Welcome to the University of Colorado School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus. A Top Ten Medical School, our departments, centers and institutes work with the University of Colorado Hospital, The Children's Hospital and Barbara Davis Center.

The Research Work Study program provides an opportunity for entry-level DPT students to participate in mentored faculty research. Research work study opportunities are typically offered once or twice each academic year. Students who are accepted into the program spend up to 20 hours per week (5-10 hrs/wk on average) assisting with faculty research during the schoolyear. Specific work duties vary depending on the individual needs of the faculty mentor and student, but may include assisting with reviews of the literature, patient recruitment, data collection, data processing and analysis, and attending research meetings. Work study students are given priority for Clinical Research Affiliations during CEIII and IV.

All students currently enrolled at UC Denver are eligible for the Research Work Study program. To qualify for work study employment, students must first be approved for financial aid. The term of employment is for one academic year, with the option to continue employment in subsequent years pending satisfactory academic and job performance. The payrate for work study students is $10/hour, and students are paid every two weeks based on the number of hours worked. Work hours are negotiated with the faculty mentor, and typically vary each week depending on the academic workload.

• Research work study opportunities are advertised during the first Fall semester of the DPT curriculum. Interested students will be asked to meet with individual faculty members to explore the available opportunities, and then submit a 1 page Letter of Intent and resume to the work study committee.

• The Letter of Intent should describe any previous research or related experience, your personal objectives for applying for work study, and how you believe the experience will advance your career goals. No prior research experience is necessary to apply for the Research Work Study program. Your Letter of Intent should also identify 2-3 faculty mentors with whom you would prefer to work, or state that you have no preference.

• Faculty will review all applications and attempt to match their work study needs with the qualifications and preferences of individuals students. Students will be notified of work study offers within 2 weeks of the application due date. Once an offer of employment is made, students should contact Kyla Caffarel to complete all hiring documents as soon as possible.

• Depending on faculty needs, additional Research Work Study opportunities may become available at various times throughout the year. In this case, individual faculty members will advertise the opportunity to all DPT classes and will individually solicit and review work study applications.

• Students who are interested in working with a specific faculty mentor may contact that faculty member at any time to inquire about potential work study opportunities. Please include a Letter of Intent and resume with all inquiries about the work study program.

The goals of the Research Work Study Program are to:

1) Expose students to the process of clinical research by providing paid, mentored research opportunities with PT program faculty.

2) Provide a flexible research experience to foster interest in more independent research training opportunities available through the Clinical Research Affiliation and PhD program.

The Clinical Research Affiliation provides an opportunity for entry-level DPT students to participate in mentored faculty research. This affiliation is offered to third-year DPT students during CE III and CE IV. Students who are accepted into the program spend approximately 20 hrs/wk conducting a mentored research project and 20 hrs/wk conducting patient care in a traditional clinical setting. Specific experiences vary depending on the individual needs of the faculty mentor and student, and must be pre-arranged between the faculty mentor, student, and clinical education advisor prior to the match process for CE III and IV.

To be eligible to apply for a Clinical Research Affiliation during CE III or CE IV, students must:

• Maintain a minimum of 3.0 GPA throughout the 3-year Program (i.e., students placed on academic probation are ineligible to apply)

• Demonstrate strong clinical performance during all Clinical Education Experiences, as evidenced by:
   o Evaluation of Clinical Instructor comments from CE I, CE II, and Fieldwork I
   o Ratings >Intermediate on the CPI for Professional Behavior and Patient Management Skills in CEII

• Meet Program requirements for Clinical Education that will prepare student to be a “generalist” physical therapist (i.e., variety of settings, patient populations, rural/underserved)

• Demonstrate professional behaviors at the developing- to entry-level (Generic Abilities)

• Prior research experience with the faculty mentor may be necessary for some affiliations.            Work-study, volunteer, and observation opportunities are available throughout the academic year to students who wish to gain research experience. It is highly recommended that interested students contact the faculty mentor early to determine whether prior experience is necessary.

• Submit a 1-2 page Letter of Intent and resume to Clinical Education Advisor and Research Faculty Mentor no later than May 31.  The letter should describe any previous research or related experience, your personal objectives for seeking the Clinical Research Affiliation opportunity, and how you believe the experience will advance your career goals. 

• Upon receiving the Letter of Intent, the Research Faculty Mentor will arrange a personal interview with the student to discuss specific opportunities and expectations for the Research Affiliation.

• Students will be notified by the Research Faculty Mentor regarding their acceptance status for the Clinical Research Affiliation no later than June 1.

• NOTE: Students are highly encouraged to meet with faculty mentors of interest prior to completing the Letter of Intent. A description of faculty research interests can be found here. Some faculty may not offer Clinical Research Affiliations every year.