Faulkner University’s College of Health Sciences is growing and will soon add the first graduate class of physician assistants (PA) to its ranks October 1, 2020, pending accreditation. Student applications are currently open for PA until March 31, 2020.
Additionally, the physical therapy (PT) program is scheduled to debut Fall 2021 and occupational therapy (OT) is scheduled to start August 2022, both pending accreditation.
Currently, the speech and language pathology (SLP) graduate program has expanded to include 52 students between two student cohorts making the SLP program the second largest in the state. Additionally, 15 students are studying in the undergraduate program.
Graduate SLP students are currently interning in hospitals, nursing homes and schools around the country and are scheduled to graduate in May. Those in the program who have already taken their licensing exam have a 100 percent pass rate.
Part of the SLP program includes the Faulkner University Speech and Language Pathology Clinic where students have served 404 patients in over 6,300 appointments within the last 12 months at no cost to the patient. Normally therapy for a child with autism averages $40,000.
Our College of Health Sciences will very soon consist of four programs with each director working together to create a true collaborative, interdisciplinary approach for our students. Our studies are centered on faith-based curriculum and that’s where the work at the clinic comes in. These disciplines center on serving the needs of the community and in so doing, we serve our patients’ physical and spiritual needs.”
Leah Fullman, director of SLP.
There are 260 patients on the clinic’s waitlist and Fullman and her team get more referrals every day. Many of their current patients commute from a 60 mile radius to come for their services.