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AP5. Professionalism

Professionalism includes adhering to the professional code of ethics and core values and behaving in a manner consistent with professional practice and patient- centered care. This section describes the components of professionalism for the physical therapy student and the established program’s expectations of professional behavior by all physical therapy students. Non-adherence to the components of professionalism outlined below may result in professional behavior feedback or actions outlined in Policy AP-9.

 

Components of Professionalism:

  • Code of Ethics

    Students are expected to adhere to the principles delineated in the Code of Ethics of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

     

  • Professionalism in Physical Therapy: Core Values

    Students are expected to behave in a manner consistent with the APTA Core Values for the Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant. These values include Accountability, Altruism, Collaboration, Compassion/Caring, Duty, Excellence, Inclusion, Integrity, and Social Responsibility.

  • Schedule 

    The DPT program academic calendar is intentionally designed with scheduled breaks and holidays to support student well-being and personal needs. Students are expected to use designated academic breaks for planned time away

    Students are expected to adhere to the DPT Program Schedule. Program Schedule will be released one semester ahead of time. Program schedule details include dates for the beginning and ending of a semester, retake dates for semester practical exams, and any events being held within a semester. 

    Specific course schedules will be released two weeks prior to the start of the course. It is the student’s responsibility to check the DPT program schedule before making any plans in order to avoid unnecessary absences.

  • Attendance

    The design and pace of the curriculum is reliant on active participation and collaboration. Student absences can be disruptive to the learning experience for self, peers, and faculty.;Ttherefore, all scheduled sessions are required unless explicitly designated optional. (This includes class sessions/seminars, orientation sessions, professional development sessions, class meetings, integrated clinical education experiences/sessions).

    Students are responsible for completing missed prep work and collaborating with peers and reviewing D2L to obtain missed content. Faculty are not required to provide individualized make-up instruction beyond what is made available to all students.

    Students are responsible for meeting the objectives of any missed program sessions. Given the nature of the curriculum, the ability to fully meet the objectives of a missed session is difficult and needs to be considered. Absences, except in the case of illness, emergency situations, or religious observances, may result in grade deductions, scores of zero on missed assignments/quizzes/examinations, required make-up assignments, or other consequences specific to the missed session. 

     

    A pattern of absences may result in professionalism feedback, oral, and/or written warnings. Below are guidelines that may be issued in determining the level of action needed.

    • Initial concern → Professionalism feedback
    • Ongoing concern → Oral warning
    • Significant or persistent concern → Written warning

     

    Please refer to the Clinical Education section of the Student Handbook for attendance details specific to clinical experiences and clinical internship. 

     

    • Notification of Absence 

    In the case of illness or other unanticipated absence, students should at minimum notify the faculty member in charge of the session  via email before the start of the scheduled session to report the absence and reason for the absence. Students are expected to adhere to any additional required notification procedures outlined in course syllabi.  

    In the case of a potentialanticipated absence, the student is expected to discuss the potential absence with the faculty member in charge of the program session well in advance of the scheduled session in order to determine feasibility and potential consequences. 

     

    • Punctuality 

    Students are expected to be punctual for all DPT program sessions. If a student is going to be late, they should contact (via email) the faculty member in charge of the session and notify them of the estimated time of arrival. Keep in mind, Boston’s traffic is a challenge as well as public transportation may not always be timely; therefore, you need to plan your commute accordingly.

  • PT Department Generic Expectations

Generic expectations for the department are outlined in each course syllabus.

DPT students should not communicate with faculty and staff via personal email accounts. Communication from faculty and staff requiring response should be returned within 48 business hours unless otherwise indicated. 

 

Professional Behavior Development.

A mechanism within the PT department to support student professional behavior development is via Professionalism Feedback (PF).

The purpose of Professionalism Feedback is to identify and, when possible, provide guidance for improvement of professionalism. Students demonstrating behaviors inconsistent with the professionalism expectations of this program will be provided Professionalism Feedback.

 

Professionalism Feedback occurs when a student demonstrates minor lapses in professionalism. It is an opportunity for faculty to provide supportive guidance in developing behaviors consistent with the Program’s professionalism expectations.

  1. Required Actions:

    The Faculty member(s) providing the professionalism feedback will discuss with the student the lapses in professionalism, strategies for improving professional behaviors, and will set expectations for demonstrating change. The professionalism feedback will be documented in an email to the student and the student’s advising team with the subject heading “Professionalism Feedback.” Upon receipt of the email, the student will collaborate with the faculty member and/or advising team to discuss a professional development plan.

  2. Outcome:

    If the student continues to demonstrate behaviors inconsistent with the professionalism expectations of the Program, or receives multiple instances of Professionalism Feedback, an Oral or Written warning may be issued.

  3. Record of Professionalism Feedback:
    1. An email is sent to the student and the student’s Advising Team with the subject heading “Professionalism Feedback”.
    2. A copy of the email will be saved in the student’s departmental folder.
    3. Professionalism Feedback emails will not become part of the student’s university permanent record unless an oral or written warning is issued relative to the Professionalism Feedback.