Programs
Doctor of Physical Therapy
*As you review the information below, feel free to reach out to Mr. Arnie Mejias with live questions from 8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Thursday mornings (unless otherwise noted) via Facebook (as "Arnaldo Mejias" with the Honors College logo as his icon) and Skype (username: amejias@usf.edu).
First-time in college (FTIC) USF students who have been admitted to the Honors College
and are interested in a career in physical therapy are offered a guaranteed admission
pathway to USF Health's School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences (SPTRS)
to complete a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT).
Students must continue to meet all the benchmarks of the program, including a successful
interview with SPTRS. There is a GRE requirement for this program beginning Fall 2018.
The SPTRS requires that all students who apply to the USF DPT program submit GRE scores
as part of their application. They do not have a specific minimum score for admission,
but the selection committee will review the scores as part of the student selection
process.
See: https://health.usf.edu/medicine/dpt/admissions/dpt-admissions/requirements
The undergraduate years of study will be completed at the Honors College at USF and
the doctoral training will be completed at the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation
Sciences. Students applying for this guaranteed admission pathway program will complete
a major in Biomedical Sciences (BMS). The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) will be
conferred after the successful completion of the physical therapy program.
Honors College academic advisors will provide oversight of the student's progress
in meeting Honors requirements and will coordinate overall completion of the undergraduate
years of the program. The School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences will
provide oversight of the 3-year medical school curricular components of the program.
Initial Eligibility Requirements
- Admission to the Honors College as a first-year student (FTIC) by automatic invitation (4.0 GPA + SAT 1370 or ACT 30) or application
- Based on 3.8+ weighted HS grade point average (GPA), as calculated by Undergraduate Admissions
- Transfer and continuing students are not eligible to apply for the GAP program
- SAT of 1360+ or a combined ACT of 29+
- U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residency (MCOM does not admit International Applicants)
Eligible students shall declare their intent to pursue the program no later than April 1 of the Spring term of their first year of undergraduate enrollment.
- Students must submit two (2) letters of recommendation from USF faculty and have a successful interview with SPTRS in May at the completion of the first undergraduate year.
- Students will choose one of two timelines to submit their applications through the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) prior to November 15.
USF GAP Program Requirements
- Course requirements
- Specific requirements may be found here.
- Grade Point Average
- At the end of the spring semester of Year 1, students must attain both an overall (OA) and science/math (BCPM) grade point average (GPA) of 3.50, without the use of grade forgiveness. If students transfer in a GPA from dual enrollment or transient coursework completed at another institution, the overall and science/math GPAs from all coursework completed at USF must also be 3.50 or higher.
- At the end of the summer semester of Year 2, students must attain both an OA and BCPM GPA of 3.60 in all college coursework and in all USF coursework, without the use of grade forgiveness.
- At the end of the summer semester of Years 3 and 4, students must attain both an overall OA and BCPM GPA of 3.70 in all college coursework and in all USF coursework, without the use of grade forgiveness.
- **Note: GPA is not rounded
Undergraduate Research
Students are required to complete a minimum of two (2) semesters of undergraduate
health-related research. Research may be lab-based or clinical in nature. Prior to
starting the research project, students must obtain approval from the Honors College
GAP advisor. Students should submit proposal for their Undergraduate Research to the
Honors College GAP advisor for review.
Students often opt to complete their research as their Honors College Thesis (IDH 4950/4970). In this instance, students should plan to begin their research a semester prior to the two-semester thesis.
The purpose of this requirement is to immerse students in research so they gain a full understanding of all aspects of the research process, including inquiry, developing and testing hypotheses, methodology, analyzing/interpreting results, gathering conclusions and considering implications/future potential projects. This also includes learning whether or not students enjoy research and would like it to be integrated into their career and to learn to understand scientific/medical literature. Ideally, student researchers would have their own projects and data with which to work. However, since this is not always possible, there are students (not enrolled in thesis) who work closely with faculty mentors (or doctoral-level students working for principal investigators), assisting them with the various steps in the research process (and many times being responsible for individual tasks).
Honors College Curriculum
Prior to matriculation to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, students must
complete the Honors College curriculum, a two semester thesis (IDH 4950/4970), a special
section of IDH 3600 in Biomedical Ethics, and fulfill the global/cultural experience
requirement. Students must also complete any additional courses needed to fulfill
requirements for FKL (Foundations of Knowledge & Learning) or Enhanced General Education.
Observational Experience & Community Service
By May 15 of Year 1, students must submit a minimum of ten documented contact hours
in community service and five documented contact hours of observational experience.
Only hours completed after high school graduation will apply toward the GAP program.
Students must complete a minimum of 80 documented contact hours of medical experience
and community service (40 hours each) by Year 3. Students who opt to apply to PT schools
outside the GAP program should plan to complete additional hours.
Students must document hours through the appropriate online forms. Hours must be verified
by an on-site supervisor. In the case of observational experience, an email confirmation
from the physician is required. A form for later PTCAS use will be used. For community
service, an email confirmation from the volunteer/site coordinator is required.
Observational Experience:
Students must complete a minimum of 40 contact hours of approved observational experience
by June 1 of Year 3. Acceptable experience is defined as observing a doctor of physical
therapy (DPT). Students should consult with the GAP advisor to ensure that their observational
experience is suitable to fulfill the program's requirement.
Community Service:
A career in physical therapy is a career in service; therefore, service is an important
component of a student's preparation. Students in the GAP program must complete a
minimum of 40 contact hours of service by the time they submit their primary PTCAS
application to the Morsani College of Medicine School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation
Sciences. Service may be completed on or off-campus but must be affiliated with a
recognized non-profit organization which provides donated services for public benefit.
Examples of appropriate service activities include Habitat for Humanity, Reach Out
and Read, Relay for Life, United Way, Metropolitan Ministries, and service projects
organized through USF's Center for Leadership & Civic Engagement.
Students may volunteer in a hospital or clinic in order to obtain patient-care experience;
community service of a non-medical nature is also strongly encouraged.
Note: Volunteer activities that are religious or political in nature are not accepted
toward this requirement. If you are unsure whether or not your intended service experience
is appropriate to meet the GAP requirement, please check with the GAP program advisor.
School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences Interview
Students must have a successful formal interview with the School of Physical Therapy
& Rehabilitation Sciences after the first year. Interviews are typically conducted
in May. Honors College advisors are available to assist students in preparing for
the formal interview.
Letters of Recommendation
Students must prepare to submit letters of recommendation via PTCAS at the time of
application to the DPT program. The SPTRS requires a minimum of 2 letters, both of
which must be from licensed Physical Therapists. PTCAS will allow you to upload up
to 4 letters of recommendation. Please ensure that you use two of the four spots for
PT letters to meet their requirement, as they do not permit direct receipt of any
materials.
For help from the Honors College please email Mr. Mejías: mejias@honors.usf.edu.