BIG PT Question

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I am considering a career in Physical Therapy,

There are a few things that I've read that concern me about the field.

I have read that there is an overcrowding of PT's and that for health practitioners, there seems to be an elevated rate of unemployment for PT's.

Is this true? I'd rather hear it from the horses mouth, than read some random article online about unemployment rates for PT's.

Also, I would really like to know the outlook for this field. I read that there is suppose to be approximetly a 25 - 30 % increase in the jobs availble to PT's because of the population becoming older.

Is this true?


I really appreciate anyone that would respond to these question,

If there are PT's out there or even DPT students, would you recommend pursuing a career in PT?


I really appreciate it!

 

[DOctorJay]

I'm a PT who is now in medical school. You need to ask yourself why you are thinking about this career. Seriously consider whether or not you are deeply interested in medicine or if you will be happy as a capable allied health professional. PT is a great career but I personally don't think it's smart financially any longer to pursue because the DPT is becoming the new standard and obviously costs much more to obtain with NO, I repeat NO increase in salary compared to your colleagues who will have master's or even bachelor's degrees.

The field is awesome to be in right now, I know many traveling therapists making a killing. If anything numbers of therapists will go down as programs switch to the DPT. It just doesn't make sense to go to school that long without being compensated for more training. You won't have trouble trying to find a job, I get job offers practially daily in my mailbox.

I would seriously consider PA school before PT school at this point. Not to disuade you but it just makes more financial sense and you'll be able to do more medical things (if that's what you're looking for). PA school is a 2 year master's and you will come out making more in that field with more autonomy of practice than a 3 year DPT.

If on the other hand you have spent a significant amount of time shadowing PTs and you understand what you are getting into and can't see yourself being happier anywhere else, then go for it. It's still a wonderful field, you'll be compensated well, you'll have plenty of time for yourself outside of work, and most patients are grateful for your service.

PM me with any more specific questions that I can help you with.

-J

 

[lawguil]

I haven’t heard or witnessed any issues with employment opportunities. Sometimes, the more desirable jobs are hard to find....

As far as the DPT - it's a waste of time. The education is the same. After you receive your education, experience is the most important aspect of learning and becoming a great therapist.....and trust me, you'll want the guidance and knowledge of a seasoned professional (probably a BSPT) to work for and learn from your first years in practice.

PT is a great field if that is what you really want to do, but it often a profession that is more desirable when you are a student or looking at PT programs than when you are actually practicing as a therapist. Sometimes it's like factory work...you do the same things over and over again all day long and lacks a lot of stimulation.

 

[beephlatPT]

I guess I'll join in on the thread. Like DOctor Jay, I am a PT that has plans of going into medicine (though i'm not in med school yet). PT is a great field for sure, however, as mentioned by the others, the DPT is a waste of time and $$$. I will reiterate: you will make NO more $$$ with a DPT than you will with any of the entry level degrees that preceded the DPT. I am actually a BSPT and make substantially more than new grads, DPT or otherwise. It really doesn't make financial sense to put that kind of money into something and not get compensated accordingly. That being said, a shortage of jobs/oversupply of PTs is a giant falsehood. There are so many jobs that it's ridiculous. Places are having such a hard time finding/retaining clinicians that just about the only thing you need these days to get a job is a license and a pulse. Thats obviously an exaggeration but not as much one as you think. When it comes down to it, you really need to be certain what you want to do and why you want to do it before you start to shell out thousands of $$$. Honestly I think that the fact that PT school is so long and costly these days contributes significantly to the shortage b/c people look at the cost of education to income ratio and decide to go PA, pharmacy, or even med school. Also, the previous poster made mention that the job can get pretty redundant and unstimulating which is very true, however I think that there are enough different areas of PT to keep you entertained for a while before you burn out. At any rate, I wish you the best of luck in whatever you chose to do and feel free to ask more questions.
-B

 

[truthseeker]

The DPT is really only one more year beyond the Masters degree. The decision to go into a profession should not be about the money. Quite frankly, if you go into something for the money, you will be disappointed no matter what you do.

the job market is very good for PT. It is a satisfying profession that allows problem solving, hands on therapy, real benefits to our patients etc . . . The purpose of the DPT in my opinion, (Lawguil will now go on a rant about politics and the usurpation of medical authority) is to rectify the amount of training and knowledge base of new grads coming out vs the degrees previously conferred i.e. BS or MS/MPT, and to compare our education level to others with clinical doctorates such as OD, DC, RD etc . . .

