MPT or DPT

[UCLAbruin08]

yes i know this thread has been going on for a while now, but I was wondering if anyone has chosen to go the MPT route instead. I'm have a really hard time deciding on which route to go to, so I was wondering what were things that helped you choose MPT rather than DPT

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[lee9786]

yes i know this thread has been going on for a while now, but I was wondering if anyone has chosen to go the MPT route instead. I'm have a really hard time deciding on which route to go to, so I was wondering what were things that helped you choose MPT rather than DPT

It seems to me that the PT profession is in a transition time right now. I've gotten mixed messages regarding the mandated doctorate from current PTs. Some like it and some don't. The idea is the doctorate is mandated to increase credibility of PTs to utilize them via direct access. PTs are the musculoskeletal experts. The only other profession right now that is considered experts on this level are chiropractors.

The chiropractor profession is in trouble though right now. Pretty much from their undoing. People are catching on to there methodology. They lack scientific evidence to back up much of what they do. There has been some lawsuits so the risk:benefit ratio is being looked at and it's not boding well. They don't have really good regulation and just about anyone that wants to give there money to chiro institutions gets in and can become a DC.

I could go on about what I've found regarding the future of the chiro profession, but the bottom line is I don't see them surviving twenty years from now. Medicare wants "scientific-based evidence," especially now with how the costs are being monitored. So where will people with musculoskeletal problems go then? The doctors of physical therapy is the only other viable option. The training is intense to assure that PTs are competent practitioners. The training reflects the medical model so deviations from msk problems are recognized with greater competence and referred to a medical practitioner. I see the PT profession booming with the doctors of PT leading the way.

So MPT versus DPT? There is very little pay difference. The schools less expensive for MPT so why not just go for MPT. This would seem logical. The profession is in a transition though. It's moving towards an autonomous profession, at least it will if the proper lobbying is done in congress. There is a ton of information that can be utilized to influence polititians. Most of what PT brings to the table is decreasing costs of healthcare. Right now is the time to make changes. Having the doctorate only strengthens this lobbying influence.

I will be pursuing the DPT. Even with the fact that I will have substantial debt, I like what the PT profession can do and I support its growth. I plan on taking an active role in promoting the profession, not for myself but for people in general. I'm a believer that healthcare should be a right and I'm praying that our current insurance system is completely revamped. Healthcare should be a service to the community. With our current system the only people winning are the insurance industries. This is dead-right wrong and needs to change for humanitarian reasons.

I will say one thing that is of concern for me regarding the DPT. Some institutions sadly will look at this as just another reason to collect more tuition money with very little changing from the MPT to the DPT. One of the reasons for the doctorate was to prepare DPTs to hit the floor running once out of school with little training time. This is one of the justifications for lower costs. The problem is some students don't feel they are to that level even with the doctorate. While the science part is drilled into the students heads the everyday routine skills aren't sufficient. I'm sure this doesn't apply to all programs. I'd like to think that when all is said and done I'll be strong enough to work as a PT directly out of school with just a little fine tuning here and there. Maybe I'm making too big of a deal from something I've simply heard about and haven't actually experienced though.

The MPT is still available if you choose to go this route. I'll recommend pursuing the DPT. Right now a lot is in transition. The best way to start the transition is with the doctorate. Just my opinion. It turned out to be a long one to.

 

[pttrac]

Nice reply lee9786. I agree with most of what you said. I think the field is transitioning and the DPT is the future, but the cost of it as well as the fact that there is no real salary difference will make it a hard decision. I considered chiro back in college but after looking at the field in more detail and paying a visit to the chiro forums, I think I made the right decision in choosing PT even though I know I would have been accepted to all the chiro schools.

I am in the same boat as a lot of the students on here. I left my deposit for all my prospective schools, but I sill have not decided where to go. I have narrowed it down to three schools. One is public and the other two are private. I am also on a lot of wait lists, but I doubt I will get off of them. I should make a decision soon.

