Contact Information
Michael Fink
Chair and Associate Professor of Physical Therapy
Become a physical therapist in six years, and learn in our stunning Arnold Health Professions Pavilion.
Chair and Associate Professor of Physical Therapy
10.28.21
LVC Grad Returns for Counseling DegreeHillary Forsythe ’10, D’12 is pursuing a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling to complement her career work as a physical therapist…
Physical Therapy Graduate Studies Clinical Mental Health Counseling08.26.21
Go Above and BeyondDr. Andrew Pipkin ’08, D’11 is a physical therapist and medical director in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Physical Therapy Alumni ProfilesPhysical therapy and other health professions students are learning in the $20 million Arnold Health Professions Pavilion that opened in August.
Earning a degree in physical therapy will prepare you to work with patients from infancy to adulthood and in settings that range from hospitals to schools, nursing homes to athletic venues, or outpatient clinics to patients’ homes.
LVC’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program is a fast-paced, highly competitive, and greatly respected program. We designed our courses to guide you through your pre-professional phase as an undergraduate physical therapy major and into your professional phase as a doctoral candidate. In six years, we’ll help you tackle everything from prerequisites to clinical rotations.
We’re proud to be one of the few direct admit, freshmen entry physical therapy colleges in Pennsylvania. that offers high-level career preparation leading to numerous employment opportunities upon graduation. We’ll also help you develop the critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills employers seek because we want you to become leaders in the physical therapy profession, transform the lives of your patients, and enjoy a meaningful life-long career in health care.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2018 Median Pay for physical therapists was $87,930 per year, the expected Job Outlook through 2026 is for a 28% increase, much faster than the average occupational growth rate of 7 percent.
There are three distinct phases for admission to the program:
All three phases lead to a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. You’ll help patients in your first professional year of the program.
You can also learn new techniques and update your medical knowledge with our selection of Continuing Education courses.
Physical therapy majors regularly use volunteer labs to practice learning. You’ll gain real-world experience by helping patients with disabilities, neurological disorders, and musculoskeletal injuries, all under the watchful eye of faculty who remain engaged in their own clinical practice.
These experiences lead to professional opportunities in physical therapy. Take advantage of interprofessional education at the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center by working with medical residents and students from the nursing, physician’s assistant, and pharmacy departments on a variety of real cases. Pursue student-faculty research in speech therapy or the effects of exercise on patients with autism and go on to present and publish your findings to the medical community.
Through a series of integrated clinical experiences, you’ll work with a licensed physical therapist to apply what you learned in the classroom on patients as soon as you enter your first professional year.
You’ll also be required to log 30 weeks of clinical education in a variety of settings and travel off-campus for at least one of your experiences. Some students have traveled as far afield as Alaska or Italy for the clinical experience that best suits their research and career interests. We encourage you to seek out the clinical education placement that will clarify your career goals and put you on the path to success
Our DPT degree prepares you to enter the field in any number of settings, from public schools to health clinics, research labs, and home healthcare. Recent graduates work as physical therapists in a wide variety of specialties, college physical therapy program adjunct professors, facility directors, and are self-employed throughout the US.
Alumni who respond to our annual surveys boast 100% job offer rates, and more than 97% of graduates have passed the physical therapy board exam on their first attempt in the last three years. In addition to dedicated support for health careers professionals on campus, you’ll be connected to a wide and deeply engaged alumni network of practicing clinicians.
Since 2006, LVC’s Physical Therapy Doctoral Program has received full accreditation status from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Our physical therapy curriculum is based on the American Physical Therapy Association’s “A Normative Model of Physical Therapist Professional Education” and the “Guide to Physical Therapy Practice.” The program follows the guidelines established by CAPTE.
Students in LVC’s athletic training, exercise science, and physical therapy programs learn in our new, $20 million learning facility, the Jeanne and Edward H. Arnold Health Professions Pavilion. The Arnold Pavilion provides flexible classroom space, observation rooms acoustically treated for sound, human performance and cadaver anatomy labs, flexible faculty office space to increase collaboration with students, and innovative technologies that enhance teaching and learning.
The strong reputation of the DPT program in the Central PA region and the C.U.R.E. student-run pro bono clinic were factors that influenced my decision to attend LVC.
Median salary for physical therapists (2018, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
of DPT graduates responding to our alumni survey report receiving a job offer within one year of graduation
Ultimate pass rate of the physical therapy board exam for LVC DPT graduates
Chair and Associate Professor of Physical Therapy
10.28.21
LVC Grad Returns for Counseling DegreeHillary Forsythe ’10, D’12 is pursuing a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling to complement her career work as a physical therapist…
Physical Therapy Graduate Studies Clinical Mental Health Counseling08.26.21
Go Above and BeyondDr. Andrew Pipkin ’08, D’11 is a physical therapist and medical director in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Physical Therapy Alumni Profiles10 Items
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2/10Dr. Robin Myers and a DPT major test out instrumentation.
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3/10LVC's Human Anatomy Lab (cadaver lab) in the Arnold Health Professions Pavilion
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4/10DPT students practicing clinical skills
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5/10Instrumentation in the Human Performance Lab
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6/10Inside the Arnold Health Professions Pavilion
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7/10Students in the lab in Arnold Health Professions Pavilion
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8/10Motion-sensing equipment in the Human Performance Lab
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9/10Camera in the Human Performance Lab
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10/10PT students practicing clinical skills in the lab