Our Community | Entry-Level Doctor of Physical Therapy

2023 Katherine Harris White Coat Ceremony

Graduating students are assisted putting on their white coats by faculty members.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2023 was officially cloaked at the Katherine Harris White Coat Ceremony on Quinnipiac’s North Haven Campus.

Chair of Quinnipiac’s Physical Therapy Department and Assistant Professor Ken Kosior said the cohort personifies perseverance.

“Their will and determination to pursue professional aspirations throughout an unprecedented global pandemic will leave a lasting impression on the Quinnipiac PT community. The group’s adaptability and grit has been evident as they collectively navigated both personal and academic challenges,” he said.

The keynote address for the ceremony was delivered by Co-Founder and Co-CEO of ACCESS PT Steve Albanese ‘98, who earned his degree in physical therapy from Quinnipiac.

“Today, I am more optimistic than ever about the opportunities for physical therapists to have a greater impact on those we serve, to improve health outcomes, and to add value to the healthcare system,” Albanese said.

Read the QU Today article

EQUIP Rehabilitation Clinic

Two health sciences students stand on either side of a patient using a walker and help him stand up

The student-run, pro bono EQUIP Rehabilitation Clinic, located on the North Haven Campus, offers physical therapy services to uninsured or underinsured patients throughout Connecticut.

With 88 members and growing, EQUIP enables student volunteers from Quinnipiac’s physical therapy program to work together as members of direct patient care teams. Volunteers provide treatments for a variety of diagnoses under the guidance and oversight of licensed professionals who are also School of Health Sciences faculty.

Celebrating a decade of contributing to physical therapy care in the New Haven area

Opened as a student-led clinic, EQUIP Rehabilitation provides the opportunity for Quinnipiac students to work together and create and improve high-quality care for those in the New Haven area.

Since its conception 10 years ago, Quinnipiac physical therapy students have treated more than 400 clients.

When COVID-19 struck, EQUIP Rehabilitation took it as an opportunity to improve and grow to benefit the broader community.

The students added six EQUIP for Life Teams, fully implementing them in 2021, and expanded their services and offerings to provide even more physical therapy services to the whole community including exercise classes, health and wellness education, health screenings, health fairs, work with adaptive sports and modification of products for children with physical and cognitive impairments through the Go Baby Go program.

EQUIP Rehabilitation is led by faculty and alumni volunteers who guide the students each week in the clinic. Approximately 70% of the students from the graduate physical therapy program donate their time each week, led by a student executive board of 11 members.

Read the full article on Quinnipiac Today

Student Volunteer Spotlight

john marion wears a blue polo and poses against a stone wall

From classes to clinicals: How generous donors made it all possible

Everyone wants to make a positive impact. For John Marion ’21, DPT ’24, it was easy once he found his place in the physical therapy department.

With six years at Quinnipiac coming to end as he graduates in 2024, he looks back most fondly on his extra-curricular activities.

He particularly enjoyed his work in the graduate physical therapy club and EQUIP Rehabilitation (Quinnipiac’s student-led pro-bono physical therapy clinic). These efforts have enabled him to refine his clinical skills outside the classroom and volunteer within the community.

“My experience as co-director of fundraising and marketing for physical therapy club taught me important lessons about leadership, networking, professionalism and accountability. I’m proud of the career path I’ve chosen for myself and the fulfilling moments I’ve already gained as a result,” Marion said.

Read the full story on Quinnipiac Today

EQUIP volunteers also participate in numerous other efforts, including:

Health & Wellness Team

EQUIP’s Health & Wellness Team offers weekly Zoom exercise classes for adults in the area in partnership with the North Haven Senior Center, and facilitates numerous community health screening events. The team also maintains a health and wellness YouTube Channel with updated content on exercise regimens, healthy eating and other topics.

Student Self-Care Team

The Student Self-Care Team engages students in activities that encourage a dynamic and healthy lifestyle to balance the stress of academics and student life. These include challenges that promote increased physical activity and socialization, guided meditation classes prior to midterm and finals weeks, and other planned social events throughout the year.

Telemedicine Team

Our telemedicine platform enables EQUIP to reach more patients and provide greater access to clinic services for the community via telehealth. EQUIP’s HIPPA-compliant Telemedicine Platform complies with all federal, state, local, and school regulations.

Go Baby Go Team

Go Baby Go! is a national, community-based research, design and outreach program that provides accessible, inexpensive and common sense solutions for kids and adults with limited mobility. The program uses a 5-phase approach that combines high-tech and low- tech – or “go-tech” – to rewire and repurpose a motorized toy car into a customized vehicle that can enhance a child’s mobility and their quality of life.

Special Events Team

EQUIP’s Special Events Team hosts unique educational events that enhance the PT curriculum and our students’ professional learning experiences. These include Wheels In Motion, a 3-on-3 wheelchair basketball tournament and fundraiser held on the Quinnipiac campus that donates 100% of its profits to Gaylord Adaptive Sports. Quarterly opportunities to volunteer at a local soup kitchen or at a toy drive for local children are also available.

Experience a Day in the Life

looking off a cliff in Guatemala to the ocean, plays video — Join Emily O’Shea ’21, DPT ’24 as she shows you what a day in her life is like as she completes her interprofessional capstone project in Guatemala.

