Written by Sue Murphy
We are starting to receive questions about how COVID is affecting us at UBC so here is a quick update:
Essentially “anything that can be done remotely will be” for the foreseeable future (at least until December and possibly longer). This includes research and educational activities, as well as administration. In practical terms, this means that the only research being carried out on campus is either related to COVID-19, or involves procedures that cannot be done remotely (e.g.: MRI or other testing). Labs are minimally staffed and there are strict protocols in place to protect faculty, staff, and study participants.
For the MPT program, the didactic portions of the curriculum will continue to be taught remotely (online) with lab classes on-site. While exact details are still being worked out, the labs will be in groups of less than 50 with students and instructors wearing PPE, socially distanced wherever possible. This will require the use of other space on campus as a temporary lab space for some classes. We hope to resume clinical placements later this month, again with strict precautions in effect to protect students, patients and preceptors. Because of the disruption to the curriculum, placement dates and length may be somewhat different than usual, however, all students will receive the usual number of clinical hours (1080) prior to graduation. The academic curriculum may also be a little different in terms of sequencing, but the content will remain unchanged.