Division of Physical Therapy

Clinical Education Requirements

Variety of Clinical Experiences
The clinical education program at WVU includes 32 weeks of full-time clinical experience. Placements must be made that insure each student a broad range of clinical experiences (in different practice settings, working with patients of different ages and diagnoses) that fulfill the objectives of each rotation. All students are required to complete a minimum of:

• 4 to 6 weeks in acute care
• 6 to 8 weeks in general/orthopedic outpatient
• 6 to 8 weeks in rehabilitation

The remaining 8 to 16 weeks may be spent in one or a combination of these settings, or a specialty setting, as long as the minimum requirements are met. Specialty settings include pediatrics, geriatrics/long term care, home health, sports medicine, or manual therapy.

Selection of Clinical Sites
Although personal needs and preferences will be considered for all students, guarantees cannot and will not be made as to final placement. The ACCE reserves the right to make the final decision on all student placements. The first priority will always be the academic needs of the student.

Travel and Living Expenses
All students will be required to do at least one of their full-time clinical affiliations in West Virginia. This may necessitate that all students do at least one rotation out-of-state.

All students will be expected to travel outside of the Morgantown area [50 mile radius] for at least one and possibly more than one full-time or part-time clinical affiliation. Further, ACCEs cannot guarantee that any student will be able to complete clinical rotations in a specific city or geographic area.

Students are responsible for providing for their living expenses [room, board, etc]. Some out-of-town sites provide housing but this is becoming increasingly rare. Most sites will provide a list that outlines the housing available and its cost. Arrangements for travel and housing are the responsibility of the student. Occasionally, a site will provide a small stipend for meals and/or housing. All information about travel and living expenses can be obtained in the file on the facility or by contacting the facility directly.

Students are responsible for providing their own transportation to all clinical rotations. Therefore, the division recommends that all students have a reliable car available by the Spring semester of the first year in the program.

The division of physical therapy cannot provide financial assistance for living expenses. If you need financial aid assistance or information, please contact the health sciences financial aid office.