Physical Therapy

Essential functions

Essential skills / technical standards

The University of Missouri Physical Therapy Program is committed to preparing students to serve as Doctors of Physical Therapy in an autonomous and open access environment of health care within the limitations of licensure regulations. Our purpose is to prepare therapists to provide safe, efficient and effective services to the community they serve. To successfully complete the professional program, students must possess certain essential skills including observation, communication, motor coordination, intellectual-conceptual integrative and quantitative abilities, clinical reasoning and decision making, and professional behaviors. In addition, students must be able to perform the essential physical functions involved in the practice of physical therapy such as repetitive motion, intermittent lifting of heavy objects, occasional squatting, bending, and twisting. Physical therapists are responsible for services provided by the therapist or under the direction and supervision of the therapist.

Reasonable accommodation is offered to students upon request in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and University of Missouri policy for students with disabilities. Applicants to the DPT program do not need to disclose information about reasonable accommodation needs prior to an admission decision. An offer for admission, however, can be withdrawn and a student in the DPT program may be withdrawn if it becomes apparent that the applicant/student is unable to perform the required essential skills/ technical functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

The following essential skills/technical standards represent a minimum standard to ensure successful completion of degree requirements and for future success in the provision of physical therapy services.

1. Sensory/observation

The applicant/student must be able to accurately observe and experience close at hand and at a distance so as to understand and interpret a defined level of information from that observation and experience.

  • Cadaver dissection
  • Images presented through use of technology — graphic images, overheads, slides, films, videos, DVDs, and internet
  • Written documentation — handwritten, electronic form, electronic media lectures
  • Patients in clinical and non-clinical settings so as to perform visual and tactile examination and interventions and accurately assess substitution, compensation patterns, abnormal responses to exercise or activity, etc.

2. Communication

The applicant/student must be able to communicate accurately and effectively with patients, caregivers, physicians, other health professionals, clinical facility staff, faculty and staff, peers, and the community in general.

  • Process and comprehend all written communication in English in any form or media
  • Process and comprehend all verbal communication in English in any form or media
  • Process all non-verbal communication in any form or media
  • Respond appropriately verbally and in writing in English to all communications including in situations of emergency and stress
  • Participate in group and individual discussions, present oral and written reports and provide constructive feedback in English

3. Motor coordination

The applicant/student must be able to demonstrate sufficient gross and fine motor movement and control to complete general and emergency care to patients.

  • Perform a variety of physical movements such as bending, lifting, kneeling, stooping, pushing, pulling, prolonged standing and walking
  • Manipulative abilities with hands including coordinated eye-hand activities

4. Intellectual and cognitive abilities

The applicant/student must be able to problem solve and critically analyze effectively and efficiently while providing general and emergency care to patients in at least the following tasks:

  • Measuring, calculating, reasoning, analyzing, integrating and synthesizing data from a variety of sources in a timely manner
  • Designing appropriate solutions for problems encountered in physical therapy practice
  • Comprehending three-dimensional relationships
  • Understanding spatial relationships
  • Searching, recording, storing, inputting and retrieving data from computers

5. Professional behaviors

  • Demonstrate ethical and legal behavior at all times
  • Provide and accept/respond to constructive feedback
  • Deal effectively with stress
  • Demonstrate empathy, compassion, integrity, honesty, culturally sensitive care and concern for others, good interpersonal skills, interest and motivation
  • Ability to self-assess, reflect and problem solve in response to a need for continued learning and professional development

Vetting Policy

MU Health Care requires students to complete a vetting process to participate in activities within their healthcare system. All students enrolled in the Mizzou DPT program must complete this process in order to complete the educational requirements of the program that begin in fall of the first year. Students are asked to complete all the required elements and upload the required documentation by the end of the first summer semester. Required elements are listed below.

  • Background Checks
    • Point HR (National Criminal Background Check)
    • MO DHSS (Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services)
    • OIG (Office of Inspector General)
    • SAM.gov (System for Award Management)
  • Drug Screening
    • Minimum of a seven-panel drug screen
  • Immunizations
    • Documentation of immunizations should be uploaded to myZOU; see below for the list of requirements
    • Requests for religious or medical exemptions are due by July 1 to the Clinical Education team
  • HIPAA/HITECH Privacy and Data Security
  • Code of Conduct
  • Handbook Verification
  • ID Badge

Failure to complete the vetting process prior to the end of the summer semester will result in an incomplete in Fundamentals and may result in a meeting with the Department Director of Student Affairs and may result in a referral to The Office of Student Accountability and Support. If the vetting process has not been completed prior to the start of the fall semester, students will not be able to participate in lab activities or PhysZOU until the vetting is completed.

