Clinical Requirements

Acute Care

Acute care typically involves:

  • A large urban hospital
  • Acutely ill / emergent patients
  • Surgical
  • Medical
  • Critical Care
  • Rehab
  • Ambulatory clinic follow ups for Med/Surg patients with Internist/Surgeon
  • Interdisciplinary team
  • Many diverse fields of practice in which PT is involved
  • Many other health care providers striving for a common goal of patient well being, healing, compassion, and or palliation
Home Care / Community
  • Bridges the gap after discharge - also frees up hospital beds for more acute patients
  • Patients discharged home but still require rehab to return to previous level of function.
  • Patient unable to attend out patient program
  • Could be checking in on patients with chronic diseases that require on going assessment, treatment and home program prescription
  • Aim is for independent function and managing condition in their community
Private Practice / OP MSK / Occupational Rehab
  • Typically private clinics but some hospital based OP clinics
  • All ages across the adult spectrum, typically younger adult
  • General MSK conditions/injuries, necks and backs as well as peripheral joints, sports injuries, work place injuries, repetitive strain injuries. Some practices do some Cardioresp and Neuro treatment although this is rare
  • Assessment, treatment (manual therapy, ther Ex, EPAs, home exercise programs), consultations
  • Possibility of discussion with referring doctor
  • Most Private Practices are not recommended for first placements
Alberta Adventure
  • Your opportunity to get out of the big city and go on an adventure
  • Think outside the box, see the province, wind down
  • Community hospitals and small community programs offer a very different perspective on patient care
  • All ages across the adult spectrum
  • Typically a very mixed case load
  • Most certainly some form of Cardioresp, possibly neuro, MSK
  • May involve some LTC/HC
  • Small facilities - everyone will know who you are
  • Please read the "merits of rural practice" section in the clinical practice handbook or watch the student interview video-Who would have thought my first job would be in rural AB? on the Clin Ed website under Alberta Adventure.
Alberta Adventure

Heading out on an Alberta Adventure placement is all the more enjoyable if accommodations can be arranged in advance. Alberta Adventure is considered to be outside the following Edmonton and Calgary areas:

  • Greater Edmonton Area
  • Great Calgary Area

The Faculty's Centre for Studies in Clinical Education (CSCE) is trying to help connect FRM students with potential accommodations by compiling a list of public sites such as bed and breakfasts, dormitories, motels, hostels, etc. If you have any any accommodation recommendations to add, please email ptclined@ualberta.ca.

We encourage students who have stayed in private residences to ask their landlord if they would be willing to host other students. If so, they can complete the Accommodation Consent Form.

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