BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEThe United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has projected a 36% job growth rate for physical therapists between the years of 2012 and 2022; an increase that equates to 77,400 new positions.1 The BLS predicts the growth to be associated with a number of factors, most notably an increase in the elderly population, a higher percentage of disabled individuals kept alive medically, new treatments that expand the physical therapist's scope of practice,1 and expansion of health insurance for Americans under the Affordable Care Act.2 Expansion of physical therapist utilization in markets, commensurate with the increase in scope of practice has led to a doubling of employed PTs from 2.7 per 10,000 individuals in the 1990s, to nearly 6.2 per 10,000 individuals in 2005, a 131% increase.3 Recent work supporting the BLS statistics suggests that shortages of licensed PTs will continue into the year 2030,2,3 particularly in southern and western states, and in underserved rural areas where vacancies are nearly double those of urban centers.4 In addition, staff turnover rates in various practice settings have led to increased vacancies, particularly those in skilled nursing facilities, acute care hospitals, and outpatient facilities, with annual turnover rates above 10%.2Academia'sResponse to Workforce DemandIt is probable that the recent predictions toward increased needs for a larger PT workforce have been the impetus for: (1) growth in development of PT education programs, (2) the increase in total PT education program applicants, and (3) expansion of program enrollments. Unlike several other countries, where numbers of health professional students are determined a priori by health authorities,5 each academic institution in the United States determines its program and enrollment capacity. Since 2002 there has been a 15% increase in the number of PT education programs, and a 48% increase in physical therapist assistant (PTA) education programs.6 At the end of 2013, there were 221 accredited PT education programs, 27 developing PT education programs, and 373 accredited or developing PTA education programs.6,7 Given current trends, these numbers are likely to increase in the next decade.At present, the number of interested stuChristine dents far outweighs the available positions within PT education programs.8 Data indicate that between the 2003 and 2011 academic years, the numbers of qualified applicants to PT education programs grew on average by 226%.8 Enrollment in PT education programs has grown by 61.5% and enrollment in PTA education programs has increased by 105% between 2002 and 2013, which translates to 25,971 entry-level DPT students and 11,650 PTA students currently enrolled in United States-based programs.8 In total, there were almost 16,000 more PT and PTA students in 2013 than in 2002.8Implications for Clinical Education Capacity and EfficiencyBetween 2002 and 2013, PT education programs converted from a master's to a doctoral level of education. The transition required greater intensities of clinical education training resulting in a mean increase in clinical education weeks from 29.2 weeks to 35.9 weeks (23%).8 Presently, clinical education administration occurs at the individual program level. From 2011 to 2013, a 22.8% increase in program-clinical site affiliations was reported, meaning that individual PT education programs affiliated with more clinical education sites to meet the clinical education needs of students.8 These individual, yet overlapping, relationships oftentimes lead to inefficiencies within the system from both the PT education program and clinical education site perspectives. For example, some PT education programs lack an adequate supply of clinical sites to meet program needs in some practice settings, which necessitates seeking out more sites and clinical instructors to meet the demand. These same programs also may yield an oversupply of clinical education spots in other practice settings, and leave unused placements made available by clinical education sites eager to instruct students. …