Criminal Background Checks

Each student is required to secure a nationwide criminal background check. There are numerous companies that can be used for this background check. A Nationwide background check can be done through the DCE using an established company by going to: pointhr.com/MIZZOU/index.html. This database searches the past seven years.

Each student is required to secure proof of exclusion on the Office of Inspector General List prior to the first clinical experience. This can be done by going to: exclusions.oig.hhs.gov. Go to this website and type in Last Name, First Name.

Each student is required to secure a criminal background check prior to the first clinical education experience through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services-Family Care Safety Registry. This includes background screening from:

  • State criminal background checks conducted by the Missouri Highway Patrol
  • Sex Offender Registry records maintained by the MO State Highway Patrol
  • Child abuse/ neglect records maintained by the MO Department of Social Services
  • Foster parent licensing records maintained by the MO Department of Social Services
  • Employee Disqualification List maintained by the MO Department of Social Services
  • The Employee Disqualification Registry records maintained by the Department of Mental Health
  • Child-care facility licensing records maintained by the Department of Health and Senior Services

It is the student’s responsibility to have the check completed. Students may do this by going to the following website: health.mo.gov/safety/fcsr/.

Students will also need to complete a fourth check using the website sam.gov. Enter name in the search function and provide a screenshot of the results.

The resultant information should be provided to the University of Missouri Physical Therapy Program and will be submitted to the student compliance Exxat dashboard.

The PT Program will keep the criminal background information on record and will disclose the student’s criminal status to the clinical site.

If any of the crimes committed are on the DHSS List of “Disqualifying Crimes Pursuant To Section 630.170 RSMo” or if there are any other positive findings on any of the databases searched (collectively, “Disqualifying Findings”), the student will not be accepted into, or will be dismissed from, the program.

For all other Criminal Background Checks, positive results will be reviewed by the Director of Clinical Education and the Director of Student Affairs to determine eligibility to continue in the program. This will be guided by MU Health Care Protocols on Disqualifying crimes.

Students are encouraged to copy the Criminal Background Check results and to carry these with them during their clinical experiences.

Drug Screen Policy

All students will be required to complete a 7-panel drug screen.

  1. Amphetamines-stimulants
    • Trade/common names: Adderal, Dexedrine, Methamphetamine, Dosoxyn, Crystal Methamphetamine, Ice, Crank, “Uppers”
  2. Barbiturates-depressants
    • Trade/common names: Nembutal, Seconal, “Phennies,” “Barbs”
  3. Benzodiapines-depressants
    • Trade/common names: Xanax, Valium, Librium, Halcion, “Downers”
  4. Cocaine-stimulants
    • Common name: Coke
  5. Opiates-Opioids
    • Trade/Common names: Morphine Sulfate-Contin, Roxanol, (Morphine-“Miss Emma” and “Mr. Blue”)
  6. Phencyclidine (PCP)
  7. Marijuana metabolites

Students can attain their urine drug screen through:

Mid-Missouri Drug Testing
405 Bernadette Drive
Columbia, MO 65203
Phone: (573) 424-0976
Hours: 9-4 M-F

Policy: All results are faxed directly to Student Health and they are then obligated to advise the Physical Therapy program if the student successfully passed or not; the student will be contacted and advised to come get a copy of the unsuccessful test to discuss with their program.

It is permissible for the results to go directly to the student if done at Mid-Missouri Drug Testing, but the student must make it clear at the time that they’re doing the drug screen. The student will then be responsible for getting the results to Student Health.

No student will be allowed to participate in clinical education until successful completion of the drug screen. If a student tests positive for Cocaine or PCP, this will result in immediate dismissal from the program. All other positive results will be allowed a one-time retest option that must be completed 30 days after results are received at the Student Health Center. If there is a positive result on the second drug screen, the student will be dismissed from the program.

No student will be allowed to participate in clinical education until successful completion of the drug screen.

HIPAA Training

All students will complete HIPAA through MU Health Care. A certificate verifying compliance will be submitted to the Physical Therapy Program.

Clinical sites may request that students complete additional, site-specific HIPAA training before or at the beginning of their clinical experience.

All students are expected to adhere to HIPAA guidelines at all times, including the use of social media. Violations will result in a meeting with the Director of Clinical Education and the Director of Student Affairs followed by a re-education on HIPAA and Code of Conduct. A second violation may result in referral to the Office of Student Accountability and Support and may result in dismissal from the program.