ATC / DPT - who likes this combo?

[Mergyman]

Hoping to get some feedback please!!!!

My son will be pursuing a dual degree in Biology and Athletic Training. Then wants to get DPT. Does haivng ATC + DPT give you salary leverage? I know Athletic trainers do not make much. He wants to work for a pro / college sports team and thinks the combo of ATC / DPT will be very attractive.

Also - has anyone heard of the dual degree program in Pa. Millersville University BS in Biology and concurrent BS in Athletic Training from West Chester University - all in 4 year.

Thanks for any feedback you have

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[MuscleHead]

Hoping to get some feedback please!!!!

My son will be pursuing a dual degree in Biology and Athletic Training. Then wants to get DPT. Does haivng ATC + DPT give you salary leverage? I know Athletic trainers do not make much. He wants to work for a pro / college sports team and thinks the combo of ATC / DPT will be very attractive.

Also - has anyone heard of the dual degree program in Pa. Millersville University BS in Biology and concurrent BS in Athletic Training from West Chester University - all in 4 year.

Thanks for any feedback you have

i looked into athletic training but was deterred due to the low salary and hours. however i spoke to a trainer at princeton one day, who works with several people who have DPT/ATC degrees. they apparently make more than an ATC, even if employed as trainers, but i doubt it much more than a PT in an outpatient practice

 

[truthseeker]

I have those degrees. I would say that it does offer some leverage but it is not life changing. The ATC degree/certification simply identifies a skill set not taught in PT school.

Being an athletic trainer is more fun, but you are right, the hours suck. PT ATC combos give you the choice to work as much as you want. You can work during the day as a PT then cover athletic events at night. The athletic event coverage (as an ATC) does not really pay that much but it is a great marketing device for the PT part of your professional life.

It is a worthwhile combination. You need an undergraduate major anyway so why not make it something interesting. I would rather learn to evaluate and treat athletes (and travel to Hawaii or Puerto Rico etc . . . over Xmas break with a team) than compare the anatomies of a bony fish fossil and a plated fish fossil.

 

[lee9786]

If I would have known before what I know now I would have pursued the ATC.

 

[MinnDasota]

I have those degrees. I would say that it does offer some leverage but it is not life changing. The ATC degree/certification simply identifies a skill set not taught in PT school.

Being an athletic trainer is more fun, but you are right, the hours suck. PT ATC combos give you the choice to work as much as you want. You can work during the day as a PT then cover athletic events at night. The athletic event coverage (as an ATC) does not really pay that much but it is a great marketing device for the PT part of your professional life.

It is a worthwhile combination. You need an undergraduate major anyway so why not make it something interesting. I would rather learn to evaluate and treat athletes (and travel to Hawaii or Puerto Rico etc . . . over Xmas break with a team) than compare the anatomies of a bony fish fossil and a plated fish fossil.

I'm not an ATC but completely agree! Long hours but a good degree that you can use.

 

[johncronejr]

I really wish that I had pursued ATC for my bachelors and just taken the few extra PT prereqs. I know the ATC doesn't give you any extra salary as a PT, but it seems like a great addition to the DPT degree. Plus, you could volunteer for your local high school to work some games for fun, maybe some community sports.

I am going to make a suggestion to my advisor in the PT Dept. that they start letting people know about that degree. They really only talk about B.S. Health Science (pre-pt emphasis}.

 

[jesspt]

I agree that it won't increase your earning potential much, but I think that a dual degree might get you hired over someone with just a PT degree, depending on the setting.

 

[mtm34]

I recently read that the head trainer for the Boston Red Sox is a DPT/ATC. He was trained at MGH- with that said I'm not sure if the PT degree was necessary for his scope of practice but it probably helped land him the job. Bottom line- being an ATC is a great 'fall back' since you do need the undergrad degree anyways but if you are sure you want to do PT one day it is not necessary and the hours are brutal in most scenarios for an undergrad- being 20-21 years old having 7 am wake up calls to fill up water bottles for the gymnastics team is not ideal...

 

[Mergyman]

It seems like the problem with an AT BS degree is that the standard cirriculum does not meet all science pre-reqs to get in to DPT school. I guess it depends on the program, but i've look at 4yr class schedules from quite a few AT programs and there are always a few science classes missing that would need to be taken to get into a DPT program.

