Department of Physiotherapy

Introduction

Phone +36 1 486 5980
Email etk.fizioterapia@semmelweis.hu
Head of the Department Professor Mónika Horváth, Ph.D.

Background Underwater therapy was used in the Császár Baths as early as 1891. The first physiotherapy training in Hungary, which was more of an artistic movement therapy, was started by Alice Madzsar in 1912. The need for physiotherapy arose during the time of the poliomyelitis epidemic, resulting in the foundation of a proper physiotherapy school in Budapest in 1955. At this time, training lasted for two years; the duration of studies only increased to four years in 2000.

It also contains a specialised unit, the Division of Physical Education.

Profile The Department’s aim is

to train physiotherapists who can be valuable members of a health care team of prevention, care and rehabilitation;
to develop and further develop the curriculum guidelines for physiotherapy education, adaptation and continuous updating of the educational material according to the development of the profession;
to teach professional subjects and provide the organizational work for education.

Education The physiotherapy undergraduate program comprises eight semesters and is worth 240 credits, which corresponds to the requirements of a Bachelor’s degree. Each term consists of courses corresponding to 30 credits. Courses are divided into theoretical and practical units, each unit covering a particular field of physiotherapy. Observational practice starts in the first semester, continues as demonstration and supervised clinical practice during the 2nd-7th semesters (2 to 4 weeks), and takes place as supervised clinical practice in the 8th semester (15 weeks) at a variety of medical centres.

The program comprises an independent graduate project corresponding to 20 credits.

Successful completion of the program requires that students have:

acquired sufficient knowledge and skills to be able to work independently as physiotherapists;
acquired knowledge and skills of physiotherapeutic methods of assessment and treatment, as well as knowledge of the connection between science and long-established experience;
developed their self-recognition and capacity for empathy, thereby paying attention to ethical considerations;
familiarized themselves with conditions in society which affect people’s health, and have gained an ability to initiate and take part in health promoting and preventive efforts.

The Department also operates a Physiotherapy M.Sc. training that comprises three semesters and is worth 90 credits. This corresponds to the requirements of a Master’s degree.

Successful completion of the program requires that students have:

learned the interfaces between certain areas of physiotherapy and health sciences with each other and with other areas of science;
acquired sufficient knowledge and skills to be able to examine the effectiveness of physiotherapeutic methods on a scientific basis;
become able to analyse and publish scientific results obtained in the course of a physiotherapeutic activity;
become able to participate in organizing and conducting clinical trials;
become able to conduct professional management of central physiotherapy services and independent physiotherapy units in healthcare facilities.

Research Some areas of research at the Department include:

controlled study of a prevention programme in physical education in schools;
the effect of exercise on cardiac rehabilitation;
the effect of exercise on musculoskeletal rehabilitation;
gait analysis;
underpinning the subjective examination methods of physiotherapy with more objective assessment methods;
biomechanical characteristics of the stability of standing and the keeping of balance;
correction of posture with the methods of physiotherapy;
sport physiotherapy;
chest physiotherapy of cystic fibrosis (CF) adapted to different ages;
effect of positive expiration pressure in cystic fibrosis;
up-to-date approaches of the complex physiotherapeutic treatment of incontinence;
clinical appearance of the syndrome of paraneoplasia with special regard to the locomotor system.

Biomechanical lab The University established a new biomechanical lab equipped with the latest technology. With the modern equipment, we can perform dynamic and kinematic measurements to demonstrate the discrepancies of musculoskeletal, neurological and other problems and to compare the physiological and pathological movement patterns. The use of these devices helps us to test the validity of traditional physiotherapy examination methods, as well as to judge the effectiveness of the therapies by objective data.

Both the B.Sc. and the M.Sc. program’s curriculum include subject that instruct students how to use these devices for their thesis, dissertation research and the Scientific Student Research Groups.

The aim of the University is to create partnerships with other institutions and professional workshops.