The University of British Columbia (UBC) Department of Physical Therapy invites you to participate in a survey or focus group that will help us improve our outreach, recruitment, admissions, and program experiences within the UBC Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) program.
This survey is intended only for prospective MPT students, current MPT students, and MPT alumni. Do not continue if you are not in one of these groups.
Survey Ends August 18, 11:59 pm
WHO IS CONDUCTING THE PROJECT?
The project is being conducted by the UBC Department of Physical Therapy, led by Louis-Alexandre Douesnard, Recruitment and Admissions Manager and Shannon Field, Indigenous Initiatives Manager. This project has also been developed in consultation with staff, faculty, students affiliated with UBC, and community members. Other team members from the department, such as Student Advisors and a Work Learn Student, may support data aggregation.
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS PROJECT?
This initiative is a quality improvement project aimed at enhancing the Master of Physical Therapy program at UBC by actively involving past, current, and prospective students. The primary objective of this project is to identify needs, systemic barriers, and challenges in the context of admissions and experiences within the Master of Physical Therapy at UBC. Your responses will be used to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges students face and to inform strategies for creating a more inclusive and supportive educational environment.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THIS PROJECT?
You may participate in either an online survey or a focus group. The online survey, will take you approximately 5 – 15 minutes to complete. It will focus on your experiences around preparation, supports, application, choice of school and, if applicable, your experiences within the program. If you would like to participate in the survey, but the online form is inaccessible to you, please email Shannon.Field@ubc.ca to arrange for a paper submission.
Alternatively, you may opt to participate in an in-person or virtual focus group. The interview is expected to last around 60 – 90 minutes.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER THE PROJECT?
After the project, your responses will be aggregated into general themes. These themes will be used to develop resources that aim to improve the policies and processes of the UBC Master of Physical Therapy and attempt to address systemic barriers and challenges faced by students and future applicants, fostering a welcoming and safe space. The aggregated results may include some specific quotes, with all identifying information removed. These results will be shared within the department, other UBC programs, and potentially with the public through presentations and information documents. The intention of sharing the results are to inform policy change and process improvements in other programs and to keep us accountable to change.
IS THERE COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROJECT?
Those who will participate in the survey will be entered in a draw to win one of three electronic gift cards (winner’s choice): (1st prize) $75, (2nd prize) $50, and (3rd prize) $25. The odds of winning are based on the number of surveys completed. At the end of the survey, you will be asked if you would like to enter the draw. Answering “yes” will redirect you to a new survey link in which you may share your contact information with us for the purposes of entering the draw. This process ensures that your identity is not linked to your survey results. The survey will close on Sunday, August 18, 2024, at 11:59 pm PT, after which the draw will be conducted.
Those who will participate in the focus group will receive a $25 gift card of their choice. Limited spots are available.
HOW WILL THE RESULTS BE STORED?
All data will be handled and stored in accordance with UBC data privacy and security policies. Survey and focus group data will be stored on encrypted, and password protected devices (data is stored in a locked room within a locked and alarmed area). Survey information will further be stored on Qualtrics (the online survey platform). The information gathered will be stored for 5 years at UBC on a secure and encrypted data storage system. Only the authorized users of the project team will have access to information of a confidential nature.
CONFIDENTIALITY
All data collected during this project will be kept confidential and stored securely on encrypted servers and shared between the project team. If you include any identifying or personal information during the data collection (such as your name, city you live in), this data will be removed before sharing the results with the public.
WHO CAN YOU CONTACT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROJECT?
If you have any questions or concerns about your involvement as a participant and/or your experiences participating in this project, please feel free to e-mail Shannon Field at shannon.field@ubc.ca.
CONSENT
Your participation in this project is entirely voluntary and you may refuse to participate or withdraw from the project at any time without any negative consequences. By completing this survey, you are giving your consent to participate in this project and allowing your responses to be included in the analysis. You have until Sunday, August 18, 2024, at 11:59 pm PT, to complete the survey.
If you are interested in a focus group, please continue with the survey so that we may contact you.