The Department of Clinical Physiotherapy is a unit of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Medical University of Gdańsk. It was established in 2025 following its separation from the Department of Physiotherapy under Rector’s Ordinance No. 59/2025 of 19 May 2025.
The Department’s activities encompass both teaching and research. In the field of education, it provides courses in clinical physiotherapy, with particular emphasis on physiotherapy in surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, geriatrics, psychiatry, pediatrics and orthopaedics, with a special focus on outpatient physiotherapy.
The Department’s research activities focus on oncology, obstetrics and gynaecology, geriatrics, prehabilitation, and cardiology. Ongoing research projects aim to develop innovative approaches to support diagnosis, physiotherapy interventions, and the improvement of patients’ quality of life.
In addition, a new elective course, Modern Diagnosis and Treatment of Sports Injuries: An Interdisciplinary Approach, will launch in the 2026/27 academic year. The course will cover current approaches to sports injury management, from assessing an athlete’s condition and planning treatment, through rehabilitation, to strength and conditioning and a return to competitive form. Practical experience will be a central part of the course: classes will take place at a centre that regularly provides rehabilitation for athletes from professional sports clubs. Students will learn about the treatment options available to physicians and physiotherapists and how to select an approach suited to an athlete’s needs at each stage of recovery. They will have opportunities to analyse clinical cases together, discuss treatment goals and develop plans that take account of both the athlete’s health and the demands of their sport.
The Department is home to the InterFizjo Student Scientific Society, supervised by Zofia Sotomska, PhD, and Joanna Wojtas, MSc.
InterFizjo brings together students interested in scientific and clinical development, teamwork, and the translation of research findings into physiotherapy practice. The Society’s main objectives are to:
- conduct and participate in research projects,
- develop teamwork and collaborative research skills,
- prepare scientific and grant proposals,
- contribute to scientific publications,
- enhance critical appraisal skills in scientific literature,
- promote the implementation of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) principles in clinical physiotherapy.
As part of its activities, the Society organises the “Meetings with Science” series, dedicated to research methodology, data analysis, and the practical application of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM). These meetings are designed to develop students’ research competencies and prepare them to conduct independent research projects and disseminate their findings through scientific publications.