Need Advice: ATC thinking about going for DPT

[Guz]

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Background:

I'm 29 and recently became an ATC. I've interned in Major League Baseball and currently work in the minor leagues. I love working in professional sports with high level athletes.

Aside from working with athletes, my favorite part of being an ATC is conducting an orthopedic evaluation and creating a rehab. However, the most frustrating part of the job is when an athlete is sent to a PT while in the care of an ATC.

I recognized early on in my (ATC) training that PTs receive more specialized rehabilitative medicine training. For this reason, I knew I wanted to go back for a DPT.

On top of that, I'm getting older and want to have the freedom to continue being a practicing clinician outside of team sports, which isn't possible as an ATC. Having a DPT would allow me to settle down and not be away from home 2/3 of the year.

The Issue:

I'm conflicted because working in professional sports is awesome. And although not promised, I may eventually end up with a big league club. Getting out and getting back in May be difficult.

What do you guys/gals think? Should I get out and get a DPT or stay in and gut it out?

Thanks in advance.

 

[PTMattI]

I think if you get out there is still a good chance for you to get back into the sports field because of your experience and the added DPT degree...im sure that may set you apart from many other ATCs in the field.

Also 29 isnt old and you still have the rest of your life...do you see yourself working in pro sports for the rest of your career?

I would say do the DPT now, because if you wait too long it may be too late.

 

[atstudent]

The one thing you ned to be careful about is pricing yourself out of the market. Can you afford to work for the same amount of money if you were to go work at that same level again?

 

[nuts2012]

try looking for online program for DPT. you can do both your work and studying. however, you will be needing great time management to do this.

 

[truthseeker]

no offense, but hopefully there isn't and never will be a DPT program that is exclusively online. There are too many things that you have to feel and touch to be competent.

 

[atstudent]

no offense, but hopefully there isn't and never will be a DPT program that is exclusively online. There are too many things that you have to feel and touch to be competent.

Haha! Agreed! There shouldn't be much in the way of online degrees for healthcare professional requirements! That said, I just completed my masters online in pediatric sports medicine. But I already had the clinical portion in my undergraduate program to obtain BOC certification. This was a post-graduate program.

I have to wonder even about the programs that require "X weekends a semester" on campus. How good are they?

 

[NewTestament]

no offense, but hopefully there isn't and never will be a DPT program that is exclusively online. There are too many things that you have to feel and touch to be competent.

Most of the didactic portion of PT school can be taught online. Do we really need people to read us the material, or do we need someone to answer questions and help us to apply the material clinically?

 

[truthseeker]

to the OP's question: I am an ATC who then went to PT school afterward, but only after a year of working as a GA at a high school. If you have a decent chance of advancing through the steps toward the big leagues (I get that it is not promised, but they usually recognize talent and if you are able to be fairly political by making the right friends, AND have the trainer skills you have a good chance to advance unless there is a guy/girl only a few years older than you who will be there forever.) and you like being a trainer, there aren't many jobs more fun that that. With that said, it is very hard work, long hours and primadonnas who want goat urine soaked towels to make their shoulder better (I made that up but some foreign players make weird demands)

Do what you love to do. If you are being disenchanted with the whole professional sports thing go to PT school. If you do that later, you can still do it and you will have loads of marketability in the sports med population. (i.e. " that's the guy who used to be the trainer with the Red Sox" )

PT is fulfilling, but so is AT IF you are in the right situation. If you find an online entry level DPT program, run away, run far away.

 

[Guz]

Thanks truthseeker. Question for you though: how do you feel about the preparation/education you received in PT school? Did it push your ortho knowledge forward in a way that wasn't possible as an ATC? How did your education as an ATC help you in PT school?

 

[truthseeker]

Thanks truthseeker. Question for you though: how do you feel about the preparation/education you received in PT school? Did it push your ortho knowledge forward in a way that wasn't possible as an ATC? How did your education as an ATC help you in PT school?

first, the education in the AT program made the majority of the ortho part of PT very easy. I was sort of a TA in most of the classes and actually was a TA in the med school anatomy class. I had already taken most of the clinical ortho stuff and was fairly fluent in exams/terminology/documentation etc . . . PT school gave more depth, more experience and spent quite a bit more time on spine stuff than I had in AT school. the big difference between the two is that where AT emphasizes overall healthcare (we are essentially a physician extender) and emergency care, PT spends more time on overall wellness, pain management, co-morbidities, and more indepth rehab concepts. It is hard for me to distinguish what I got where in many cases but the two sets of skills are very compatible. Obviously, the neuro stuff in PT school was not covered in AT and I find that most things have nerves so that alone made my rehab skills and insight much much better.

I find that it really depends upon the person going to school. your dedication and passion will make you good at whatever you choose.

Hope that answers your question.

 

[Guz]

Thanks TruthSeeker and to all who took the time to respond!