Any insight? Thanks!

 

[vapt]

It seems like the problem with an AT BS degree is that the standard cirriculum does not meet all science pre-reqs to get in to DPT school. I guess it depends on the program, but i've look at 4yr class schedules from quite a few AT programs and there are always a few science classes missing that would need to be taken to get into a DPT program.

Any insight? Thanks!

I'm not real familiar with the AT track, but if you were up in the air about it, you might want to major in something that would cover all the pt pre-reqs, then you could do a dual degree for DPT/AT. I was just looking at Shenandoah's site since I'm headed there this fall, and found that they do a dual degree there, which is nice for people who want to cover both. Had heard of the dual OT/DPT, but not this one..pretty cool.

Link: http://www.su.edu/health/9F5ECBCA985D499BA1EE10A989491074.asp

 

[atstudent]

It seems like the problem with an AT BS degree is that the standard cirriculum does not meet all science pre-reqs to get in to DPT school. I guess it depends on the program, but i've look at 4yr class schedules from quite a few AT programs and there are always a few science classes missing that would need to be taken to get into a DPT program.

Any insight? Thanks!

I know at my school we are required to take chemistry and physics as athletic training requirements. The classes we are required to take do not fit the needs of the pre-PT, but those who want to can take the higher level classes to meet the requirements of the lower level.

 

[DPT ATC]

I hold both degrees and believe that the ATC has and will continue to benefit me, not necessarily in salary, but in confidence and skill working with orthopedics/sports medicine. An added bonus is the ability to cover sports as an ATC part time for a little additional income.

As for getting prereqs done, it does take a little bit of extra effort, but it can be done quite easily.

 

[truthseeker]

It seems like the problem with an AT BS degree is that the standard cirriculum does not meet all science pre-reqs to get in to DPT school. I guess it depends on the program, but i've look at 4yr class schedules from quite a few AT programs and there are always a few science classes missing that would need to be taken to get into a DPT program.

Any insight? Thanks!

I did the AT thing plus PT prerequisites in 4 years. Instead of taking blow off classes for electives, you take advanced bio and psych. It is very doable and when you are done, even if you don't get into PT school you have training to do a job that is fun. You can always continue to improve your application but being an AT is similar probably the most similar thing you can do to OP ortho PT that there is without a graduate degree. It is the ultimate fall back position because it is great to be an AT. It is fun, you are in the middle of excitement whether you work in a high school, or college, or professional sports. Some ATs work in orthopedists offices as extenders, and I don't support that as a career, but it gives great experience and if you do a good job, great references.

It is a little harder to do it through AT because of the training room hours and the travel, but when you like something it is easy to work harder, you just do it because you have goals. If you are looking for the easy way to a good job and cushy hours, good luck. Like my momma always said, nothing worthwhile is easy.

 

[zmkelchn]

I go to Millersville, and have many friends in the program who are taking classes with me (im also a premed bio major). Everyone seems to really enjoy the program. PM me if you have any questions.

 

[jess818]

as I am finishing up my bachelor's degree in HealthScience, I wish someone would have mentioned it the idea of ATC to me....it'd be more useful than the degree I am getting now

 

[BASuperman]

I am a sophomore athletic training major who plans to attend DPT school as well. I think having both credentials would be beneficial because it gives you another line of work to fall back on if you get burnt out of one or the other. You could work your days as a physical therapist and cover sports events at night or on weekends or even just help out your local area DII or DIII football team during two a days and pre-season.

My question is could someone make just as nice of a living working as a DPT certified athletic trainer for a collegiate or professional team as someone who is just working as a physical therapist?

 

[truthseeker]

I am a sophomore athletic training major who plans to attend DPT school as well. I think having both credentials would be beneficial because it gives you another line of work to fall back on if you get burnt out of one or the other. You could work your days as a physical therapist and cover sports events at night or on weekends or even just help out your local area DII or DIII football team during two a days and pre-season.

My question is could someone make just as nice of a living working as a DPT certified athletic trainer for a collegiate or professional team as someone who is just working as a physical therapist?

The short answer is yes. But the DPT only job requires us to treat patients other than athletes even if you work in a "sports medicine" clinic. The pro or collegiate job is maybe more fun but the hours suck but you get cool gear and it is "sexy".