Course Descriptions

Unit 1: PHT1101H Critical Foundations of Physical Therapy (4 weeks)

This 4-week unit lays the foundation and reinforces the three pillars that underpin the curriculum: critical thinking, professionalism, and an inquiry mindset. The Unit introduces the Competency Profile for Physiotherapists in Canada (2017) and explores the Canadian health care system. Diverse forms of critical thinking will be applied across the varied contexts in which physical therapists play a critical role. The constructs of ‘social’, ‘political’, ‘ethics’, ‘culture’, ‘critical reflexivity’ and ‘critical disability studies’ will be introduced in relation to health and healthcare. The foundational principles of the Essential Competencies and Entry-to-Practice Milestones will focus on basic physiotherapy assessment and management principles incorporating anatomy, movement and exercise science, and motor learning. Students will have opportunities to apply the theoretical constructs at the level of the individual client /family within the community and a range of institutional settings. Weight: 0.50 FCE; Grading Scale: SGS Letter Grade

Unit 2: PHT1102Y Physical Therapy Practice I (12 weeks)

The primary goal of this 12-week course is to introduce and develop the physical therapy knowledge, critical thinking, assessment and treatment skills required to address common orthopedic complaints. The assessment framework introduced in Unit 1 will be further explored using case based examples to provide students with opportunities to become proficient with the application of the framework. Students will consider the biopsychosocial context of each individual client as they create client-centered management plans. Integration of the broader concepts of physical therapy practice introduced in Unit 1, will be expanded on across the varied learning experiences Unit 2 such as the anatomy curriculum, clinical skills labs, large group critical thinking sessions, small group PT Logic sessions and online learning modules. Clinical reasoning skills will be practiced regularly, students will be challenged to clearly articulate and justify their assessment, and management choices as they work through case based scenarios of varying complexity. It is both intentional and imperative that students experience the complexity and ambiguity of physical therapy practice early in Unit 2 as this is the reality of the profession. Students will be supported by instructors to practice resiliency, with an inquiry mindset to navigate this complexity and create robust learning that will provide a strong foundation for the subsequent units. Weight: 3.00 FCE; Grading Scale: SGS Letter Grade

Unit 3: PHT1103Y Physical Therapy Practice II (9 weeks)

This 9-week course will build on foundational knowledge and skills developed in previous courses and provide students with the opportunity to integrate principles of cardiovascular and respiratory anatomy and physiology, exercise physiology, clinical pathobiology and dysfunction into the assessment and treatment of clients with cardiovascular, respiratory, and multi-morbidity conditions. The content presented in this course is critical to the holistic and comprehensive management of all clients. This course will continue to foster critical thinking, an inquiry mindset and professionalism and students will be expected to integrate the essential physical therapy competencies throughout (i.e., physiotherapy expertise, communication, collaboration, management, leadership, scholarship and professionalism). Weight: 3.00 FCE; Grading Scale: SGS Letter Grade

Unit 4: PHT1104Y Physical Therapy Practice III (11 weeks)

This 11-week unit will continue to build on integrating fundamental physiotherapy knowledge, skills and behaviors into evidence-informed practice. It is designed to prepare a well-rounded generalist in physical therapy to provide transformational and responsive care to clients with neurological and multisystem challenges across the lifespan and continuum of care. Learners will have the opportunity to generalize previous learning common to all clients and integrate new learning from basic and clinical neurosciences into physical therapy practice. The course design offers active learning experiences including interactive online sessions, applied neuroanatomy, peer teaching and clinical labs focused on clinical reasoning and applying and adapting skills to clinical scenarios. Building learner resilience and tolerance of ambiguity will be a feature of this competency-based course, as neurological physical therapy remains a field of ongoing discovery. Innovation, creativity, critical thinking, an inquiry mindset, professionalism, and a commitment to excellence are the cornerstones of this unit. Weight: 3.00 FCE; Grading Scale: SGS Letter Grade

Unit 5: PHT1105Y Clinical Internship I (6 weeks)

This is the first clinical internship in the MScPT program. This clinical unit provides the opportunity for students to integrate the theory and science into the practice of Physical Therapy. Students who have successfully completed all components of the program up to Unit 4 are given the opportunity to apply their skills in a clinical setting.  Students will be required to spend six full-time weeks in approved Physical Therapy sites coordinated by the Director of Clinical Education & Community Affairs and the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education. Weight: 0.75 FCE; Grading Scale: Honours/Pass/Fail

Unit 6: PHT1106H Advanced Critical Thinking in Physical Therapy (5 weeks)

The purpose of this course is to continue advancing students’ capacity to interpret, integrate, analyze and evaluate the various forms of knowledge and skills introduced in previous clinical teaching units (musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory, neurology). Students will further develop their skills in making evidence-informed, patient-centred decisions to meet the needs of individuals with conditions/diseases that affect one or more body systems. An emphasis will be placed on fostering flexibility in thinking, tolerance for ambiguity, reflective practice, and creativity within familiar and unfamiliar practice contexts across the continuum of care and across the lifespan.  Weight: 0.50 FCE; Grading Scale: SGS Letter Grade

