Service. Collaboration. Movement.
Physical therapy is a critical component to effective health care as movement is essential to human well-being. It is fueled by a compelling desire to make the lives of others better.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
- Matthew 5:16
Samford's Doctor of Physical Therapy is a three-year program with a heavy emphasis on the sciences, equipping students with the foundational knowledge needed to make evidence-based clinical decisions for their patients and their families. Working in a variety of clinical settings, Samford is committed to providing students the broadest experience possible to help them find their ultimate calling.
Three aspects of Samford's program define the student experience:
- Interprofessional Collaboration: You will learn and work as part of a team. Health care, today, is increasingly delivered by teams of professionals from many different disciplines working in collaboration. This is how you will learn at Samford. You will work in collaboration with people from a variety of programs.
- Rigorous Curriculum: You will embark on a journey to become a movement expert through a curriculum that emphasizes patient-centered care and evidence-based decision-making. The curriculum is delivered in state-of-the-art facilities by faculty with expertise in various aspects of clinical practice, who model excellence and innovation in their teaching, service and scholarship.
- Christ-Centered Service Learning: Service is central to everything we do. We believe that we are all called to serve, to use our skills and knowledge to make the lives of people better. You will have the opportunity to participate in service projects in communities at home and around the world.
Degrees
Samford University's Doctor of Physical Therapy represents the dynamic interaction of foundational and diagnostic sciences with patient-client management and services to individuals and the community.
Doctor of Physical Therapy
This three-year program has a heavy emphasis on science and service. Students learn to work with other health care professionals, making evidence-based decisions that best serve their patients.
Fast-track Doctor of Physical Therapy
Samford offers a fast-track program that provides eligible students the opportunity to earn both a Bachelor of Science in exercise science and a Doctor of Physical Therapy in just six years. Students can apply for the program as incoming freshmen.
Clinical
There simply is no substitute for hands-on experience in your education, and as you earn your Doctor of Physical Therapy you will work with patients who suffer a variety of mobility-related problems; you’ll work in a variety of settings, from acute care to both in-patient and out-patient clinics. Throughout your rotations, you’ll study under the direct supervision of experienced, licensed physical therapists who are both skilled practitioners and committed to your education.
Birmingham is an exceptional place to hone your patient care skills. Because Birmingham is an international hub of health care, few places offer students more clinical and service opportunities. We are surrounded by some of the finest health care facilities in the world, from acute care to specialty clinics, in almost every specialty.
Because Samford has earned an excellent reputation in both national and international health care communities, you’ll have opportunities to learn from some of the most skilled physical therapist professionals in the world.
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program includes four formal clinical education assignments. Your first clinical occurs in your second year and it will last for six weeks. During this assignment you will focus on applying your first year of studies in a health care setting. You will have your second, third and fourth clinical in your third year. Your second clinical is 8 weeks long then the third clinical is 10 weeks long. After a nice Christmas break, you will then complete your fourth clinical which is 12 weeks long from January to March prior to graduation at the end of April. In these final assignments you will have additional opportunities to choose the type of setting you would like to train in.
In Service to Others
In addition to your clinical work, we spend considerable time in service to communities in need, both in this country and abroad. These service trips, some connected directly to missions work and other not, are a critical component of your education. One of the pillars of our program is the commitment to service that supports every program in the College of Health Sciences. We all have found our way to Samford because we see our careers as more than a job — we are called to serve others.
Clinical Faculty
Throughout your rotations you'll study under the direct supervision of experienced, licensed physical therapists who are skilled practitioners committed to your education. Individuals interested in becoming clinical faculty should call 205.726.4884 or email ddblake@samford.edu to reach Dr. Dana Daniel Blake, director of clinical education.