Shadow some PTs and if you like it, go for it. You will pay back your student loans, don't let them change your mind on that.

 

[DOctorJay]

I agree that you shouldn't go into any field for money but you need to look at time/cost analysis when considering your future. You can spend 3 years in PT school and come out making 50K/yr or 2 years in PA school making 75K/yr with less loans (less time in school).

Now if you love rehab great, go for it - just don't go in blind.

 

[truthseeker]

I agree Jay, I just was commenting of the flavor of the earlier posts where it seemed that money was the deal maker/breaker. I chose not to go to med school because I didn't like the hours. Don't go into PA school blind either.

 

[lawguil]

The bottom line:

The knowledge that you will aquire in school is substantial

You will be a type of specialist in the physical medicine and rehabilitation field

You will be respected for your knowledge, skills and degree

You will have a fairly strong professional organization to protect and support the profession of physical therapy

You will make decent income

You will have a lot of time and money invested in your education (unfortunately)

You might have an opportunity to open your own practice

Currently and in the forecast, there is a strong employment outlook

You will be bored at work - sometimes, maybe often

You might "outgrow" the degree

You will spend a lot of time with each patients - more than most other clinicians

You will help people

You will have a fair amount of latitude and professional development opportunities

..............................so on....................add additional comments if you wish.................................

 

[fbplayr75]

Hey guys,

I just want to tell you how much I appreaciate your advice and knowledge.

I am really grateful for what has been said, it really is helping me make a decision.

I agree 100% about the money issue.

I don't need to make tons of money, I just want to love what I do and in the end feel good because I made a difference in someones life.

Thanks again

 

[lawguil]

The DPT is really only one more year beyond the Masters degree.

At what institution is the entry level DPT 12 months longer in duration than the entry level MSPT?

 

[truthseeker]

At what institution is the entry level DPT 12 months longer in duration than the entry level MSPT?

I think (but am not sure) that the DesMoines University MSPT program was 2 1/3 years and the DPT is 3. I will check on that and get back. I think the basic program was around two years and the DPT is around 3.

 

[truthseeker]

I think (but am not sure) that the DesMoines University MSPT program was 2 1/3 years and the DPT is 3. I will check on that and get back. I think the basic program was around two years and the DPT is around 3.

Yup, 34 months assuming you already have a bachelor's degree so a total of 7 years.

 

[guetzow]

I am considering a career in Physical Therapy,

There are a few things that I've read that concern me about the field.

I have read that there is an overcrowding of PT's and that for health practitioners, there seems to be an elevated rate of unemployment for PT's.

Is this true? I'd rather hear it from the horses mouth, than read some random article online about unemployment rates for PT's.

Also, I would really like to know the outlook for this field. I read that there is suppose to be approximetly a 25 - 30 % increase in the jobs availble to PT's because of the population becoming older.

Is this true?


I really appreciate anyone that would respond to these question,

If there are PT's out there or even DPT students, would you recommend pursuing a career in PT?


I really appreciate it!

...as far as job availability/stability (Money issues 'aside'). You can throw a stick and hit a PT. There is a much larger need for medical providers (MDs, Mid-levels, and the like). Just look at what DoctorJay is DOING. Say no more.....

 

[lawguil]

Yup, 34 months assuming you already have a bachelor's degree so a total of 7 years.

I guess that I could check myself, but does 34 months include summers.

Aside from this, at most institutions, the difference is mearly months!

 

[lawguil]

Yup, 34 months assuming you already have a bachelor's degree so a total of 7 years.

I reviewed the program at Des Moines. The program is actually 126 weeks or 31.5 months. when you consider all the breaks. The program is broken into 9 "blocks" at 9,13,18,15,10,20,10,15, and 16 weeks respectively. I don't know where you found the information about the MSPT program, but at the institution that I work, the MSPT program was a total of 28 months over 3 years. Difference = 3.5 months from MSPT - DPT.

 

[DocWagner]

I absolutely agree with DoctorJay. I was a PT, now I am an attending physician (ie out of medical school, finished residency, board taken etc).
Physical Therapy is a great field, but the APTA has done their profession a disservice by 1. turning their back on the "old guard" by creating a higher degree requirement with NO DATA to back up the need...and in turn creating a percieved discrepency of degree (PT vs MPT vs DPT) to the public when no discrepency exists (practice acts are the same...nothing I repeat nothing has changed in 10 years that requires 40k more education). 2. increasing student debt to a prohibitive level, while the market has not increased wages

Right now it is not financially wise to pursue PT. It is a rewarding career, but there are certainly better jobs that require the same amount of school with far better debt to income ratios (pharmacy, PA, nursing...for that matter medicine).