 

[lirpa]

Nice reply lee9786. I agree with most of what you said. I think the field is transitioning and the DPT is the future, but the cost of it as well as the fact that there is no real salary difference will make it a hard decision. I considered chiro back in college but after looking at the field in more detail and paying a visit to the chiro forums, I think I made the right decision in choosing PT even though I know I would have been accepted to all the chiro schools.

I am in the same boat as a lot of the students on here. I left my deposit for all my prospective schools, but I sill have not decided where to go. I have narrowed it down to three schools. One is public and the other two are private. I am also on a lot of wait lists, but I doubt I will get off of them. I should make a decision soon.

All that has been said is very accurate, i actually started a dpt program today and learned all about the new 2020 vision that pt is taking, I feel it would be very valuable for anyone in this field to thoroughly reseach this vision and get a true understanding for it. Though there is much skepticism with the vision ultimately it is being strongly pursued and progressing every day. Some interesting facts that might help influence ones decison with choosing betwen mpt or dpt..
there are currently 216 pt schools, as of (I believe) 2000 or 2004 or so all schools were mpt it took 22 years to transition from bs in pt to mpt as of today 200 of the 216 pt schools have transitioned to dpt programs, that is within a few years 93% of pt schools have changed!!
Now many people may say this is for money to be pushed into the schools, but it also cost the schools more money in the end to transition as well, this was the vision of APTA and will continue to sweep the nation, those 16 schools will likely soon transition as well, and I cant speak for everyone but I wouldnt want to be one of the few new graduates in the field with a masters when 93% of the rest of the new graduates are DPTS?
The vision also sees all pts eventually being dpts wether its through continuing education or what not, so I really feel wether one agrees fully with this vision it is in the best interest to persue the highest degree possible instead of facing possible challenges in the future!
As for certain clinics, I would not want to be the new graduate with a mpt applying for the same position as a new dpt student!
Whatever you choose, pt is a great field and will only be improving with time🙂
good luck!

 

[UCLAbruin08]

great advice all!

i guess i'm still having a hard time deciding because I spoke with one of the therapists where I work, and he wasn't too impressed with the vision 2020, since he was saying most of the therapist with DPTs he interviewed were definitely asking for a higher salary due to the higher cost of education. He mostly had a problem with the insurance companies and the reimbursements which have been declining in the past years.

 

[jesspt]

He mostly had a problem with the insurance companies and the reimbursements which have been declining in the past years.

Most liely he has a problem with paying a new graduate more money solely because they have a DPT rather than an MSPT when the reimbursement that he is recieving form third-party payors is declining on an annual basis.

I cant speak for everyone but I wouldnt want to be one of the few new graduates in the field with a masters when 93% of the rest of the new graduates are DPTS?

I think it's going to be quite a few years before this really matters. A lot of PTs who will be responsible for hiring new employees will have their Mater's degree and are less likely to place a great deal of weight on the DPT. Additionally, I think it is really unlikely to alter the starting salary they are willing to offer.

I've stated this numerous times on this forum, but I would recommend the Mater's program in an attempt to control your debt level, assuming that the Mater's program's tuition for two years is less than the Doctoral program's tuition for three years.

 

[UCLAbruin08]

thanks, but the masters program i'm considering is 3 years (CSULB), so I'm basing my decision to that as well.

 

[lirpa]

great advice all!

i guess i'm still having a hard time deciding because I spoke with one of the therapists where I work, and he wasn't too impressed with the vision 2020, since he was saying most of the therapist with DPTs he interviewed were definitely asking for a higher salary due to the higher cost of education. He mostly had a problem with the insurance companies and the reimbursements which have been declining in the past years.

