Highly Ranked Schools vs. Lower Ranked

[FlynnRider]

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Hey everybody, I'm new to this forum and I was wondering what the difference will be between a highly ranked grad school and a lower ranked grad school (specifically, UNC Chapel Hill at #11 and Medical University of South Carolina at #60). MUSC is in state for me and living in Charleston would be great, but I'm wary of it being ranked at #60 and what that might mean for a career as a PT. I've talked to several advisers, and none of them knew what to tell me. Will it make a huge difference whether I attend one or the other?

 

[noyceguy]

Hey everybody, I'm new to this forum and I was wondering what the difference will be between a highly ranked grad school and a lower ranked grad school (specifically, UNC Chapel Hill at #11 and Medical University of South Carolina at #60). MUSC is in state for me and living in Charleston would be great, but I'm wary of it being ranked at #60 and what that might mean for a career as a PT. I've talked to several advisers, and none of them knew what to tell me. Will it make a huge difference whether I attend one or the other?

Rank doesn't matter. What matters is if the school is a good fit for you and your goals.

 

[millyvanillie]

I would think that ranking does make a difference. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that prestige matters. The school you attend along with so many other factors decides your salary or if you will even get the job. For instance, consider an employer who has to make a decision between two physical therapists. Most likely a PT who attended Duke University (ranked #13) would get employed over PT B who attended a school that was not ranked. Patients feel confident in their treatment upon hearing that their PT graduated from Duke, Emory, USC etc. They may have no idea whether or not Duke was ranked but are nevertheless familiar with the school due to its popularity. Employers are probably willing to pay that PT a bit more because of the patients he or she attracts as a result of their educational background.

I personally dont agree with it. Usually, the same professors that teach at an unranked college are the same ones teaching in highly ranked schools. It is what it is.

 

[Litlwarrior08]

It is my understanding from reading info on this forum that the programs are basically the same, they have to be to be accredited. The important piece, in addition to being a good fit, is the school's pass rate on the boards and you passing the PT boards. Some schools focus more on research, others on clinic experience. I believe salary is regional, and dependent on the type of organization / institution and funding, insurance billing, etc. The rankings depend on who is doing them and what is being compared. I have seen on this forum the PTs w/ BS, MS and DPT are basically earning equal pay...But everything is relative. I also believe "prestige" is in the mind of the beholder. You are goining to have to be successful enough in any program to pass the cert. exam. There is a lot of info out there to explore. Good Luck

 

[FlynnRider]

Cool, thanks for the responses.

 

[jellybean2020]

every PT I have talked to says that a licensed PT is a licensed PT. School prestige or reputation never even factors into your salary. Now if two identical PT's applied for the same job and schools attended was the ONLY different thing then maybe it might matter a little. But I wouldn't say that it's worth $40k or $50k extra compared to going to a cheaper state school.

 

[adh28]

Look at the schools pass rates on board exams for licensure. There are also differences in curriculum which you can find by talking to the school. Other than that it doesn't significantly matter ranked v unranked. Some schools choose not to be ranked at all or participate in the rankings.

 

[FlynnRider]

Look at the schools pass rates on board exams for licensure. There are also differences in curriculum which you can find by talking to the school. Other than that it doesn't significantly matter ranked v unranked. Some schools choose not to be ranked at all or participate in the rankings.

What's a good first time pass rate? It seems like most schools have close to 100% pass rate overall, but first time pass rates tend to be lower.

 

[Yohan]

Where you went to school makes no difference in salary or getting hired. If an employer is deciding between two candidates they will look back on the interviews that they gave them. All employers care about is whether or not you are a licensed therapist. Also, patients have no idea what schools are "highly ranked" PT schools and which ones aren't. All patients care about is that you get them back to their functional goals.

Don't worry about the rankings. As was said earlier, choose a school that is a good fit for you and will adequately prepare you to pass the NPTE.

 

[Kin 2010]

I would like to advice you not to go to a highly rank school just because it is highly ranked. I was admitted to a #7 school and completed my first trimester and it was miserable. I ended up leaving the program and now I am reapplying to other programs. Make sure the learning environment is best for you. PT school is not like undergrad and you cannot just get by. If you have any questions let me know and I can tell you more in depth about my experience and what I am looking for the second time around.

 

[markelmarcel]

I would like to advice you not to go to a highly rank school just because it is highly ranked. I was admitted to a #7 school and completed my first trimester and it was miserable. I ended up leaving the program and now I am reapplying to other programs. Make sure the learning environment is best for you. PT school is not like undergrad and you cannot just get by. If you have any questions let me know and I can tell you more in depth about my experience and what I am looking for the second time around.

I turned down a top 3 school to attend an unranked school simply because of the environment.