Dual Degrees

[Newtopt]

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I have yet to find a legitimate view on dual degrees and so I thought what better place to ask this question than sdn?

I am planning on pursuing a DPT degree and have come across dual degrees offered by a number of schools. Is there any benefit to these degrees? Especially the MBA and MPH track.

As far as I know getting an MBA would not increase a PT's salary nor would it create better opportunities for future flexibility within the field (such as becoming an administrator). Then the only conclusion I can come up with is that it may help PTs if they choose to open up their own practice. And even then I am not sure how helpful it really would be.

The MPH degree however I have no idea about. Would it help a PT find policy jobs? Would an MPH provide any leverage towards a specific track? If a PT wants to follow through with an MPH track then is there even a point in going to school for a DPT? If someone can provide some insight I would appreciate it.

 

[DesertPT]

As far as I can tell, residency trainings, dual degrees, etc. are great ways to build up your resume and/or prepare yourself for work in a certain niche, but as far as being able to find a job are not that big a deal. Usually the only real job requirement for most PT jobs, other than possible "x years of experience" for supervisory roles, is "Must hold a current license to practice physical therapy in the state of ___".

 

[jblil]

As far as I know getting an MBA would not increase a PT's salary nor would it create better opportunities for future flexibility within the field (such as becoming an administrator). Then the only conclusion I can come up with is that it may help PTs if they choose to open up their own practice. And even then I am not sure how helpful it really would be.

I have a MBA. The degree teaches you a business perspective, i.e., how to take into account financing, taxation, investing, competitiveness, running different scenarios, etc when grappling with a problem. Personally, I think it would be very valuable if I wanted to open up my own practice in the future. Is the degree absolutely required? Not if you have an intuitive "business mind" and can juggle all those things in your head.

 

[Azimuthal]

An MBA is another set of tools in a toolbox, if you don't use the tool, it's irrelevant. It's harder for some who has not been exposed to team based or strategic based business experience to conceptually apply some of the tools without the relevant work experience to connect the dots.

Outside of the clinic, if I was looking for an executive level position and x-healthcare professional with relevant experience also had an MBA, they will be on top of my interview list because I am thinking that they should come with additional tools not listed on my requirements. If two interviewees scored the same quality points on my interview list, and one had an MBA, I would make the MBA an offer first. Depending on how versatile the position is, I would also offer the MBA a higher starting salary, though I wouldn't bet on more than 5-10% for a relevant upper level position. However, I wouldn't mind spending a year or so developing a stellar candidate.

Some would say "well, my director only had a BS...", etc. Years experience play a large role. Some MBA carriers didn't know how to apply their skills and thus lost the knowledge along the way. As with any investment, sometimes things don't work out as perfectly as some would plan. I find that when people have unrealistic expectations, they become jaded. Those individuals tend to be the most vocal about their negative opinion of the degree. Also, I'd bet that the ratio of PT,MBA: PT is relatively small. Is it needed? Definitely not. Can it add value? Yes, it can.