Get Involved

From getting competitive in a volleyball tournament to helping out the local community in one of our many physical therapy clubs, there is no shortage of opportunities to get active and get involved as a member of the physical therapy family.

Physical therapy students cheer as a small child drives his modified car — As part of “Go Baby Go”, physical therapy students work with facilities staff to create customized ride-on cars for young children with physical and developmental disabilities to take home.

Four physical therapy students pose on a beach volleyball court behind a sign that announces the score of the game — Physical therapy students play in a volleyball tournament on the York Hill Campus on Thursday, July 15, 2021.

A student wearing a plaid shirt and mask on his face hands a box to a fellow student as a gift — Physical therapy student Evan Bell '21, a member of Quinnipiac's Student Programming Board, hands out DIY crafts outside the Carl Hansen Student Center on the Mount Carmel Campus on Wednesday, February 3, 2021.

A physical therapy student passes a large ball to a local teen during a physical therapy workshop exercise — Physical therapy student Jasmine Solomon helps Brian Bynum in a mock exercise at the Keefe Community Center in Hamden, Connecticut on July 20, 2021. The exercise was part of PT Moves Me, an American Therapy Association initiative where Quinnipiac students introduced local teens to different aspects of the physical therapy profession.

A student smiles next to a local man during an arts and crafts workshop for special needs athletes — The Physical Therapy Club hosts the Special Athletics Event in the Burt Kahn Court on the Mount Carmel Campus on Saturday, April 13, 2019.

A group of children wearing pink t-shirts smile and gather around on a basketball court during a camp event — The occupational and physical therapy programs host Camp No Limits on the York Hill Campus on Friday, July 11, 2019. The annual camp supports children affected by limb loss and their families.

A physical therapy student and professor guide a local elderly patient up a set of stairs in a laboratory setting — Physical therapy student Kathleen Barry '19 aids patient Edward Tantorski in mobility exercises while Duane Scotti, clinical assistant professor of physical therapy, observes in the Center for Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Motion Analysis Lab on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 on the North Haven Campus.

Camp No Limits

Each year, children and their families come to our Mount Carmel and York Hill campuses from across America to try new things, develop innovative skills and feel more independent. The children, partnered with graduate occupational and physical therapy students, participate in 3 days of purposefully designed events and activities at Camp No Limits.

Camp No Limits is a national nonprofit organization that provides education, mentorship opportunities and support for children with limb loss. Quinnipiac hosted its first camp in 2015 and has continued to grow the program on campus.

Each of the children came to the camp with at least one parent and, often, a sibling. Quinnipiac is proud to be the only university to host one of the 10 camps. Students work with occupational and physical therapy students in activities like basketball, sled hockey and adaptive ice skating, field-day activities and adaptive arts and crafts.

Newman's Own Foundation recently awarded Quinnipiac’s Center for Interprofessional Healthcare Education a $12,500 grant to provide scholarships and adaptive sports materials for Camp No Limits at the university. The grant will support families to attend the camp as well as adaptive arts, crafts and sports for the children with limb loss.

Learn more about the experience

Watch A Day in the Life with PT Student Melissa Calcavecchio — Are you interested in pursuing a degree in physical therapy? Follow Melissa Calcavecchio '20, DPT '23 as she shows you what her day is like during Camp No Limits.

Physical Therapy Club

The Physical Therapy Club’s educational events expose PT students to clinical skills, such as dry needling, movement screening and pediatric rehab. Some also focus on personal finance management and other post-college topics. The club additionally organizes regular social activities and provides mentoring to first-year PT students.

The Physical Therapy Club is active in fundraising and coordinates the Marquette Challenge, a grassroots fundraising effort that supports the mission of the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research. It also collaborates with local, state and national APTA organizations to promote advocacy legislative agendas.

PT Moves Me Ambassador Program

PT Moves Me enables students in Quinnipiac’s physical therapy program to be passionate ambassadors of their discipline to the local community. The program’s student-run initiatives help increase awareness about careers in physical therapy, enhance student recruitment efforts, and improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the profession overall.

In collaboration with the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, local clinical partners and area schools, members develop ongoing activities that engage students in the exploration of PT and other health care professions. These include presentations that build enthusiasm for the physical therapy profession.

Many have a unique story about how they chose physical therapy as a career. Through the PT Moves Me Ambassador Program, Quinnipiac students help the next generation find their own path to PT.

Community Involvement

Students and campers stand together in a circle and talk

Students host summer camp to educate future healthcare professionals

August 10, 2023

Eighteen physical therapy students, seven physician assistant students and one medical student hosted a summer camp this summer at the Hamden YMCA for 55 children to learn more about the various healthcare professions offered at Quinnipiac.

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Entry-Level Dual-Degree BS in Health Science Studies / Doctor of Physical Therapy (3+3 and 4+3 tracks) Our Community

2023 Katherine Harris White Coat Ceremony

EQUIP Rehabilitation Clinic

Celebrating a decade of contributing to physical therapy care in the New Haven area

Student Volunteer Spotlight

From classes to clinicals: How generous donors made it all possible