Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Family Therapy |
A Collaborative Partnership Incorporating Biopsychosocial Systems Theory |
PhD in Medical Family Therapy
The Department of Child Development and Family Relations received permission to establish the first ever doctoral program in medical family therapy in Fall 2005. The doctoral program in Medical Family Therapy at East Carolina University is designed to prepare academicians who will advance the art and science of medical family therapy. Its curriculum is built upon an accredited clinical master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and honors the standards set forth by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). |
Our Mission
The mission of the doctoral program in Medical Family Therapy (MedFT) is “to advance students; learning in the areas of research, theory, clinical practice, leadership, supervision, and teaching in order to prepare and qualify them to pursue employment as researchers, educators, administrators, and/or clinicians in the field of medical family therapy.” |
What is Medical Family Therapy?
Medical family therapy offers a systemic, approach to psychotherapy with patients and families experiencing a medical illness, trauma, or disability. Its theoretical foundation and clinical expertise is based upon the field of family therapy. Medical family therapists address issues from a relational and systemic perspective through the incorporation of a biopsychosocial-spiritual approach. The aim is to widen the knowledge base in healthcare to include biomedical, psychosocial, and family data in the collaborative education, treatment, research, and theoretical understanding of medical and mental health issues.
Collaborative partnerships with a number of schools and departments assist our students in the study and delivery of medical family therapy (e.g., ECU’s Brody School of Medicine (BSOM), School of Nursing, School of Allied Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, and the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies). Students have permission to enroll in courses and/or participate in research in one or more of the aforementioned units to ensure them a well rounded educational experience. We also provide them with cross training opportunities where medical residents and fellows from several BSOM departments cross-train with our students at the ECU Family Therapy Clinic and on the medical campus. The medical family therapy and marriage and family therapy faculty members give seminars and co-facilitate small group learning at the BSOM for the pre-doc and several resident education programs. Clinical placements and teaching opportunities at the BSOM are available as part of the doctoral education experience. |
Medical Family Therapy Educational Outcomes
Educational Outcomes for students includes the following:
- Understand the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of medical family therapy through the use of the biopsychosocial-spiritual, systemic, and biomedical paradigms.
- Acquire medical family therapy clinical practice skills under the supervision of AAMFT Approved Supervisors.
- Gain knowledge of clinical supervision methods and practice via a supervision candidacy process.
- Conduct research studies using the biopsychosocial-spiritual model and/or the collaborative practice styles on conditions of illness, wellness, and/or healthcare management.
- Establish a professional identity and awareness of research ethics/ethical conduct.
- Explore additional learning opportunities to support specialized interests.
- Achieve research proficiency at a doctoral level of sophistication.
- Advance ones understanding of diversity issues (e.g., gender, age, socioeconomic status, culture/race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, spirituality, and religion).
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Program Summary
The objective of the PhD program in medical family therapy is to graduate individuals who will collaborate with health care providers and families to resolve biopsychosocial issues inherent with acute and chronic illness. Students must complete a standard curriculum for doctoral programs as stipulated by the Commission for the Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). The 59 s.h. program includes: (research 14 s.h.), theory (3 s.h.), clinical practice (9 s.h.), clinical supervision (3 s.h.), cognates and electives (12 s.h.), dissertation (6 s.h.), and internship (9 s.h.). Full time students are expected to complete the program in a minimum of three years. Students completing the program will be expected to fulfill educational and clinical requirements for marriage and family therapy licensure.
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Admission
Applicants must have a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy or a related discipline. Applicants from a related field should have completed a course of study that demonstrates competencies in basic marriage and family therapy studies and clinical experience. Additional requirements for admission include: acceptable performance on the GRE and a cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale in graduate work; a sample of scholarly writing which may be a thesis, a published or unpublished reprint, a research paper; a statement of purpose that summarizes the reasons for pursuing doctoral study in medical family therapy; a personal interview with the program faculty; and other requirements are included in the Graduate School’s application packet. |
Candidates should follow the application procedures of the University Graduate School as well as submit a writing sample. Students must complete a total of 59 semester hours (s.h.) toward the doctoral degree.
Students may transfer up to 9 credit hours of doctoral course work toward their degree. Students who do not have a master’s in family therapy must complete specified courses from the master’s family therapy curriculum prior to starting the doctoral curriculum.
Additional semester hours may be necessary, depending on educational background. |
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Transfer Credit
A maximum of 9 s.h. of course work taken beyond the master’s degree may be applied toward the doctoral degree at the discretion of the medical family therapy faculty, the department chair, and the dean of the Graduate School. |
Doctoral Candidacy Requirements
Admission to candidacy for the PhD requires students to pass a clinical competency examination assessing for advanced skill in knowledge and practice of marriage and family therapy and a medical family therapy comprehensive examination testing basic knowledge in medical family therapy and family therapy theory and research. Subsequent to passing the medical family therapy comprehensive examination, students will be permitted to complete a dissertation and a nine-month internship. |
| Current Enrollment |
- Caucasian Students - 11
- Female Students - 7
- Male Students - 4
- Full Time Students - 8
- Part Time Students - 3
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