History of Clinical Education in Physical Therapy in the United States

Abstract

Clinical education has been an integral part of the preparation of physical therapists from the inception of educational programs to train reconstruction aides until the current curricula to prepare Doctors of Physical Therapy. In this historical review of clinical education, the structure and format of the clinical education component of professional physical therapist education curricula are presented. The number of clinical education sites and characteristics of clinical education faculty for the past half century will be described, as will developments in methods used for the assessment of student performance. Descriptions of some of the major developments in clinical education are provided, including interinstitutional agreements, roles for clinical education faculty, professional development for the clinical instructor, clinical education consortia, clinical site selection, clinical education research, and conferences. Factors anticipated to have an effect on the future of clinical education in physical therapist educational programs are also discussed.