The Higher Education Review

Maintaining proper fitness for harnessing the quantitative and qualitative aspects of life is an essential segment. This fitness stage can be reciprocated admiringly through uniform healthcare that remediates any impairment, promotes mobility, function and quality of life by diagnosis and physical intervention. Physiotherapy is one such healthcare profession that serves in injury rehabilitation and augments the fitness of a person to reach the pinnacle of independence. Nowadays, students opting for physiotherapy have almost doubled over the past decades, which reflect in the current number of individuals in the health science career, including the fields of research, education, consultation and administration. Guiding students in fulfilling their dreams in this particular branch of healthcare is Dr. D. Y. Patil College of Physiotherapy in Pimpri, Pune.

Since its inception in 2000, under the affiliation of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, the college has certainly exemplified modern physiotherapy education. Describing their 18 years of glorious journey, Dr. P. D. Patil, Chancellor of Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, says, "In the year 2007, the College became the constituent unit of Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune. In 2010, we initiated Ph.D. program in Physiotherapy under the Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences and the college also received recognition from Maharashtra State Occupational and Physiotherapy Council, Mumbai and the Indian Association of Physiotherapists.

Programmes & Curricula

At Dr. D. Y. Patil College of Physiotherapy, students get an opportunity for enrolling themselves in two fulltime courses - Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) and Master of Physiotherapy (MPT). While the BPT programme has 100 seats, the MPT programme clasps 36 seats in Orthopaedics, Musculo-Skeletal Science & Sports,

Musculo-Skeletal Science & Hand Conditions, Musculo-Skeletal Science & Manual Therapy, Neurosciences, Cardio ­ Respiratory Sciences, General & Community Based Rehabilitation and Paediatrics.

Moreover, the College has recently commenced a ‘Post-Graduate Diploma in Manual Therapy' and a certificate course of 'Physical Fitness Training'. These new series have given the students an obvious chance of selecting their specialization from a wide range of categories. There are certified instructors who conduct Aerobics Instructor Training Course, Pilates Instructor Training Course, Manual Therapy Certificate Course, Basic and Advance Therapeutic Taping workshop, Pre and Post Natal Fitness Instructor Training Course, Dry Needling and Matrix Rhythm Therapy courses, which certainly fill the skill gap in students.

"The College's collaborations with organizations for providing specific treatment and consultancy services to the underprivileged population in and outside the state is truly a remarkable initiative"

The College's collaborations with organizations for providing specific treatment and consultancy services to the underprivileged population in and outside the state is truly a remarkable initiative. Till now, students have visited various companies for assessing and treating their employees. "We have recently signed MoU with the Ion Life Sciences Ltd., Pune, which is a part of the students' `Promote the health of the workers' curriculum on healthy and safe ergonomic practices," opines Dr. Smita Jadhav, Trustee and Executive Director, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune. Students of Dr. D.Y. Patil College of Physiotherapy partake in social campaigns to con-tribute to the community spreading awareness on Cancer, Elderly Abuse, Youth Against Tobacco­Chewing and Cigarette Smoking, Health Education about Menstrual Hygiene, Cerebral Palsy Screening, Obesity Screening, Fitness assessment in employees and students.

An Alluring Infrastructure

Dr. Tushar J. Palekar, Ph.D. Principal of Dr. D. Y. Patil College of Physiotherapy, Pune states, "We are proud to say that Dr. D. Y. Patil College of Physiotherapy is the only academic institute in the country which has an Aquaciser, an underwater treadmill system

(US make). In addition to the college OPD, students also get the opportunity to see patients who are admitted to the 1916 bedded Dr. D. Y. Patil Hospital and Research Centre, Pune." Additionally, there are other one-of-its kind equipments like the Balance Master and the Matrix Rhythm Therapy in their departments. In the college has ICT enabled classrooms and updated library. The college has 8 specialty clinics (Spine clinic, Knee Clinic, Hand Clinic, Pain Clinic, Endurance Clinic, Obesity Clinic, Spasticity Clinic, and Cerebral Palsy Clinic) where the students learn managing common clinical conditions.

Ensuring methodological clinical study, Dr. D. Y. Patil College of Physiotherapy, Pune has signed MoU with Ruby Hall Clinic (which is considered to be the best health care hospital of Pune) for providing internship guidance to students. These internship opportunities facilitate the students to zero down on the best possible career options! In fact, during the campus recruitments, several students get placed in the medical industry, but many prefer to start their own clinic, work in public health sector or kick-start their career with a sports team. The college also assists the graduates who look forward to pursue further studies.

After graduation, students who perform outstandingly well in the professional sector are jewels to any college. Talking about his jewels, Tushar explains excitedly, “Our former student, Dr. Sudeep Kale (PT) is the current President of Maharashtra State Occupational and Physiotherapy Council. Like him, many of our alumni have carved a niche among the practicing physiotherapists in India and abroad and have witnessed true success”.

In the near future, the college aspires to broaden its horizon by having more exchange programmes with international universities by conducting interdisciplinary re-search and procure funding from external agencies for it. "As the physiotherapy profession has an exponential growth prediction (based on the occupational health/com-munity physiotherapy and rehabilitation, geriatric physiotherapy services, sports physiotherapy and oncology), we expect to render the society with excellent physiotherapy experts," concludes Dr. Tushar Palekar.