University and SHRS COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements and Information
Excellence in Clinical Education
The clinical education program is constantly evolving, engaging students in multi-faceted clinical experiences where they learn and work alongside some of the nation’s leading clinicians. All questions regarding our clinical education program can be sent to PTClinicalEducation@pitt.edu.
Residential
The clinical education program is integrated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and its partner, UPMC Centers for Rehab Services (CRS). CRS is one of the largest Medicare certified rehab agencies in western Pennsylvania with more than 50 outpatient facilities in 10 counties. UPMC and CRS have demonstrated their support to the Department of Physical Therapy by offering students from our program highest priority for all learning experiences.
As the DPT program has expanded its reach to engage students from across the country, the clinical education program has also continued to expand its offerings beyond the greater Pittsburgh region. Our longstanding partnership with nationally positioned providers in addition to our growing network of Pitt DPT alumni, and the integration of new clinical partners will further diversify the clinical offerings available to students, specifically those engaged in the DPT Hybrid option.
Hybrid
Clinical faculty work to provide clinical education experiences within a 60-mile radius of the home address or other location where known housing may be available. We will work with students to identify potential inpatient and outpatient sites and will then vet the sites to ensure that students will receive an exceptional clinical education experience that aligns with the mission and goals of our Physical Therapy Department. Students may also choose to locate to Pittsburgh for a clinical education experience if an appropriate setting is not available to them.
Clinical education opportunities are available across the health care continuum, including tertiary acute care medical centers, a network of community-based hospitals, acute inpatient rehabilitation hospital and hospital-based units, long term care continuum of care including independent living, personal care, assisted living, skilled nursing facilities, long term care, and hospital-based subacute units, home health services, inpatient psychiatric and mental health facility. We offer placements in various clinical specialties, including pediatrics, geriatrics, sports medicine, orthopedics, women's health, neuro rehab, industrial rehab, comprehensive spine care, and balance and vestibular disorders.
Our academic and clinical faculty share responsibility for defining, implementing and evaluating our clinical education program as it is a continually evolving process that is responsive to the needs of society, the health care system, the physical therapy profession and the academic institution in order to graduate Doctor of Physical Therapy students prepared for today’s health care environment.
Have a question about our clinical education program? Reach out to our clinical education team today!
The University of Pittsburgh requires that all affiliates on all campuses be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved exemption. This policy applies to all faculty, staff, students and postdocs. This program also requires students to complete clinical education at facilities external to the university. Many SHRS clinical partners require employees, trainees and students to be compliant with the federal vaccination requirement. This includes providing proof of vaccination or exemption to the clinical site. Failure to comply with this requirement for clinical partners may preclude the student from completing the clinical requirements of this program. Some of our clinical partners will not permit students to complete clinical rotations without proof of vaccination and will not accept exemptions.