University of New Mexico

1. University of New Mexico Physical Therapy Program 1-800-999-APTA www.apta.org UNM Physical Therapy Website www.hsc.unm.edu/som/physther/

2. APTA Source of information about Physical Therapy Profession

3. Physical Therapist • Graduate from an accredited program • UNM Program – D.P.T. • Pass State licensure examination

4. Program Length • Begins in August • 36 months • Several 2-4 week breaks Basic Curriculum Layout: First Year: Mostly orthopedics, anatomy and basic clinical sciences Second Year: Everything else Third Year: Research and clinicals

5. Thing You Need to do to be Eligible to Apply • Get as much exposure to the profession of PT as you can. (volunteer, paid work experience) • Take the 35 hours of science prerequisites • Get a bachelors degree • Take the GRE

6. #1 Get as much exposure to the profession as you can • Volunteer experience is considered the same as paid work experience • Primary goal: • “Is P.T. the profession for me?” • 100 hours required • “the more the better” • quality vs quantity • Helpful to observe in several areas

7. #2 Take 35 hours of science prerequisites Prerequisites: May be taken at any accredited college or university Chemistry (4 hrs) Physics (8 hrs) Anatomy & Physiology (8 hrs) Statistics (3 hrs) Nutrition (3 hrs) Psychology (6 hrs - Developmental and/or Abnormal Psych recommended) Exercise Physiology 300-level or above (3 hrs)

8. Prerequisites • Must have a grade of C or better in all prerequisite courses • Equivalent courses from other institutions may need to be approved by the admissions committee Average prerequisite science GPA 2014: 3.83

9. Grade Substitution • MUST have taken prerequisite course and received a C or better • May take higher numbered course with the same classification • If a higher grade is received, you may use that in your GPA calculation • No substitution allowed for Anatomy and Physiology

10. Prerequisite GPA Form UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO PHYSICAL THERAPY PROGRAMPREREQUISITE COURSE WORK SCIENCES: Please list the science courses you wish to use for your science GPA calculation.

11. #3 Get a Bachelor’s Degree Any Degree is Acceptable

12. #4 Take the GRE General test AND Writing Assessment Must be taken within 5 years of application GRE: www.gre.com Prometric Testing Services http://www.prometric.com/GRE/default.htm UNM PT Program Institution Code: 7670 Average GRE 2014: VerbalPct: 72 Quantitative Pct: 46 Writing: 4.17

13. Total Admission Requirements • Baccalaureate degree in any field • Overall and Science GPA – 3.0 minimum (GPA < 3.5 will not be highly competitive) • GRE • Essay • Letters of Reference (2 must come from PTs) • Interview

14. Course Work in Progress • Must complete Bachelor degree and all prerequisites by the Spring of the application year • Must include proof of enrollment for Spring courses with application • All prerequisite courses must be completed by May • Grade of C or better • Final transcript must be sent to Physical Therapy Program

15. Admission Procedures

16. Application Process • Application Deadline (UNM Application): December 15 • Individuals applying to the Physical Therapy Program must also apply to the PTCAS (Central Application Service) by December 1

17. Application Materials • For the Physical Therapy Program 1. Application form for the Physical Therapy Program 2. Evidence of spring registration for any remaining prerequisites 3. Prerequisite GPA calculation form 4. Program essay 5. GRE exam scores - may be sent directly to the program from ProMetric preferred) or you can provide us with a copy of your GRE report 6. Official transcript from each school attended 7. $50 Application fee

18. Application Materials – Continued B. For PTCAS 1. Complete on-line application 2. Enter all college courses taken and GRE scores 3. $120 Application fee (financial assistance is available) 4. Official transcript from each school attended 5. PTCAS essay and 3 reference letters

19. UNM Physical Therapy ProgramPolicy on Web-Based Prerequisite Courses In order for the University of New Mexico to accept credits earned from a web-based course, that course must appear on a transcript from an accredited college or university. Therefore, if the online course you have taken or plan to take is offered by UNM or CNM (or any other accredited college or university), and it satisfies our requirement, the course will be accepted. If you have taken or plan to take a course that is offered by a strictly online university, you are strongly urged to contact the UNM Admissions office at (505)277-2447 prior to registering for this course. If UNM will accept the course as “transfer credit”, the Physical Therapy Program will accept it also.

20. Online Course - Clinical Exercise Physiology offered by the UNM PT Program PT 351 Clinical Exercise in Physical Therapy/ CRN # 17851 / 3 credit hours This course addresses the principles of the physiology of the human body during exercise with emphasis on the cardiopulmonary and neuromuscular systems. In addition, this course addresses an overview of selected pathological conditions of these systems relevant to the practice of physical therapy. Prerequisite: By permission of the instructor, Dr. Burke Gurney. Phone (505) 272-6850 or email bgurney@salud.unm.edu

21. Interview • Late February or early March • Panel of 4 interviewers • Knowledge of Physical Therapy issues and problem-solving abilities • Volunteer experience helpful • Only the top 50-70 applicants based on GPA, GRE, Reference Letters and Essay will be offered an interview [Interview format is subject to change at any time]

22. Selection Process 30 students with the highest combined scores based on the following: • Science GPA - 30% • GRE Verbal - 15% • GRE Quantitative - 15% • GRE Writing – 10% • Reference Letters - 5% • Essay - 5% • Interview - 20% [Scoring system is subject to change at any time]

23. Nondiscrimination Policy The admission procedure in the Physical Therapy Program at the University of New Mexico does not discriminate against any student on the basis of gender, marital or parental status, race, color, religion, age, national origin or physical handicap.