I would be more than able to answer any questions you may have, and I would be happy to help in any way possible.

 

[lawguil]

Physical Therapy is a great field, but the APTA has done their profession a disservice by 1. turning their back on the "old guard" by creating a higher degree requirement with NO DATA to back up the need...and in turn creating a percieved discrepency of degree (PT vs MPT vs DPT) to the public when no discrepency exists (practice acts are the same...nothing I repeat nothing has changed in 10 years that requires 40k more education). 2. increasing student debt to a prohibitive level, while the market has not increased wages

Right now it is not financially wise to pursue PT. It is a rewarding career, but there are certainly better jobs that require the same amount of school with far better debt to income ratios (pharmacy, PA, nursing...for that matter medicine).

I would be more than able to answer any questions you may have, and I would be happy to help in any way possible.

Well said!

 

[sirhumpsalot]

BSPT here. Tons of job offfers daily. For someone like me who long ago payed off the cost of college, youd think PT was a dream. BUT I am back in school looking for something that doesnt suck as bad as PT. My problems with the profession:

spend wayyyyyyyyy to much time with patients...2-3 times a week for 2-4 weeks with the same person..ughhhh.

most PT patients need a psychologist, not someone with knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics.

Not a whole lotta new stuff coming out in the world of PT save for the alternative gibberish not backed by science....so it get rather repetitive and boring.

It does provide a super low cost low overhead way of moving to private practice. But then you get to go out and kiss the ass of doctors for their precious referrals and an dbe directly involved with all the things that make healthcare a headache...namely 3rd party reimbursement and CYA.

starting school now and looking at 60-200K debt for the priveledge of the above is insane. Id put PA and pharmacy well over PT just b/c the interaction with any one patient is gloriously brief.

 

[lawguil]

So far in this thread,

5 out of 6 have said PT is a great field, BUT

they outgrew the profession,
find that it lacks stimulation,
recognize that the DPT is inflated and costly,
and several have said go PA, not PT..........
and don't forget that spending more time with each patient is like suicide for a clinician...

What I have found in my experiences: The types of people that are interested in PT would typically find medicine (PA/MD/DO) just as appealing or more so.....

 

[Cyrus44]

Im currently a 2nd year DPT student. I went to therapy throughout high school and have been working as an aid in an outpatient clinic for 5 years (since freshmen year of college). You have to ask yourself what you like. I like to exercise and have been for years. I go to weight lifting tournments, and i really enjoy teaching people proper body mechanics and exericises to make them feel better. I have to admit i really hate the acute setting, but the outpatient is a blast. I have had few patients actually act weird most are alot of fun. And about the jobs, we just had a person come from North Carolina in saying a newgrads salary was 60k with $2000 for moving. To me that sounds like a decent starting salary for something i really like to do.

You guys think that DPT is a waste of money, my roommate spent 40k on a undergrad media studies major and still cant find a job lol. Trust me there are lots of worse ways to spend money for an education.

 

[fbplayr75]

I must say that I am a bit suprised at most of the things I've read thus far.

I really appreaciate what has been said, it has really made me think about the future.

Are there are PT's out there that are completely happy with thier career choice?

I've acually shadowed a PA for about 20 hours

I enjoyed it, but the way the PA profession is going, i dunno if I would get in.

I've got about 400 hours as a student athletic trainer and this it.

PA school want a lot more than that usually, plus the gpa for most incoming classes is extremly high.

I don't really know what to do

 

[DocWagner]

I want to emphasize the great rewards in physical therapy... and 40-60k starting salary is nothing to sneeze at...but at a debt to income ratio, it blows.
There are thousands of PTs very happy with their profession, but remember, there is a difference between a PT from 10 years ago and a PT today...that difference is debt. When I graduated I had 5k in student loans and I went to Indiana University. Today the debts are likely easily in the 50-75k area.
There has been NO change in the practice of Physical Therapy in the past 11 years. The politics have changed yes...the clinical practice has not.
I really wish that was NOT the case. But those are questions best suited for the APTA not myself.

