A candidate for the post-professional doctor of physical therapy degree must have abilities and skills in the following areas. Technological compensation can be made for handicaps in some of these areas, but a candidate must be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner.

Observation

Candidates and students must have sufficient vision to be able to observe demonstrations, experiments and laboratory exercises within the curriculum. This skill is important for proper evaluation and treatment integration.

Communication

Candidates and students should be able to use appropriate oral and written communication with faculty, peers, patients/clients, families and others.

Motor

Candidates and students should have sufficient motor function to execute movements required to provide safe and effective physical therapy evaluations and treatment.

Sensory

Candidates and students should possess sufficient tactile and proprioceptive skills. These skills are necessary to perceive and synthesize inputs during evaluation and treatment of patients/clients.

Intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities

These include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis and synthesis. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of physical therapists, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, candidates and students should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and understand spatial relationships of structures. The practice of physical therapy demands the ability to integrate and process information promptly and accurately in a time-sensitive environment. Candidates must be able to draw on their store of knowledge in stressful situations and under time limitations.

Behavioral and social attributes

Candidates and students must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients. Candidates and students must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads, adapt to changing environments, display flexibility and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admissions and educational processes.