The UBC Master of Physical Therapy Program (MPT) is the only fully-distributed, entry-to-practice Physical Therapy program in British Columbia. The MPT Program offers students the opportunity to study at multiple sites.
The Master of Physical Therapy – Victoria (MPT-VIC) will allow 20 of the 140 MPT students accepted each year to complete their academic and clinical learning with a focus on clinical placements on Vancouver Island. The Island Health Authority provides health care and support services to people on Vancouver Island, the islands in the Salish Sea and the Johnstone Strait, and mainland communities north of Powell River.
The MPT-Victoria cohort is taught at a University of Victoria site, the Vancouver Island Tech Park (4464 Markham St, Victoria, BC). The Vancouver Island Tech Park is located approximately 11 kilometres west of the University of Victoria. The facilities will feature a state-of-the-art plinth lab and lecture theatre with videoconferencing technology, as well as breakout rooms and study spaces for students.
The majority of class time will be at the Vancouver Island Tech Park campus. However, MPT-Victoria students should note they will occasionally have to commute to the UVic campus for certain program activities, such as immunization review and courses that utilize the gross anatomy lab (e.g. ANAT 392 and RHSC 420). Students can expect to travel to UVic campus twice per week during their first semester (Block A) and on three separate occasions during their second semester (Block B). Other ad hoc activities may require students to commute to the UVic campus.
The MPT Program’s fully distributed model of learning uses technology that allows instructors and students to interact in real-time at multiple locations. All MPT students complete the same curriculum at the same time, regardless of site. Distributed learning is a well-established model used by health profession programs across the country. There are significant advantages to distributed learning, such as:
• access to expertise from across the province;
• smaller class sizes;
• unique placement opportunities.
The MPT program is delivered using an advanced system of high-definition videoconferencing technology. Classes may be delivered from distributed sites depending on where the instructor teaches the class. Students from all sites can ask instructors questions and interact with each other in real-time through video conferencing equipment. Clinical skills or classes that require group work are delivered by local faculty, instructors and Clinical Skills Assistants (CSA). Clinical Skills Assistance are usually practicing healthcare professionals within the community. This blended approach to education and training applies to all students in the program.
Students will experience a wide variety of clinical settings in both public and private sectors with the potential to participate in innovative projects and novel clinical experiences. Clinical learning for students takes place in communities across the province, however, for MPT-Victoria students, there is a focus on clinical sites within the Island Health Authority. The location of clinical learning sites will vary each year.
