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Effectiveness of a Retention Program to Improve Performance During the First Semester of a Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
- Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- Volume 29, Number 1, February 2018
- pp. 430-447
- 10.1353/hpu.2018.0029
- Article
- Additional Information
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Abstract:
Background. To meet the expanding need for physical therapists universities are under increasing pressure to enroll, educate, and train physical therapists. Poor academic performance can result in student dismissal from a physical therapy program. The purpose of this study is to determine if implementation of a retention program would improve student academic performance in the foundational science curriculum in a physical therapy program. Methods. A prospective observational cohort design was used. The retention program centered on three approaches: 1. Early identification of at-risk students. 2. Supplemental instruction in Human Anatomy. 3. Offering peer tutoring for the foundational science courses. Results. A significant association existed between the implementation of the retention program and the reduction of dismissals from the Fall Semester of 2012 to the fall 2013 semesters. Conclusion. Implementation of a retention program had a beneficial effect on decreasing student dismissals in a physical therapy program.