Program Director's Response.

Abstract

“The landscape of rehabilitation is changing,” as observed in the accompanying article by Norland et al.1(p556) These astute colleagues have identified a gap between DPT students' and faculty members' awareness of regenerative rehabilitation and thus advocate for incorporation of the principles of regenerative rehabilitation into our professional curricula. The chasm creates an opportunity for improvement, and the authors have advocated that we thoroughly examine our existing curricula and institute change to better prepare budding physical therapists for future practice. This is not the first time we have heard such a call. The Physical Therapy and Society Summit (PASS) held in 2009 reminded us of the need to keep up with recent developments in science and technology. We, in academic programs, were advised to ensure that our curricula addressed advances in genomics, molecular science, and technologies.2 Holding true to the theme, in the Eugene Michels Researchers' Forum at the 2012 Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), we were informed of opportunities for physical therapists to contribute to the burgeoning field of stem cell biology through regenerative rehabilitation.3 And recent clinical cases, such as that described by Gentile and colleagues,4 demonstrate that rehabilitation is key to success in tissue implantation and engineering in humans. As recognized by Norland and colleagues, the gap between basic science research and clinical practice is closing swiftly, and we must work hard to keep our curricula current. The Guide to Physical Therapist Practice 3.0 informs us that the physical therapist “selects, prescribes, and implements …