Unit 7: PHT1107H Scholarly Practice I (3 weeks)

This course is the first of two units integrating physical therapy practice with research and program evaluation to develop competence to fulfil the scholarly practitioner role. The purpose of this course is to facilitate the ability to understand and promote research and program evaluation in physical therapy in the context of the social, political and economic forces that influence the delivery of physical therapy services in Ontario and across Canada. The focus of the course involves developing learners’ skills in critical analysis, critical thinking, problem-solving, analysis and writing. This course involves a combination of lectures, tutorials and independent study time for groups of learners to work on the development of a research protocol under the supervision of advisors. Learning strategies include in-depth analysis of the literature, research protocol development, and written and oral presentations. Learners will be introduced to a range of research designs spanning qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. At the conclusion of this course, learners will present their protocol and submit the research protocol and supporting documents for marking. They will also submit an application to the appropriate research ethics board to obtain approval to conduct their proposed research project throughout the remainder of the year. Weight: 0.50 FCE; Grading Scale: SGS Letter Grade

Unit 8: PHT1108Y Clinical Internship II (6 weeks)

This is the second clinical internship in the MScPT program. This clinical internship unit provides the opportunity for students to integrate theory and science into the practice of Physical Therapy. Students who have successfully completed all components of the program up to Unit 7 are given the opportunity to apply their skills in a clinical setting. Students will be required to spend six full-time weeks in approved physical therapy sites coordinated by the Director of Clinical Education & Community Affairs and the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education. Weight: 0.75 FCE; Grading Scale: Honours/Pass/Fail

Unit 9: PHT1109Y Clinical Internship III (6 weeks)

This is the third clinical internship in the MScPT program. This clinical unit provides the opportunity for students to integrate the theory and science into the practice of Physical Therapy. Students who have successfully completed all components of the program up to Unit 8 are given the opportunity to apply their skills in a clinical setting. Students will be required to spend six full-time weeks in approved Physical Therapy sites coordinated by the Director of Clinical Education & Community Affairs and the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education. Weight: 0.75 FCE; Grading Scale: Honours/Pass/Fail

Unit 10: PHT1110Y Physical Therapy Practice IV (12 weeks)

This fourth and final clinical unit will provide students with the opportunity to build on their foundational knowledge and skills in promoting musculoskeletal health. Students will integrate and expand their understanding of the ‘basic sciences’ (e.g., anatomy, exercise physiology, pathophysiology) with clinical sciences (e.g., physical therapy principles, pain science education, behavioural change models, exercise prescription) that support client-centred, best practices in physical therapy for clients with select neuromusculoskeletal conditions. A strong emphasis will be placed on equipping students to exercise critical thinking and habits of mind to succeed in an ever-changing health care environment. Learning strategies that support these aims will include synchronous and asynchronous sessions, large and small group discussions, laboratories, and self-study modules. Weight: 3.00 FCE; Grading Scale: SGS Letter Grade.

Unit 11: PHT1111H Selected Topics in Physical Therapy (3 weeks)

The purpose of this course is to allow students to develop a deeper understanding of topics in physical therapy and/or rehabilitation beyond the level expected for entry-level to practice. Each student will participate in two modules of their choice on selected topics in which they will explore an area of interest in more depth. This course also allows for an agile curriculum that meets the interests and needs of the students as well as emerging professional issues. In addition, all students will participate in a module to advance and consolidate their critical reflexivity skills as they apply to physiotherapy ethics. Weight: 0.50 FCE; Grading Scale: SGS Letter Grade

Unit 12: PHT1112Y Clinical Internship IV (6 weeks)

This is the fourth clinical internship in the MScPT program and this clinical unit provides the opportunity for students to integrate the theory and science into the practice of Physical Therapy. Students will be required to spend six full-time weeks in approved Physical Therapy sites coordinated by the Director of Clinical Education & Community Affairs and faculty and the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education. Weight: 0.75 FCE; Grading Scale: Honours/Pass/Fail

Unit 13: PHT1113Y Scholarly Practice II (6 weeks)

This course has an emphasis on developing and applying knowledge, skills and behaviors relevant to students’ research, focusing particularly on the data analysis, interpretation of findings and writing components of their projects. Learning strategies include seminars, self-directed group work and individual consultation with research faculty and advisors. At the completion of this unit, students will develop a scientific poster presentation of their projects results that will be presented at a formal Research Day, and complete the writing of a major paper according to the publication guidelines for a research article for a scientific journal. Weight: 3.00 FCE; Grading Scale: SGS Letter Grade.

Unit 14: PHT1114Y Clinical Internship V (6 weeks)

This is the fifth and final clinical internship of the MScPT program. This clinical unit provides the opportunity for students to integrate the theory and science into the practice of Physical Therapy. Students who have successfully completed all components of the program up to Unit 13 are given the opportunity, in this final clinical internship, to apply their skills in a particular interest area of clinical practice or an area needed for completion of the program (e.g., geriatrics). Students will be required to spend six full-time weeks in approved Physical Therapy sites coordinated by the Director of Clinical Education & Community Affairs and the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education. Weight: 0.75 FCE; Grading Scale: Honours/Pass/Fail