Lynchburg College announces first doctorate program

Lynchburg College is planning its first doctorate program, partnering with Centra to help fill a community need for more physical therapists.

College president Kenneth Garren announced Monday that the school will launch a doctorate of physical therapy program in fall 2010. The move puts LC among a handful of institutions in Virginia offering the doctorate program, according to school officials.

“This is a program that will reach the community,” said Ellen Nygaard, a member of the college’s board of trustees. “It’s a wonderful way to attract students.”

“It’s going to be a win-win situation,” Garren said.

LC will begin its recruitment efforts for the program in early 2009, he said. It also will hire a director to form a curriculum with faculty members during the next two years.

Centra will provide clinical experience and observation for LC students, assist with facilities and offer scholarships to those who will remain with Centra after graduating.

“In these tough economic times, we need long-term growth prospects,” said George Dawson, Centra president and CEO. “It’s one of our hardest recruitment challenges, to find therapists.”

LC expects to graduate its first class from the three-year program in 2013. The total number of students is expected to be around 40, Garren said.

Dawson said Centra, like many healthcare providers, has struggled to fill openings for physical therapists.

The field of physical therapy is expected to see 68,000 new jobs nationwide by 2016, fueled by growth in the aging population, among other factors, according to the school.

Dawson said Centra’s role in the new program would closely parallel registered nursing programs with LC and Liberty University. Centra also partners with Central Virginia Community College for radiology technologists and respiratory therapists.

“Hopefully this will lay a foundation for other health careers,” Dawson said.

The announcement of the new program comes after a feasibility study involving LC and Centra, as well as Rehab Associates of Central Virginia, Orthopaedic Center of Central Virginia and Garman & Proffitt Physical Therapy. The college expects the program to be fully accredited by 2013.

Applicants need a bachelor’s degree; nationally, a typical student has a 3.4 grade point average. Undergraduate work includes anatomy, biology, chemistry, social sciences, math and physics.