Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy

Admissions staff will contact you to schedule a one-on-one appointment.

Please give us some quick information about yourself by completing this form. We will use this information to create a Class of 2027 booklet for your faculty!

Please submit a simple head and shoulder shot, like a passport photo. This does not need to be taken professionally; however, no selfies.

Upload via Exxat.

Photo Guidelines:

• Send .jpg.
• Make sure the photo isn’t grainy.
• Face the camera directly, not at an angle, and don’t tilt your head.
• Make sure no part of your face or head is cropped out.
• Don’t wear a hat or graduation cap in the photo.
• Keep the background neutral, not busy or brightly colored.
• No selfies.

Complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov.  The priority FAFSA deadline is April 1.  MBU’s filing deadline is May 15 for summer starters. OT and PT students seeking financial aid will need to complete TWO FAFSA applications, the 2023-2024 (to cover the first summer semester – Summer 2024) and the 2024-2025 to cover the following year. If you have already filed a 2023-2024 FAFSA as an undergraduate student, please update questions to reflect “graduate degree” status, add Mary Baldwin FAFSA code 003723, and remove your undergraduate school.

Note: The 2023-2024 FAFSA uses 2021 tax information and the 2024-2025 FAFSA uses 2022 tax information.

If you have any questions about the process, contact the Office of Financial Aid at 540-887-7022 or email [email protected].

A Criminal Background Check is required to enter into clinical rotations, and must be completed before classes begin. The student pays for this service.

Students can access their results at any time. If your background check has been flagged, your results will be reviewed by an internal committee. We will contact you with the results and/or next steps.

To order your CBC from Universal through Exxat Prism, refer to these instructions, which are also available to you in the resources section of your account.  A basic NY background check is required if you have ever lived in NY.  Drug screens are not required.

Certification must be from American Heart Association, which is required by hospitals. Certifications from Red Cross or other providers DO NOT meet this requirement.

If you need to register or renew before you arrive, we require “BLS for the Healthcare Provider”. More information about BLS training.

We recommend a complete in-person course. If you take an online course, it will only provide a certificate for Part 1. The skills portion must be taken in person to complete the certification. When scheduling, note that the skills portion must be taken within 60 days of taking the online portion.

Certification is for two years – students should expect to update their certification while in the program to remain current.

Upload via Exxat.

To prepare for your clinical experience with us, please read a welcome letter from DPT’s Co-Directors of Clinical Education, Dr. Andrew Baldwin and Dr. Brooke Lieske, or OTD’s Director of Clinical Education, Dr. Emily Budd.

Health records can take some time to complete. Please plan on meeting with your health care provider before the deadline to ensure that your paperwork is completed by this date.

MBU/MDCHS Health Records Forms

The MDCHS Health Forms are required to be signed in their ORIGINAL format to ensure we have the information needed for clinical sites. Titers provided should be scanned in with these documents (See forms C and D). They can take some time to complete, so please plan on meeting with your health provider in advance to ensure that your paperwork is completed by the April 25^th target date. Forms are organized into 5 sections: (A) medical information release form, (B) proof of insurance, (C) immunization records, (D) tuberculosis testing/screenings, and (E) physical clearance. Review forms for further details.

All required immunizations* must be completed before the start of classes.

*The University honors Covid vaccine religious and medical exemptions.  However, clinical sites may not honor those exemptions, rendering it difficult for students to complete required clinical experiences needed to graduate. 

Newly enrolled students MUST undergo a two-step Turberculin skin test (TST) OR have 1 Inteferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) blood test for individuals who have had the BCG vaccine. A 2-step TST will require 4 visits (2 injections and 2 readings) and must be performed in the US. Plan for annual tuberculosis testing thereafter per program requirements.

The retest must be completed 1-3 weeks after the first TST result is read.

What to expect during each visit:

Visit 1, Day 1: PPD antigen is applied

Visit 2, Day 3: PPD test is read (within 48-72 hours of placement)

Visit 3, Day 7-21: Second PPD skin test for those that test negative. (Test #2 is placed 7-21 days from when the first test is placed or read.)

Visit 4, 48-72 hours after second placement: The second test is read.  A positive test indicates TB infection from the past. A chest x-ray and a further evaluation will likely be necessary.

NOTE: Students should wait 4 weeks from the last COVID vaccine to get blood or skin testing done.

A completed physical examination is required before coming to Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences (See form E). A primary care provider must complete and sign the form provided. This is the only form accepted to verify health information.

You are not limited to digital form submission. They also can be printed, filled out, and scanned to the link below, whichever is most convenient for you and your provider.  Refer to the upload instructions on your health forms.

 Some clinical sites may have additional health-related requirements, including additional or repeat immunizations, and/or titers. Specific requirements are provided prior to placement at each site. It is the student’s responsibility to meet these requirements for placement.

Upload via Exxat.

Invoices will be mailed in May. For students who will be funding their tuition through student loans, as long as the paperwork is in place, you may or may not have additional payments due at this time. Invoices are also available on “MyMBU.” To access that page, Log in using your User Name & Password provided with your email log-in information.  Contact Student Accounts with any questions.

If you were accepted conditionally due to missing or incomplete documents, such as official transcripts, test scores, proof of course completion, or proof of completion of baccalaureate degree, please have these sent to the Office of Admissions by May 31. Incomplete documentation will result in a hold on your account, and you will not be able to register.

May graduates

Final official transcripts must be received by Murphy Deming by May 31. Final transcripts must have the degree conferral date documented. If your transcript does not provide a degree conferral date, you will be asked to provide another transcript with the date. Speak with your school’s registrar to ensure that they have conferred your degree.

After submitting your transcript request, forward your confirmation to MDCHS Admissions at [email protected].

Send transcript(s) to:

Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences

100 Baldwin Blvd, Fishersville VA 22939

Attention: Admissions Office

Email: [email protected].

For students with documented learning disabilities, we strongly urge you to contact MBU’s Director, Office of Accessibility Services, Stephanie Hutchinson ([email protected] or [email protected]) with your accessibility request BEFORE classes start.  Include “MDCHS Student” in your subject line.

More information coming soon from the Director of Student Services, Simone McKelvey.

All students are required to have health insurance coverage by the start of the program to be ready for clinical fieldwork.

Mary Baldwin University offers the option of purchasing the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences sponsored health insurance plan.   If you already have a health insurance plan, you must complete an insurance waiver form each year.  Students are encouraged to compare the MBU plan against other options, such as being a dependent on a parent’s health insurance plan, or having individual coverage through an ACA/Health Exchange plan.

Additional information on the health insurance premium and the enrollment or waiver process will be provided no later than May 2024. Students who do not waive the insurance, after receiving the information, will be automatically enrolled in the plan in June 2024.

For any additional questions, please contact Paige Fritze at [email protected] or 1-800-346-4075 x1607.