Welcome Letter

Congratulations on being admitted to the MScPT (course-based) Program! Welcome to the Department and Faculty. This is the first step in your journey to becoming a Physical Therapist.

My name is Heather Bredy and I am the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (ACCE). I oversee the clinical component of the physical therapy program. I wanted to share some information with you about your clinical placements as there are some things you need to get started on before you begin the program.

You will be embarking on a PT shadow day in September and a one week introductory placement from December 12-16, 2022. There are a few prerequisites that need your immediate attention.

1. Police Information Check (PIC) / Criminal Records Check

Your Police Information Check must include a vulnerable sector screen, as you will be working with children and the elderly. Please make every effort to get this done at your local police detachment prior to coming to Edmonton. Some Police Service Detachments now use an electronic format for sending these checks. If they send a paper copy please do not have the results sent to us; the results are confidential and should be sent to you. You will need to show us the original copy of the PIC during the fall term.

The Police Check must be submitted by Sept 2, 2022 and must be dated June 1, 2022 or later. Please note that in some areas PICs may take up to 6 weeks to process. The Police Check is VERY IMPORTANT as you will not be permitted to go on placement until this requirement is met. If your check is not clear or you are concerned that it may not be clear, i.e. you have an infraction, you must contact me as soon as possible at heather.bredy@ualberta.ca or at 780-492-3724.

2. Immunizations

Immunization checks are required for you to go out on placement. You must begin this process as soon as possible; this should be started prior to coming to Edmonton. You will be required to have your immunization records (check with your parents or your local public health office) and schedule an online appointment with the University Health Centre. Without paperwork of your past immunizations, you may be required to receive some immunizations again.

All immunizations can be completed at the University Health Centre. They are very busy so it is important that you contact them now to book an appointment. To contact the University Health Centre please check their website: Health Centre immunizations.

There are a number of other prerequisite forms that must be signed and uploaded to eClass by the start of Anatomy on August 3, 2022. More details will be provided on these when you are given access to Eclass in July.

I will meet with you during orientation to provide more information on your placements but here is some basic information that may help you prepare for the upcoming program.

● Your first three clinical placements will take place in Alberta. This is a department policy.
● You will be required to complete placements in Alberta that are outside of the greater Edmonton or Calgary region to obtain the clinical experiences that you need. All students are required to do at least one rural placement and most students will have to do more than one placement away from their home campus.
● In addition to the course registration fees, students are responsible for costs associated with clinical placements, i.e. travel and housing.

If you have other questions regarding the prerequisites or clinical education please contact us at ptclined@ualberta.ca.

Again, welcome to the program. I look forward to meeting you and your class.

Sincerely,

Heather Bredy, MCIScPT
Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education