 

[truthseeker]

I want to emphasize the great rewards in physical therapy... and 40-60k starting salary is nothing to sneeze at...but at a debt to income ratio, it blows.
There are thousands of PTs very happy with their profession, but remember, there is a difference between a PT from 10 years ago and a PT today...that difference is debt. When I graduated I had 5k in student loans and I went to Indiana University. Today the debts are likely easily in the 50-75k area.
There has been NO change in the practice of Physical Therapy in the past 11 years. The politics have changed yes...the clinical practice has not.
I really wish that was NOT the case. But those are questions best suited for the APTA not myself.

I want to say that I am nearly completely happy with my career choice as a PT. My debt, graduating in 1991 was about 25K.
While I agree that the practice of PT has not changed much in the last 10 years, I think it is now in a process of change. Personally, I am extremely comfortable assessing all manner of MSK disorders and find that many older PTs (myself not included 🙂 ) do not have the evaluation skills. Newer grads seem to have more of that than the PTs of yore. Obviously, experience breeds wisdom, intuition and whatnot but the diagnostic education is much better now than it was.
When you were a PT did you see a lot of hotpacks/US/massage colleagues? Did you see a lot of straight leg raises and quad/glut sets? That is very different than what I consider the modern PT. True, there are a great many who still do those types of things exclusively, but I think that the numbers are going down.

Also, when I was in athletic training program at the U of Iowa and then in PT school at DMU the PA students were not (in my opinion) of the same caliber as the PT students and AT students. We shared anatomy lecture and lab, and also in PT school, physiology classes. I was not impressed. there were some outstanding individuals, but overall, I don't think that they would have been competitive if they would have tried to get into PT school.

It comes down to what you want to be when you grow up. I actually LIKE being around patients unlike one of the earlier posters who are annoyed by their patients. Find a different line of work please.

 

[lawguil]

I've acually shadowed a PA for about 20 hours

I enjoyed it, but the way the PA profession is going, i dunno if I would get in.

I don't really know what to do

Why don't you believe you would get in to PA school? Further, are you currently an athletic training student?

 

[sirhumpsalot]

I want to emphasize the great rewards in physical therapy... and 40-60k starting salary is nothing to sneeze at...but at a debt to income ratio, it blows.
There are thousands of PTs very happy with their profession, but remember, there is a difference between a PT from 10 years ago and a PT today...that difference is debt. When I graduated I had 5k in student loans and I went to Indiana University. Today the debts are likely easily in the 50-75k area.
There has been NO change in the practice of Physical Therapy in the past 11 years. The politics have changed yes...the clinical practice has not.
I really wish that was NOT the case. But those are questions best suited for the APTA not myself.

......besides plummeting reimbursement by third party payors and skyrocketing competition for cash customers by massage therapists, personal trainers et al.

this forum is filled with people seeking info on lots of professions from med school to pharm. PT is legendary for peeps moving in and out of the profession, so it should not be a huge suprise that you'd find lots of PTs here not exactly thrilled with their 1st choice of career. The sample is skewed towards those of us who want something different and see the negatives of PT far more clearly than the few positives.....so take it for what it is worth.

Im thrilled that i can go to school for a few semesters take a few months off and have no problem picking from a healthy supply of jobs. I thank PT for that.

 

[fbplayr75]

Why don't you believe you would get in to PA school? Further, are you currently an athletic training student?


I actually work for the University I attend.

I am not an ATC, in fact my major is health science iwth an emphasis is public health

We have a unique program where there are 6 students that are trained in evaluations and modalities. We basically run the program that provides almost 200 student athletes. Of course we are always under the supervision of two very expereinced ATC's and a DPT.


PA school seems like it would be great, I guess I am a little shell shocked after not doing so well in organic Chemisty (I had to drop it because of a very low test score)

For some reason I see PT as perhaps a little less stressful while still providing me with opportunities to serve and make people feel better.

 

[fbplayr75]

I actually work for the University I attend.

I am not an ATC, in fact my major is health science iwth an emphasis is public health

We have a unique program where there are 6 students that are trained in evaluations and modalities. We basically run the program that provides almost 200 student athletes. Of course we are always under the supervision of two very expereinced ATC's and a DPT.


PA school seems like it would be great, I guess I am a little shell shocked after not doing so well in organic Chemisty (I had to drop it because of a very low test score)

For some reason I see PT as perhaps a little less stressful while still providing me with opportunities to serve and make people feel better.[/QUOTE]

 

[fbplayr75]

I actually work for the University I attend.

