Fostering a diverse population of physical therapists starts here While enrollment of underrepresented students in physical therapy programs continues to rise in the United States, there is still a gap in the representation of socioeconomic and racial diversity among physical therapy practitioners that leads to challenges in building crucial relationships with patients. While students in … Read more

Deanna Sipes, a third-year student in the Division of Physical Therapy, integrates service into her life, and it’s a mission she hopes to continue when she earns her Doctor of Physical Therapy. “I think it’s very important within this profession,” Sipes said. “It’s a very giving profession.” Sipes’s family is from Venezuela, and she said … Read more

For the first time, researchers at the UNC School of Medicine showed they could target one brain region with a weak alternating current of electricity, enhance the naturally occurring brain rhythms of that region, and significantly decrease symptoms associated with chronic lower back pain. The results, published in the Journal of Pain and presented at the Society for … Read more

The UNC Student Physical Therapy Association (SPTA) and the Division of Physical Therapy officially welcomed 31 incoming students as part of the class of 2021 at a professionalism ceremony held in the Medical Biomolecular Research Building on August 24, 2018. Judy A. White, PT, DPT, former UNC Division of Physical Therapy faculty and coordinator of … Read more

Now Hiring: Division of Physical Therapy

Our student newsletter is out! Check it out here. SPTA Newsletter: Fall 2018

Division of Physical Therapy graduates received their degrees at its annual commencement ceremony, held at the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education, on Saturday, August 4. The ceremony recognized 30 members of the class of 2018 and three physical therapists who completed requirements for the Doctor of Physical Therapy. Additionally, three physical therapists … Read more

Commencement exercises for our program’s 59th class took place on August 4, 2018. The ceremony recognized the 30 members of the class of 2018 and three physical therapists who completed the requirements for the DPT degree. Three physical therapists were recognized for completing the UNC orthopedic and pediatric residencies. Awards to the students presented at … Read more

The Division of Physical Therapy would like to announce the Giuliani/Wellman Scholarship, which honors the dedication and research of Carol Giuliani, PhD, PT, FAPTA, and longtime professor. All donations to this scholarship will provide financial assistance to PT PhD students pursuing a degree in human movement science with specialties in geriatrics and/or neurology. Carol’s vision … Read more

Vicki Mercer, PT, PhD, has received the award of Outstanding Physical Therapist, an annual award given by the North Carolina Physical Therapy Association (NCPTA). Mercer, who has been a physical therapist for more than 35 years, has maintained a love for clinical practice over the decades. Having joined division faculty in 1994, Mercer devotes 20 … Read more