Findlay, Ohio, Jan. 13, 2005 – The University of Findlay’s physical therapy program will host the Northwest Ohio Clinical Education Consortium’s “Medical Screening and Differential Diagnosis: Chest and Abdominal Pain” clinical faculty development seminar on Friday, Feb. 4.

The seminar will take place from 8:15 a.m. to noon in the University’s Malcolm Dining Room in the Gardner Fine Arts Pavilion.

Physical therapists are now taking patients without a physician’s referral, so physical therapists have increased responsibility to screen patients for medical problems that may or may not be related to the initial symptoms.

The seminar will help physical therapists to check for problems in the cardiovascular, pulmonary and gastrointestinal systems. At the completion of this program, participants will be able to perform appropriate medical screening of physical therapy patients, discuss the differential diagnosis of chest and abdominal pain and determine appropriate medical referral in response to medical screening findings.

The seminar’s speaker will be Dr. Michael Stump, assistant professor of health professions at UF. Dr. Stump currently works as UF’s head team physician, medical director of UF’s Cosiano Health Center, and as medical director of the Blanchard Valley Regional Health Center’s Sports Medicine Center.

The seminar will be conducted in partnership with Marion Technical College, North Central State College and the Northwest District of the Ohio Physical Therapy Association.

Participation in the seminar is limited to 30 people, and cost of participation is $15. To register and for more information, call 419-434-5531.

The University of Findlay physical therapy program trains ethical, entry-level practitioners who are prepared for the ever-changing health care environment. The program enables students to complete a master of physical therapy degree in six years, including three years of prerequisite coursework and three years of professional study. UF also offers a weekend program that is designed for licensed physical therapist assistants with completed baccalaureate degrees. Through the program, students are able to earn a master of physical therapy degree after two and one-half years of graduate study.