(Priuncess Anne, Md) - Graduates who earned a physical therapy degree from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in September now hold professional credentials required to practice after all 29 passed a licensure exam on the first try.
The group's accomplishment made public just prior to Thanksgiving marks the second year in a row a UMES physical therapy class has achieved a first-time, 100 percent pass-rate.
"I think it speaks to the quality of the program, and how it prepared us for what's expected of us as professionals," said Alex Tan of Westminster, a graduate who already has a job offer lined up.
A year ago, UMES was among 35 institutions that produced an entire class that collectively passed the test on the first try. The federation reported 16 percent of the nation's 213 accredited physical therapy programs had a 100 percent first-time pass rate in 2014.
"It was good we could continue the trend," said 2015 graduate Gregory Morgan Jr. of Catonsville. "We wanted to show how good UMES is, and how it should be listed as one of the top schools."
No figures for 2015 are yet available, but the percentage of schools achieving a 100-percent pass rate on the first try tends to vary little from year-to-year. Federation statistics also show every UMES graduate since 2010 has pass the licensure test even if it took more than one try.