I am not an ATC, in fact my major is health science iwth an emphasis is public health

We have a unique program where there are 6 students that are trained in evaluations and modalities. We basically run the program that provides almost 200 student athletes. Of course we are always under the supervision of two very expereinced ATC's and a DPT.


PA school seems like it would be great, I guess I am a little shell shocked after not doing so well in organic Chemisty (I had to drop it because of a very low test score)

For some reason I see PT as perhaps a little less stressful while still providing me with opportunities to serve and make people feel better

 

[deleted6669]

there are still pa programs that do not require organic.....

 

[fbplayr75]

Do you have any ideas which ones?

Plus, I don't feel like my direct patient care is very strong,
I am a first responder, but I'm not in a hospital or clincal setting.

From what I've seen, to be a proficient PA, a decent amount of care is required.

 

[deleted6669]

most non-masters programs(of which there are still many) do not require organic or biochem. if you have at least 1000 hrs of combined health care experience you might be competitive at some programs. I agree that the more prior experience you have , and the more intense that experience, the better pa you will be. there are of course exceptions, but most former medic/rt/rn folks are better pa's than most folks with minimal prior experience.
what general geograpghic area are you interested in? maybe I can recommend a few schools...there are something like 140 of them now so there is a fit for everyone somewhere.....

 

[DocWagner]

Truthseeker... The things used today are identical to the practices 10 years ago. Closed vs open kinetic chain...manual therapy vs. eccentric vs concentric training. Myofascial release, unwinding, Feldenkrais, McKenzie, Cyriax, Gary Gray, Paris...the same stuff gets tossed around. Protocols vs custom rehab programs. Early movement vs delayed. Its the same stuff. I loved PT. I loved the job. I just feel bad for the NEW grads and the burdens they bear. I realize that going medical school AFTER PT school is going to be a virtual impossibility based upon new student graduating debt. It makes me sad.

 

[Skialta]

A former PT who is now in my fourth year of medical school. I echo what has already been said. PT was great for a while, but I found little that interested me about PT after practicing for about 5 years. I found a lot of the continuing education classes to be pretty worthless or they were some fringe movement that had questionable basis in science. The other thing is that I found very little in PT to really have good science to back it up and show that it was effective. I think research is moving in the right direction but you have to think about it from a buisness point of view....if you can't prove that your treatment is cost effective then at some point insurance is not going to pay for it. Another problem that I had was many times I felt like I could have treated the patient better than the physician the patient was seeing; I found I was pretty limited as a PT in what I could offer and that bothered me. I felt too much like a psychologist and less like a highly skilled clinician many days. I think the DPT is a little overkill for the job of a PT, I would rather see combined MPT/PHD programs. I am now applying for general surgery residency where I will actually get the chance to use my knowledge and skills to cure a patient.

 

[mlcl4]

I'm currently an exercise science major and I've thought about PT school after graduation but after hearing what has been said (some things I've heard before) It really makes me question if it will be worth putting myself through pt school. Mainly the things that concern me are:

1. income/debt ratio
2. outgrowing degree
3. boredom

I too enjoy working out and helping others but I dont know that I want to spend 3 more yrs. and $150,000 to be able to do it. Seems to me like PTA school might be the way to go. It's a lot cheaper ($3000 compared to $150000) and the school is shorter... of course you wont make as much money... but If you get bored with the job you can move on without feeling like you really wasted your time or you money... or if you really like it you can take the plunge and go to PT school... maybe even get your employer to help with the cost or at least let you work part-time as a pta.

I say this because this is a field that I've always wanted to work in but If it's not feasible to go about it the PT route than I think I will go into it anyway as a PTA. And like I said above if I get bored or feel like I'm not getting stimulated enough I can walk away without having an assload of debt.

 

[lawguil]

I'm currently an exercise science major and I've thought about PT school after graduation but after hearing what has been said (some things I've heard before) It really makes me question if it will be worth putting myself through pt school. Mainly the things that concern me are:

1. income/debt ratio
2. outgrowing degree
3. boredom

I too enjoy working out and helping others but I dont know that I want to spend 3 more yrs. and $150,000 to be able to do it. Seems to me like PTA school might be the way to go. It's a lot cheaper ($3000 compared to $150000) and the school is shorter... of course you wont make as much money... but If you get bored with the job you can move on without feeling like you really wasted your time or you money... or if you really like it you can take the plunge and go to PT school... maybe even get your employer to help with the cost or at least let you work part-time as a pta.

