Mary Jane Rapport, PT, PhD
Professor of Medicine
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Physical Therapy Program
University of ColoradoDenver
303-724-9148
maryjane.rapport@ucdenver.edu
Abstract
The University of Colorado Denver Physical Therapy Program offers a unique opportunity for students to interact, appreciate, and learn from persons in the community who have a physical disability. Student pairs are placed with a volunteer during the first month they enter the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program and then follow the same community volunteer, along with his or her family, throughout the entire 3 year DPT curriculum. Each student is engaged with his/her volunteer through both structured and informal interaction, activities, and reflection. Specific program objectives for the Community Volunteer Program (CVP) are intended to assist students to: understand life with a disability; explore accessibility issues; link classroom learning to real life; observe life situations over time; and develop communication skills.
The Physical Therapy Program has not had a meaningful assessment process to determine if the CVP is meeting established objectives. In the first year of my involvement in the PTLC, an assessment process was developed and executed using surveys to measure the CVP outcomes from the perspectives of students in the Classes of 2007, 2008, and 2009. Initial attempts were made to work on data analysis, but these efforts were not completed. During this second year of involvement in the PTLC, the focus will be on completing the data analysis and moving forward with writing and submitting a manuscript for publication. Consideration will be given to other avenues for presentation of the project and results.