Problem-Solving Approach to Clinical Education

A problem-solving method to provide appropriate clinical learning experiences was developed for physical therapy students enrolled in their first year of professional course work. Clinicians from selected facilities were asked to participate in a clinical rotation over a two-quarter period. Using a problem-solving format, each clinician was responsible for a two-hour presentation relating to a disease or disability. Each rotation was repeated weekly for seven different groups of 10 students. During the rotation, the clinician presented a patient with a particular disability or disease and worked with the students to identify patient problems, establish treatment goals, and discuss methods used to achieve the goals. The difficulties encountered with the clinical experiences and the positive aspects of the experiences are discussed.