Mentorship Model
Underscoring the University’s commitment to enriching the mind, heart and spirit of its students, the School of Health and Medical Sciences is dedicated to a robust academic experience. Experts in their fields, our nationally recognized faculty pursue teaching, learning and research through a focus that is continually informed and enlivened by the University’s mission. We offer you an opportunity to study and collaborate with these distinguished scholars and skilled master clinicians. Together, you will learn and develop new concepts and research meaningful topics impacting your selected healthcare discipline.

Our faculty wants you to value and enjoy the pursuit of knowledge, simply for the sake of new knowledge. We are constantly engaged in interesting research, and our students are active participants with us. Past faculty-student research projects include:

• Effects of a Whole- Versus Part-Practice Strategy in Gait Training in Individuals with Transtibial Amputation, using the GAITRite™ Gold System;
• McConnel™ Taping in Athletes with Shoulder Instability, using the Norazon™ Smart Balance Master;
• Quantification of Balance Strategies in Children with and without Juvenile Arthritis, Using the NeuroCom™ Smart Balance Master;
• Gesture and Word Learning in Toddlers;
• Association between Low Back and Hamstring Flexibility as it Relates to Injury;
• Comparison of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and Power in the Conventional Push-up Versus the Plyometric Push-up; and
• Case Report on Mulligan™ Ankle Taping in a High School Athlete.

Because dynamic research is a major focus in our programs, we provide a support system from the start. You’re paired with a faculty mentor who will guide you, encourage you and challenge you to master your profession.  We emphasize the application of theory and research to clinical practice so you’ll learn to develop a research question, conduct a literature review, design a study, collect data and present your findings to fellow students and professional colleagues. Our students regularly present their in-depth research at national meetings and conferences. As a result, you’ll possess a firm understanding of the research process and recognize the importance of applying research to evidence-based clinical practice and adding to the body of literature that currently exists in your field.

Our focus on the mentorship model provides you with a wide array of academic experiences as they relate to both clinical and traditional research. What does this mentorship model mean to you as a student? It means our dedicated faculty gets to know you personally, which fosters a deep sense of community. They assist you in your academic and life journeys, helping you to think critically about moral and ethical issues, and apply what you’ve learned in the classroom to the real world. In today’s global community, research and investigation are critical to improving the overall quality of life. Our programs play a crucial role in forming healthcare professionals whose values will shape the progress of 21st-century healthcare. See what opportunities exist for you today in the School of Health and Medical Sciences.