I say this because this is a field that I've always wanted to work in but If it's not feasible to go about it the PT route than I think I will go into it anyway as a PTA. And like I said above if I get bored or feel like I'm not getting stimulated enough I can walk away without having an assload of debt.

Do you plan on finishing your exercise science degree? If you do or if you're close to finishing, it wouldn't make a lot of sense to go to PTA school over PT school. PTA school would be 2 years.....PT school would be 3 years. In my judgement, PTA would make a lot of sense if you were straight out of high school.

 

[lawguil]

I actually work for the University I attend.

I am not an ATC, in fact my major is health science iwth an emphasis is public health

We have a unique program where there are 6 students that are trained in evaluations and modalities. We basically run the program that provides almost 200 student athletes. Of course we are always under the supervision of two very expereinced ATC's and a DPT.


PA school seems like it would be great, I guess I am a little shell shocked after not doing so well in organic Chemisty (I had to drop it because of a very low test score)

For some reason I see PT as perhaps a little less stressful while still providing me with opportunities to serve and make people feel better

Interesting. I guess I would figure out what PT schools I am interested in applying. Call them. Find out the average GPA of recent classes and the pre-requisite course work that is required (likely similar to PA and MD/DO programs). Part of the equation that is true of all professional programs is that you have to study, do reasonably well in hard classes (physics, chemistry, biology) and have some sort of reason of why you would like to work in these professions. It sounds like you have some background with PT's and ATC's. This isn't a bad start, but it sounds like you need a little more polishing to be a successful candidate. You shouldn't write off PA school just because it's competitive. It's all about positioning yourself.....you have to position yourself to be a candidate for the program that you are interested in matriculating. That means being the candidate that they are looking for! Having just the desire to be a PT or PA won't get you into either program. Find out what they are looking for and do it. If the average GPA is a 3.2, make sure your gpa is close or much better.

 

[mlcl4]

Do you plan on finishing your exercise science degree? If you do or if you're close to finishing, it wouldn't make a lot of sense to go to PTA school over PT school. PTA school would be 2 years.....PT school would be 3 years. In my judgement, PTA would make a lot of sense if you were straight out of high school.

Yes I do plan on finishing my ES degree, I understand what your saying, after getting a BS it will be taking a step backwards if I were to spend another 2yrs in school only to emerge with an AA degree instead of a MS degree. It makes perfect sense.
However, going off what has been said by others about spending a ridiculous amount of $ on education, and getting bored, and not being stimulated enough on the job, and leaving the field to persue other options... I dont know that I can justify spending 3 yrs in a highly intense academic program all while accruing some crazy debt when in the end I'll probably be working in another field in 5 yrs.

 

[truthseeker]

I recommend that you go to rehabedge and pose the same question before you commit to anything.

 

[DOctorJay]

I recommend that you go to rehabedge and pose the same question before you commit to anything.

this is a good suggestion, i second it.

J

 

[ptguy]

I think the rehabedge comment is a good suggestion as posters on this board will likely have a different slant as many of them are transitioning or have changed profession.

I agree with the large debt load being a problem, particularly in the US. With respect to boredom, I think that may have been more of the case 10 years ago where there was a lot of modality based treatment. PTs today tend to do a little more clinical reasoning with the adoption of evidence based practice and increasing direct access (well atleast where I am). Ones who are up on the research aern't doing a lot of the techniques that Dr. Wagner comments on but I would agree that manual therapy and different forms of exercise are the mainstay of orthopaedic practices. There is also a significant number of different areas you can practice.

I do agree with the comment about feeling more like a psychologist/counsellor at times but would suggest that this is likely the case with most health care professions.

Hope that helps, Ive been a PT for 7 years and am happy with my decision.

 

[truthseeker]

Truthseeker... The things used today are identical to the practices 10 years ago. Closed vs open kinetic chain...manual therapy vs. eccentric vs concentric training. Myofascial release, unwinding, Feldenkrais, McKenzie, Cyriax, Gary Gray, Paris...the same stuff gets tossed around. Protocols vs custom rehab programs. Early movement vs delayed. Its the same stuff. I loved PT. I loved the job. I just feel bad for the NEW grads and the burdens they bear. I realize that going medical school AFTER PT school is going to be a virtual impossibility based upon new student graduating debt. It makes me sad.

After a bit of thought, I think you are right about what PTs do now.

