William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi will be expanding its health care offering in 2016 with the offering of a new Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program. Mid South is thrilled that Mark Bucklet, DPT and our Vice President of Clinical Operations and Compliance Officer has been named to this program's advisory committee. Mark will also be serving as an Adjunct Professor for the new program.
The program will consist of thirty students in the first class and could go as high as forty to forty-five in the future. The Doctorate of Physical Therapy program will be a seven-year program if a student enters as a freshman, but they are considering a four-by-two degree plan where a student can earn their bachelor's degree from another university and come to William Carey to complete the doctoral degree requirements.
As of 2015, there are 218 accredited physical therapy programs in the United States with 25,971 students enrolled during the 2012-2013 academic year, according to CAP-TE. The addition of a second program in the State of Mississippi is outstanding news and Mid South is ecstatic to be joining this program at the ground level.
There is critical shortage of Physical Therapists to service rural areas of Mississippi and this is one of the reasons why Mid South has also partnered with William Carey University. Providing clinical sites for Physical Therapy Students is crucial for observations and clinical requirements. This partnership and the honor of having Mark serve within this program in two vital positions helps ensure the security of the future of Physical Therapy in rural Mississippi.
Please join us in congratulating and supporting Mark for these achievements and also join us in backing this new Doctorate of Physical Therapy program at William Carey University.