Masters of Physical Therapy

[FLsurferDPT]

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[mtm34]

Surf,
I applied to WCU and got the thumbs up but I just can't bring myself to pursue an MPT when virtually all my colleagues for the past 8-10 years have earned a DPT. There's just something that doesn't smell right to me about that... with that said if ever becomes and issue you can get your t-DPT but I'm just too weary to pursue the lesser degree. Imagine yourself in 10 years, you'll most likely be one of the few MPT's left...

 

[FLsurferDPT]

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[MJHUSKERS]

Are you really getting the same quality education in a masters program? I think the DPT will provide a better education even if it's by the slightest margin... For me personally, I absolutly love the profession of PT and haven't considered PA, DO, etc. I'm happy with the DPT and that's why I didn't apply to any MPT programs.

 

[FLsurferDPT]

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[dwr2018]

People who say that there is no difference between MPT and DPT are really thinking in the present. No one can say exactly where the field is going, but, while the MPT may be an acceptable and attractive option today, I think that may be very different in the future.

In addition, don't count on your future employer paying for you to get the t-DPT. I work for a hospital now, and one PT wanted to go from MPT to DPT and had to pay for it completely on her own. Any continuing ed course the PTs want to do (even 1-day courses for a couple hundred dollars) have to be approved, and about 80% are being denied because of budget cuts. Granted, this is influenced by the economy, which is ever changing, but don't count on your future employer to pay for your t-DPT, even if it is a hospital.

 

[jesspt]

Get the Master's. I'm not even sure why this is a discussion.

 

[FLsurferDPT]

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[ptstudenttobe]

you said it yourself, there's no clear pathway as to how obamas helthcare will affect the profession (could be good or bad). That being said, it would be smart to go the MPT route and pretty much wait to see how the physical therapists will be affected by this (reimbursement, medicare, etc). If it does take a turn for the worse, you can have the peace of mind that you didn't spend 100k on an education that is pretty much equivalent to the others and be satisfied with the salary you'd be earning.

 

[Lizarde]

With a masters, I wouldn't expect to get my first pick of jobs. In NC, if an employer had a choice between a UNC or Duke grad, they would get the job hands down over a WCU grad. Granted, there are supposedly plenty of jobs out there but...
Also consider the area you plan to live in after college. If your clinicals are mostly in western NC, then your best connections are also there. If you plan to return to FL, then I would go to school there where you would be more immersed in the community.
However...If the cost savings trumps location and degree, then WCU it is.

 

[artizzle]

I can't get past the huge price difference between the MPT and DPT, even though the starting salary remains the same. Could having one degree possibly affect your chance of getting hired? Sure, but I feel that an employer examines aspects of your resume other than what letter comes before your title as a physical therapist. I don't need to be rich, but I want to be comfortable; having student loans looming over my head for years after school doesn't really fit my definition of "living comfortably".

 

[jesspt]

With a masters, I wouldn't expect to get my first pick of jobs. In NC, if an employer had a choice between a UNC or Duke grad, they would get the job hands down over a WCU grad.

Notice you said nothing about the degree the graduate obtained. Rather, you imply that it is where the graduate came from.

Having hired several PTs, I can tell you that the degree matters little. You need a license, a good looking resume, and a good interview.

 

[kcgregor]

Go for the masters. Save the money. It will be much cheaper in the long run to get the Master's degree and then do the t-DPT than it will be to get the DPT right away. My understanding, which JessPT confirms, is that it does not matter what degree you get. What really matters is that you pass the boards. I'm not sure if Western Carolina is a public or a private school, but one thing you may want to check out if you can is a study that was published in the November 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association. There is a study that takes into account different factors (such as GRE scores, undergrad GPA) and how they correlate with passing rates on the NPTE. One of the factors they looked at was school and they mentioned that while where you went to PT school did not have a strong correlation on the passing rate, master's public universities had the strongest correlation with passing the NPTE.

If you are still concerned about being a competitive applicant for jobs, try doing a residency in the area you want to practice in when you graduate. The residency should prepare you for the board specialization exam and having that certification would probably be looked on more favorably.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[ksiem]

Gosh, get the MPT and then if you need to in the future (doubt it), have an employer pay for your t-dpt..

 

[FLsurferDPT]

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