Physical therapists are primary health-care professionals who combine knowledge of how the body works with specialized hands-on clinical skills to restore, maintain and maximize a patient's strength, function and movement. They help people recover mobility after injury, surgery or stroke; enable elderly people to maintain their independence; and assist people with chronic conditions, such as cancer or multiple sclerosis, to improve their fitness and quality of life.

Physical Therapy Students in the North

Through a joint effort by UNBC and the University of British Columbia (UBC), government established a northern and rural clinical cohort that enables 20 physical therapy students to complete most of their clinical placements in northern B.C. and rural communities each year, with UNBC serving as the clinical education hub. The partnership also enables all of UBC’s physical therapy students – 80 in each class – to pursue more of their five-week clinical rotations in the north.

Medical Infrastructure Development

The government of BC provided one-time funding to UNBC for a new physical therapy lab that links by video with three similar labs at UBC for ongoing support and training during clinical placements.