The
iple means of accomplishing this mission include “teaching, research, artistic creation, professional practice and selected forms of public service.” Although it is not specifically mentioned, one of the major reasons USC is successful in accomplishing its central mission is its ability to change, adapt, and improve. As times change, the needs and desires of students, faculty, and society as a whole change, as well. These abilities help the institution adopt and grow, facilitating its students and faculty with the proper equipment to change with these times. The university is constantly searching for ways to better all aspects of the institution including curriculum, research, structure, staff, amenities, and so on. An example of this is the university-sponsored College Dean’s Prize, created to receive suggestions from students on how to better their educational experiences. The Dean’s Prize calls for participants to “think seriously about learning, be creative and daring, and inspire us.” With the prize as the inspiration for this post, I am proposing a drastic change to the undergraduate education in my field: to create a major that is dedicated to physical therapy.Currently, USC only offers a “pre-professional emphasis” on physical therapy, which is another word for a track of prerequisite courses that students follow. Students who wish to pursue physical therapy in graduate school are forced to either pick a major of interest and follow the PT prerequisite courses or choose a major that is somewhat related to the field (such as kinesiology) and also follow the prerequisite courses. Either way, students are forced to take numerous classes that are irrelevant to their field, and often times, have trouble fulfilling their major requirements along with prerequisites within the regular four year period. The majors chosen do not offer any seminars, guest speakers, workshops, advisement, or anything directly related to physical therapy. The only thing these majors offer is help with structuring courses to fulfill the PT prerequisites, which in my opinion, inadequate. The courses that students take for prerequisites are all general science courses; there are no PT courses or even related courses. This puts students in a position that is very frustrating. They will only get a taste of what physical therapy is like in graduate school. College is when students should find themselves and find what exactly they want to do in life, while there is still time to go back and forth between career choices. If a student only gets a taste of physical therapy curriculum in there graduate school years, then what happens if they truly do not enjoy it? The student would have wasted their undergraduate years, and they would be forced to go back to school to study for another field. USC has the best graduate program for physical therapy in the country. With that being said, the graduate program has no connection or ties in any way to the undergraduate “emphasis.” I have approached counselors from the typical majors that PT students usually choose, and each counselor explained to me how they do not work at all with the graduate program at USC. In fact, they said that these two institutions are so separated that the graduate program does not even favor USC students over those from other universities.
The creation of a physical therapy major would not only solve the majority of these issues, but it will also provide a proper platform for the students who are interested in the field to build upon. The major should cover all of the basic science prerequisite courses, but it should also include a few basic physical therapy classes. These classes should at least be able to introduce the students to what they will be learning, and give them an idea of what their future might hold. Within the major, there should be at least a few required seminars. These seminars should educate students about this field and how it is evolving today. They also should address current issues that are surrounding the field, as well as issues that may affect it in the future, such as new technological advancements as well as ever-changing legislation. Along with the seminars, the major should have an internship requirement. There is no better way for a student to realize if this field is right for them than to actually work at a physical therapy clinic. This would put them into a real life situation where they will take in knowledge that can never be taught in a classroom, and it would help students build connections with clinics and physical therapists that may later hire them. . A counseling department dedicated to a physical therapy program is crucial; students would be able to receive assistance on their coursework, and in depth information on internships and graduate programs, which as of right now, is not existent. Finally, a connection would have to be made between the USC physical therapy graduate program and the undergraduate major, such as bringing in speakers and representatives. This would provide students with valuable insight and information, as well as a relative understanding of what is expected and required of them to get into the graduate program and prosper as a successful physical therapist.
Developing a physical therapy major would provide students with the fundamentals, proper groundwork, and education to prosper in their profession. Under the USC strategic plan, one of the core approaches in its vision for the University’s future is to “focus our educational programs on meeting the needs of qualified students worldwide, from undergraduates through continuing professional development. This commitment will guide our choices regarding pedagogy, instructional technology, curriculum, admissions, and support services.” The implementation of this major would truly exemplify USC’s strategic plan and will meet the needs of students from all over the world who are interesting in pursuing physical therapy as a career and in need of an undergraduate program that will prepare them for the graduate level. This would set the school apart from the rest of the educational institutions because it would be offering an undergraduate program that is rare. The undergraduate program could easily increase USC's academic excellence, status, and reputation, which is what USC’s strategic plan strives to achieve.
