Welcome to Pacific Physical Therapy Clinical Education! As a part of our clinical education faculty, we would like to provide you with easy access to the information and tools needed during your Pacific DPT student's clinical experience or internship. If you have any questions about our program please contact our clinical education team at DPTclin-ed@pacific.edu or our Director of Clinical Education, Alicia Rabena-Amen, PT, DPT at arabenaamen@pacific.edu.
Pacific Physical Therapy Clinical Education Philosophy
The University of the Pacific is dedicated to providing quality clinical education throughout the physical therapy program. The academic faculty values the essential partnerships with clinical educational faculty in creating quality clinical education experiences. Integrated clinical education experiences are concurrent with didactic course work. Early full-time clinical experiences provide learning in the clinical environment. Clinical internships, in a variety of practice settings with exposure to patients across the lifespan, follow the completion of the didactic coursework.
The academic and clinical education faculty strive to prepare clinicians to become autonomous and competent practitioners with the skills to advocate for optimal health, wellness and performance for all members of society. The emphasis on self-assessment and professional development prepares Pacific Doctor of Physical Therapy students to be skilled, reflective practitioners dedicated to lifelong learning.
Pacific Physical Therapy Clinical Education Resource Manuals
Prior to each clinical education experience, a Resource Manual is emailed to the Site Coordinator of Clinical Education (SCCE) at the facility where the student is placed. The SCCE then distributes this information to the student's Clinical Instructor (CI) within their facility.
Physical Therapist Student Evaluation: Clinical Experience & Clinical Instruction
University of the Pacific continues to use the APTA Physical Therapist Student Evaluation: Clinical Experience and Clinical Instruction. This form includes the student's evaluation of both the overall clinical experience provided by the site and evaluation of the CI(s).
PT CPI Web
University of the Pacific continues to use the web based Clinical Performance Instrument (PT CPI Web) for evaluation of student's performance during their series of three final clinical education experiences. If you have not used this tool before, you must first complete the free two-hour online training course through the APTA Learning Center.
Once you have completed the training, you can access the CPI Web at cpi2.amsapps.com. Your login name is the email address that you provide to APTA when you complete the training. At the time you complete the training, you also create your own password.
Clinical Site Information Form (CSIF)
The CSIF is a tool designed by the APTA for academic programs to collect information from clinical education sites. Information about completing the CSIF online can be found at apta.org/CSIF/
The CSIF is divided into two sections: Part I: Information for Academic Programs (pages 4-16) and Part II: Information for Students (pages 17-20). On their clinical internships, Pacific students may be asked to complete a short form with clinical site information.
Guidelines and Self-Assessments for Clinical Education
The Guidelines and Self-Assessments for Clinical Education APTA manual is designed to guide the development of clinical education sites. It includes sections for the site, the CCCE and the CI and includes guidelines followed by companion self-assessment tools.
Additional Resources
APTA Clinical Instructor Education and Credentialing Program
Are you interested in becoming an APTA Certified Clinical Instructor? If so, you must complete this formal clinical instructor education program composed of interactive didactic education sessions followed by an Assessment Center. The program is approximately 15 hours long and is offered frequently through APTA, CPTA and our Northern California Clinical Education Consortium.
Sections 1399.90 -1399.99 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) describe how all California licensed Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy Assistants are required to have 30 hours of documented continuing competency activity in each license renewal cycle (every 2 years). In addition to standard continuing education courses to fulfill mandatory hours, there are alternative pathways. One alternative is to serve as a clinical instructor.
California licensed PTs and PTAs who serve as clinical instructors can earn continuing competency hours as follows: clinical instructors may collect one hour (of the 30 mandatory hours) for each week of any full-time affiliation for a student from an accredited PT or PTA program. Each affiliation must be a minimum of 4 weeks and each PT or PTA may earn up to a maximum of 12 hours of continuing competency hours in one license renewal cycle.
Effective Jan. 1, 2013, the clinical instructor must be credentialed by APTA or hold a substantially similar credential in order to receive the competency hours. You may still serve as a Clinical Instructor after that date, but will only receive credit hours towards re-licensure if you are certified.
Northern California Clinical Education Consortium (NCCEC)
The NCCEC is an organization with representation from all Northern California physical therapist and physical therapists assistant education programs and clinical site representatives from the region. Learn more at northerncalclined.org
California Physical Therapy Association (CPTA)
The CPTA has information regarding continuing education opportunities, legislative updates and CPTA sponsored Clinical Instructor Education and Credentialing Programs. Learn more at ccapta.org
APTA Clinical Education Information
The APTA has information regarding clinical education site development and federal regulations related to students.
