you really learn and solidify the PT skills from classroom. This is true in any healthcare field in my opinion. As far as how many hours you are in clinic - it depends on your patient schedule and how fast you are with your documentation and how much time you put in to prepare for your patients. It's a good chunk of time but you streamline and optimize as your experience progresses and this is what happens in the real world anyway right? Hope this shed some light.
 
redirtgirl,

Thank you for your reply. I am not really panicking but just worried that I won't be able to secure my housing (along with other things such as immunization, CPR certificate, book plane ticket, move-in, etc) within the next month or two. I asked if I should panic or not simply because I haven't a slightest idea on what kind of time frame a PT departments normally operates on. Another program that I am accepted into starts during the fall and they've already sent out the class list, housing options, textbook list, etc. I'm sure every department is different but did you have trouble getting everything ready in less than 2 months or should I start looking at housing on my own?

Terri has been terrific & I've contacted her a few weeks ago about what to do next. She said that the they are still working on the class list. I'm sure everyone's busy right now so I don't want to bother her again. Your opinion is much appreciated.
 
CPR certification is taught here as part of your coursework. It's not something you need ahead of time believe me. We get CPR/AED, O2 admin and First Responder certifications within the program so don't even think about that one. Not sure what's going on with your immunizations but if you went to undergrad in the US i'm sure you have everything you need. My personal immunization situation was a mess as I had no proof of anything and all I really needed was an MMR titer and truthfully - I didn't even deal with it until Fall semester when the health center caught up with me and realized my records were blank. (Don't do this!)

If they are working on a class list they they can't send it till it's done but obviously it's up to you to find your housing for the year. Start a facebook group or get some emails from Terri. Not sure where you are coming from but you can do research on the various apt complexes online as well as the obvious craigslist. My point is that if your comfort level suggests you want to secure your housing now - then do it! I know that Terri has a list of suggested apts compiled - we have all been asked to contribute info to it - perhaps you just need to ask if you can't wait for it to be sent out to the group.

As far as textbooks - let me give you some advice. What you need for summer anatomy are anatomy atlases. Netters, etc. Look at the MD student forums and search the DPT forums for suggestions. Since you have time before class, perhaps you could get some good bargains at used book stores or in ebay auctions etc. they are expensive but they will be used throughout your scholastic and clinical career. I personally had like 3 of them and used them all summer. New atlases often have an online component with useful resources so you might jsut want to buy new ones. Your first semester here is all about gross anatomy. You have lectures, palpation classes and dissection all coordinated to teach you the same thing from a different angle and for different types of learners - gross anatomy.

What else? 🙂
 
redirtgirl,

Wow, that's exactly what I need. Thanks a lot for the detailed information! I'm glad that I don't have to worried about getting a CPR certificate prior to the program. As for my immunization record, although I went through my undergrad in US I don't recall getting any immunization here & all my older ones were done abroad. I should probably ask the Health Office which ones I need unless you happen to remember.

Also thank you for the book suggestion. I got the 4th edition of Netter's atlas & Gray's anatomy for students 2nd. How much would you say the anatomy class covered from the text?

I've checked out all the apartments within proximity n applied to the Conover apartment but haven't sent out my deposit yet. Chances are that they won't have any openings in late June so I'll have to look into other places. Someone seems to have already started a Facebook group. I assume that most of them are straight out of UDel Undergrad so many of them already have a place & are looking for roommates. The options are a little limited & most of them are female students so I'll prob need to wait for info on all the incoming OS students if I need a housemate. Btw on the fb page one of my future classmate mentioned that the program's starting date may be postponed. Have you heard anything about this?
 
redirtgirl,

Also thank you for the book suggestion. I got the 4th edition of Netter's atlas & Gray's anatomy for students 2nd. How much would you say the anatomy class covered from the text?

...

Btw on the fb page one of my future classmate mentioned that the program's starting date may be postponed. Have you heard anything about this?

Well considering you pretty much need to know every muscle, bone, nerve, and vessel in the human body from the inside and out I would say the entire atlas... LOL. Well, only sort of kidding 🙂 Don't sweat it - everyone is in the same boat. You study, you learn it. Anway - I have not heard anything about the program start date but then again, this wouldn't really be something I was in the loop for. I will tell you this though - you (or anyone else going to UDEL) needs to be flexible about this type of thing. Class times are changed or moved or canceled - it happens frequently. They do their absolute best and I would not categorize them as unorganized (at all) but they WILL move stuff around for various reasons so be forewarned.

I do advise you to try to get at least slightly settled in before class starts so you can focus on your school work and not trying to unpack or find the laudromat etc. Also they usually have a picnic the weekend before...
 
Yes I expected as much since I will become the expert on MSK system. However I have read that PT anatomy classes don't dwell to much on certain areas like the digestive system. Judging from the schedule of Gross Anatomy from last year we seem to spend a lot of time on upper/lower limbs. Would you say that UDPT's anatomy class focuses more on certain areas of the body?

I'm very laid back so I really don't mind if the schedule gets pushed around a little bit. Just hope that things will get decided soon so I can start booking the plane ticket & plan for move-in & all that exciting stuff.

Anyways thank you so much for all your advice so far & in the future. I'm certainly looking forward to meet everyone at the picnic. I hope you are having a great semester!
 
Organ systems are not gone over too deeply except for cardiopulmonary. We definitely had to dissect/learn the heart and lungs and blood circulation. We were lectured on the other systems like digestive, reproductive etc. but it wasn't the strongest focus although it's important to understand the implications of dysfunction in these areas . Of course it's relevant to know about the integumentary, lymph etc but it can be reviewed when needed in the future. But yes, organ systems were not the main foucs.

However I would not agree that it was just upper/lower limbs. No, you learn the face, the neck, the back, the abdominals, the chest, the pelvic areas, hands, feet - everything there is. Truly it's all covered and pretty evenly. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integumentary_system
 
redirtgirl,

I've checked out all the apartments within proximity n applied to the Conover apartment but haven't sent out my deposit yet. Chances are that they won't have any openings in late June so I'll have to look into other places. Someone seems to have already started a Facebook group. I assume that most of them are straight out of UDel Undergrad so many of them already have a place & are looking for roommates. The options are a little limited & most of them are female students so I'll prob need to wait for info on all the incoming OS students if I need a housemate. Btw on the fb page one of my future classmate mentioned that the program's starting date may be postponed. Have you heard anything about this?


Do you think you could send me the link for this facebook group? My friend just showed me this page and I tried to find the facebook group to start looking for a roommate, but I can't. Thanks!
 
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