I would love to hear why any physical therapist would not be impressed by the 2020 vision? Because unless they learned about a different vision than what they are teaching us in school, or are insecure with their abilities, I could not imagin anyone not wanting to persue this vision. It is a huge benefit for all of us and patients in the end!! Maybe they need to do their research a little better, or have a little more faith in themselves the system and APTA!😕

 

[UCLAbruin08]

actually, he was more disappointed at the fact that the vision doesn't have any impact on the reimbursement rates. I can understand where he's coming from because he's going to litigation against an insurance company that isn't properly reimbursing him for treatments that were administered a couple of years ago. It makes sense since if we go through paying so much money for the DPT, yet the cost of reimbusement continues to fall, the salary for therapists won't get any better. I've spoken to other therapists as well, some who we've even treated and have gotten mixed messages. I think it's just hard for some to realize that they'd have to go to school despite practicing for quite a long time.

I guess that's why I'm having trouble deciding on which program to attend, possibly because of the opinions of the therapists. I'm definitely a believer for the DPT, but I also believe that the APTA should work with generating the proper reimbursement for each treatment. The therapist I'm referring is extremely good at what he does and has practiced for well over 20 years. Everyone's entiltled to their opinion and I just have to respect his opinion.

 

[lee9786]

there is one fact that is undeniable, there will a substantial increase in the geriatric population that will have a greater need for therapy. I spend time overanalyzing what lies ahead for the PT profession and the only thing I really have is this fact to go on. If compensation keeps decreasing people will be deterred from entering the field due to significant debt that would be difficult to pay off. This will only exacerbate the shortage of PTs. What will this do to the profession?

Will DPT schools start decreasing there standards of applicants due to a need to fill seats? Will other practitioners such as chiropractors or certified athletic trainers start taking on more of the tasks done by PTs? Will the PT aquire more of a "manager" position while the PTAs perform all of the modalities? These are the questions I've been asking. It seems to me that an increase in compensation will have to occur if the PT field will remain a desireable profession. If it doesn't where does that leave a new DPT grad with 120k school debt?

 

[lee9786]

there is one fact that is undeniable, there will a substantial increase in the geriatric population that will have a greater need for therapy. I spend time overanalyzing what lies ahead for the PT profession and the only thing I really have is this fact to go on. If compensation keeps decreasing people will be deterred from entering the field due to significant debt that would be difficult to pay off. This will only exacerbate the shortage of PTs. What will this do to the profession?

Will DPT schools start decreasing there standards of applicants due to a need to fill seats? Will other practitioners such as chiropractors or certified athletic trainers start taking on more of the tasks done by PTs? Will the PT aquire more of a "manager" position while the PTAs perform all of the modalities? These are things I've been thinking of. What do you think?

 

[lee9786]

Right now costs of healthcare are being looked at and scrutinized in congress. Due to the shortage of primary care docs, it's looking like these folks will get an increase in compensation. It's a possibility that docs performing in subspecialties will actually get a small decrease in compensation for these tasks to hopefully attract even more docs to primary care. So where does Physical Therapy lie on the priority list? How does therapy decrease costs of healthcare and make in a more effective system? This is what legislators are looking at primarily. This is what PT lobbyists should be focusing on. Shining a light of doctors of Physical Therapy that are independent practitionors and the experts in working with muskuloskeletal conditions. Are they doing this? I don't know. I would hope so. This is the best time to influence any type of change.

 

[SuperKirby]

Anyone have a list of schools that offer MPT here in the states? TIA

 

[artizzle]

The ones I can think of in California:

CSU Northridge
CSU Sacramento
CSU Fresno
CSU Long Beach

 

[vinganca]

I've got to admit, my reasons weren't nearly as deep as the others in this thread! 😳 I decided I do not want to leave my home state for school. All four PT programs around here are DPT. I am also applying to two "plan B" schools out of state; as it turns out both of them are also DPT programs.
So DPT it is!

 

[teacher2PT]

If you're a CA resident (or can get residency after one year) then tuition (actually "fees") for these programs are only around $20,000-$30,000 or so for the MPT at those state universities. So why not go that route and then do your transitional DPT online (while your employer most likely pays for it?). Seems like a wise choice. I'm considering CSU Sacramento's MPT because that's my hometown and I'd love to be back there, but they have quite a few more pre-req's than the DPT schools I'm considering. Anyway, if you can do the MPT for so cheap, I'd go for it!