The difference in the training, IMO, is why and when you do those things. Our education in differentials are better than they were, our awareness of medical problems mimicing ortho problems is better, the rationale for the use of different treatments is more sound because, in part, of the additional year. Also, most DPT programs require longer clinical internships than they did with a BS or MS/MPT. I think we all know that you you learn the fundamentals in class but learn how to apply it during the clinicals.

 

[lawguil]

After a bit of thought, I think you are right about what PTs do now.

I think we all know that you learn the fundamentals in class but learn how to apply it during the clinical.

Or as a practicing physical therapist. I think the average BSPT/MSPT could probably swing the supple changes in education (and then some).

Clinical education during PT school simply prepares you for entry level!

 

[truthseeker]

Or as a practicing physical therapist. I think the average BSPT/MSPT could probably swing the supple changes in education (and then some).

Clinical education during PT school simply prepares you for entry level!

Right, but my suggestion is that the starting point moves with more education and more lengthy clinicals. That way the entry level PT has more training to make better decisions earlier on in their practice. Certainly, a MS PT who has been working for 10 years and has kept abreast of current literature is far ahead of the new grad DPT, but don't you think that the extra year helps the new grad start off farther ahead?

 

[lawguil]

Right, but my suggestion is that the starting point moves with more education and more lengthy clinicals. That way the entry level PT has more training to make better decisions earlier on in their practice. Certainly, a MS PT who has been working for 10 years and has kept abreast of current literature is far ahead of the new grad DPT, but don't you think that the extra year helps the new grad start off farther ahead?

Surely! But I have yet to see where an extra year of education from the MSPT to the DPT exists. The entry level MSPT programs that I'm aware of were 28 months over 3 years. As you know, in my judgment, the BSPT education was adequate! More years in education didn't translate to more years in actual PT education.

 

[lawguil]

Right, but my suggestion is that the starting point moves with more education and more lengthy clinicals. That way the entry level PT has more training to make better decisions earlier on in their practice. Certainly, a MS PT who has been working for 10 years and has kept abreast of current literature is far ahead of the new grad DPT, but don't you think that the extra year helps the new grad start off farther ahead?

Lets consider this from a different angle. Lets say DPT is an extra year. Which would be the better practitioner in your eyes.

The PT with an MSPT and one year of experience in practice

or

An entry level DPT with no experience.

I believe it is best to introduce a PT when it is clearly save for entry level. At that point practice experience will likely outweight educational experience!

 

[truthseeker]

Lets consider this from a different angle. Lets say DPT is an extra year. Which would be the better practitioner in your eyes.

The PT with an MSPT and one year of experience in practice

or

An entry level DPT with no experience.

I believe it is best to introduce a PT when it is clearly save for entry level. At that point practice experience will likely outweight educational experience!

That is a good point but a better comparison would be to compare a DPT with one year experience and an MSPT with one year. There is more education in the DPT of how to recognize what NOT to treat. That makes the population safer.

 

[lawguil]

That is a good point but a better comparison would be to compare a DPT with one year experience and an MSPT with one year. There is more education in the DPT of how to recognize what NOT to treat. That makes the population safer.

I don't think there would be any difference b/t a MSPT or a DPT with one year experience! In fact I don't think there is a measurable difference b/t a MSPT or a DPT

 

[lawguil]

That is a good point but a better comparison would be to compare a DPT with one year experience and an MSPT with one year. There is more education in the DPT of how to recognize what NOT to treat. That makes the population safer.

Further, what you would really be comparing is an MSPT with 2 years experience and a DPT with 1.

 

[truthseeker]

Further, what you would really be comparing is an MSPT with 2 years experience and a DPT with 1.

I think you are mistaken there. Most DPT programs that I am a clinical instructor for are one additional year, not two. That's why I get so confused when people post the outrageously high debt load people say they are leaving school with. Are they going to Columbia with no scholarship, then going to a private PT school with no scholarship, never having a job, and no savings from the summers?

 

[lawguil]

I think you are mistaken there. Most DPT programs that I am a clinical instructor for are one additional year, not two. That's why I get so confused when people post the outrageously high debt load people say they are leaving school with. Are they going to Columbia with no scholarship, then going to a private PT school with no scholarship, never having a job, and no savings from the summers?

I guess I'm confused. I still believe that a PT is a PT is a PT.
I'm not sure what programs you are talking about that are one year (12 months of education) longer than the MSPT?