ACAPT is aware that there may be challenges in continuity of our curriculum offerings given the decisions of our respective institutions, local and state governments and public health agencies to the coronavirus outbreak. We know that our member institutions are actively discussing, preparing and developing various continuity of operations plans.

The ACAPT Board has been monitoring the situation, including the recent exchanges on the PT Education Listserv and reviewed other health professions associations’ communications to their respective contingencies. In this context, the Board believes the best course of action for our member institution programs is to follow the updated guidance and recommendations of reputable sources such as the Centers for Disease Control.

For specific guidelines regarding student clinical work, you may find the attached recent communication from the Association of American Medical Colleges useful to inform your decisions regarding non-clinical and clinical coursework.  

There are no easy answers to these questions. Our best support is from our colleagues as they problem solve the individual challenges that they are dealing with.  

As we have seen, each day there is new information and we are learning more and more about COVID-19.  Policies and procedures will continue to be changed with new ones implemented. Physical therapist education programs have always been creative when faced with challenges, this is one of those challenges. We will continue to work for good outcomes, and it is easier when we work together by sharing and providing support.