School of Rehabilitation Sciences - Clinical Excellence
Entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy students begin professional practice education at the end of the fifth semester of the program and graduate with 34 weeks of clinical experience and patient interaction.
The variety and quality of the School of Rehabilitation Sciences faculty, facilities and clinical programs position you for success.
Community Clinic
Students at the School of Rehabilitation Sciences gain valuable knowledge and experience from the faculty and from working in the school's Community Clinic. From their first year in the program, students spend time in the Community Clinic. Senior-level students spend more hours in the clinic than first-year students, but every student will rotate through the clinic. We are one of a few universities in Texas that has an operational Community Clinic on-site, allowing us to merge our commitment to serving the community with our Mission of educating future leaders.
The Community Clinic opened in 2016 and has seen an increase in patients served since opening (not including 2020, which was mostly closed due to the pandemic). In 2016, the Community Clinic had a total of 285 patient visits. In 2019, the Community Clinic had a total of 454 patient visits. Since 2016, Doctor of Physical Therapy students and faculty have given over 4,283 hours of services to patients in the community who would not have received physical therapy services elsewhere due to being uninsured or having other barriers.
Care Provided:
- Orthopedic and Spine Care
- Injury Screening
- Manual Therapy
- Vestibular Rehab
- Chronic Pain Management
- Metabolic Conditioning
Clinical Instructors
UIW partners with over 500 clinical instructors who precept students in a variety of clinical settings across the United States. Clinical instructors are fully qualified physical therapists who provide real-life training and experience in physical therapy (PT) to students. Clinical instructors are mentors to students, and the skills they teach them during their clinical rotations are essential for their education in physical therapy and rehab.
Education Focus
Our problem-based learning method means that your education focuses on patient cases, experience and open dialogue rather than lectures. PBL allows students to get hands-on experience from the very first semester, which will later help them succeed in the field during their clinical rotations.
San Antonio Health Centers
San Antonio’s only faith-based, not-for-profit healthcare system, with five hospitals as well as several primary care and specialty health clinics, and an array of community outreach services
Primary teaching hospital for The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, with 100 affiliated hospitals, clinics and healthcare facilities in South Texas
At Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, part of the U.S. Army Medical Command and home to the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research Burn Center
Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital in San Antonio and Kerrville VA Hospital in Kerrville, Texas, serving 80,000 unique Veterans
UIW School of Physical Therapy partners with Methodist Healthcare Ministries, partly owned by the largest healthcare system in South Texas, the Methodist Healthcare System, to provide physical therapy services to individuals who cannot afford health insurance at the Dixon Health and Wellness Clinic on the south side of San Antonio.
Partnerships
Partnership with Methodist Healthcare Ministries — the Dixon Wellness Center, where we work to restore function and optimize movements for patients.
What our Alumni say
“It is one thing being taught by our professors in a classroom, but learning is amplified in clinic alongside the faculty. The professors know our capabilities and push us to our fullest potential every moment during our shift.” - Katherine Crocker, PT, DPT (UIW Class of 2018)