The clinical education faculty for the program is comprised of respected members of the professional community who collaborate with the academic program in the delivery of the clinical education program. Clinical education faculty members include Site Coordinator’s of Clinical Education (SCCE) and Clinical Instructors (CI). Clinical education faculty members provide direct development, supervision, and mentoring to student physical therapists and may contribute to the design, implementation, and assessment of the curriculum plan, mission, and philosophy of the Program through formal and informal feedback processes. Some of the benefits offered to our clinical faculty are listed below.
Mentorship
The George Washington University (GW) Physical Therapy (PT) program supports the development of clinical education faculty through their role as teachers and mentors of students in the clinical setting. The Director of Clinical Education (DCE), Assistant Director of Clinical Education (ADCE), and other members of the core faculty are available to serve as consultants for clinical education faculty in preparing for a student, developing educational strategies specific to the clinic, and shaping your clinical education program at your facility.
Collaboration
The PT program supports clinical education faculty professional development with opportunities to engage in collaborative projects, such as clinically relevant research and publication/dissemination of case studies, posters, and articles.
Continuing Education Opportunities
Some states recognize the mentorship of student physical therapists as professional development. These jurisdictions may accept documentation from the physical therapy program to fulfill continuing education requirements necessary for license renewal. Please refer to your state's practice act and contact the DCE if we can help!
The GW PT program hosts several continuing education opportunities during the year. All clinical education faculty are invited to attend at a discounted rate. In addition to courses hosted at the GW PT program facilities, our faculty has provided continuing education sessions at our partnering clinical sites. Topics have included vestibular rehabilitation, updates in neuroanatomy and clinical correlates, and casting and splinting interventions for the pediatric client.
We also host an annual Clinical Education Faculty Focus Group. We invite you to participate in problem-solving discussions with the core faculty and other clinical instructors, as well as attend a free continuing education seminar on clinically relevant topics. This past fall, the education topic was “Planned Learning Experiences: Target Your Teaching."
In addition to GW developed clinical education training sessions, we have core faculty trained and certified to teach the APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program (CCIP) Level 1. We offer the APTA CCIP at GW annually through an exclusive course for partnering sites, CIs, and alumni. We offer the Level 2 CCIP every 1-2 years. Spots are limited, so please let us know if you are interested so we can add you to our list! Additionally, we have collaborated with clinical partners to host their own APTA CCIP to provide clinical teaching training within the comfort of their own site.
GW is also a proud member of the Mid-Atlantic Consortium of Physical Therapy Education (MAC) and participates in planning the annual MAC event offered to area clinical educators each spring.
Look for upcoming information on great continuing education related to clinical teaching!
Voluntary Faculty Appointment
Clinical education faculty members who mentor at least one full-time GW student per year are eligible for recommendation for a voluntary faculty appointment. Faculty interested in this benefit should contact the Director of Clinical Education or the Associate Director of Clinical Education to initiate the process.
Benefits of a voluntary faculty appointment at GW include:
- Access to Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library's online collections, which include 100+ databases, 800+ online textbooks, and 3,300 full-text online journals
- Receive a GW email account
- Eligibility for participation in meetings/conferences/programs presented by the Office of Continuing Education in the Health Professions
- Eligibility for participation in faculty development workshops presented by the George Washington University
- GW Bookstore discounts (with GWorld card)
The GW PT program maintains contracts with clinical facilities throughout the United States. Opportunities for international placements are also available. We value our clinical educators and are always seeking additional quality sites for our students' part-time and full-time clinical experiences. If your site is interested in affiliating with GW, please contact the Director of Clinical Education or Associate Director of Clinical Education.