Physiatrist vs. Physical Therapist

[ampaphb]

http://www.medschool.northwestern.edu/nupthms

http://www.medschool.northwestern.edu/nupthms/DPT/index.html
(Just in case you don't look closely)

I am capable of looking very carefully.

Your link is, as I suspected to a DPT program. Please note, this has nothing to do with medical school, other than being under the umbrella organization of the Fienberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. As suggested on the website, this is the Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences School, where they offer Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree.

"Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, the physical therapy entry-level program is a professional education curriculum leading to a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree."
​

You should note that NOWHERE in there does it mention a medical degree, nor does it mention medical training of any kind. When you get all done with that program, you are a PT, albeit a very well trained one, but NOT a physician, graduate of medical school, or a medical doctor in any way, shape, or form.

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[axm397]

http://www.medschool.northwestern.edu/nupthms

http://www.medschool.northwestern.edu/nupthms/DPT/index.html
(Just in case you don't look closely)

As a resident at Northwestern, I think the problem is when you say "PT medical school", it insinuates that physical therapy students learn medicine and therefore can practice medicine - which is not true. The northwestern PT school is excellent but the curriculum for any PT school including this one is very different from medical school. Just like Physiatrists cannot claim that we have equivalent physical therapy training as PTs just because we train in the context of a rehab, PTs should not claim that they went to medical school just because the department of PT is located within the medical school.

I understand you have not gone through medical school yet but when you do, I think you will realize that many people like to claim to have gone to medical school or to have gotten equivalent training as someone who has gone to medical school. But, when you actually go through the training and get the MD or DO, you will realize how silly those claims are. It is a shame that your friend mislead you by telling you that he is going to a "PT medical school". Physical therapists have highly specialized training and are professionals with a defined skill set. The fact that many go on to get doctorate degrees are respectable and impressive. But, just as a psychologist with a phD in psychology is NOT the same as a psychiatrist with a MD/DO, DPTs are not the same as physicians nor should they want to be.

Hope your confusion gets clarified. Good luck in your career process.

 

[MSKalltheway]

I agree with axm and ampaphb. At Maryland we have a Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science housed within the medical school that offers a DPT degree, but it is a PT school. They do not take any of our classes, round with us on the wards, or share the anatomy lab with us when we take the anatomy course. For more info (and another example to supplement Northwestern's program) you can view this site http://pt.umaryland.edu/

It cannot be denied that physical therapists have a role that cannot be replaced in physiatry, but they dont learn medicine. I was also confused at the phrase "PT medical school", but I think I now realize what the OP was referring to. I hope this helps to clear things up a bit as well!

 

[Bleurberry]

I am capable of looking very carefully.

Your link is, as I suspected to a DPT program. Please note, this has nothing to do with medical school, other than being under the umbrella organization of the Fienberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. As suggested on the website, this is the Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences School, where they offer Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree.

"Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, the physical therapy entry-level program is a professional education curriculum leading to a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree."
​

You should note that NOWHERE in there does it mention a medical degree, nor does it mention medical training of any kind. When you get all done with that program, you are a PT, albeit a very well trained one, but NOT a physician, graduate of medical school, or a medical doctor in any way, shape, or form.

Ok, granted.
Yes. medical school is not PT school.
'I was a bit sloppy, but didn't I say he decided to become a physician after the push from the PT world to make Doctors of PT?

 

[ampaphb]

Ok, granted.
Yes. medical school is not PT school.
'I was a bit sloppy, but didn't I say he decided to become a physician after the push from the PT world to make Doctors of PT?

No, actually what was said was

Even though I'm not an allopath, nor pre-allopath - but instead I am a physical therapy doctor who went to physical therapy medical school

 

[Bleurberry]

No, actually what was said was

I think I've laxed recently when writing on the forum. To clarify, I was originally speaking to the fact that Doctors of Physical Therapy is the new "thing" now, that a friend and school mate had decided to return to undergrad to prepare for medical school to become a physician because of this change; he felt that if PT schooling was to demand a 4 year program, he may as well become a physician.

As I understand it, ampaphb, you take objection to the use of the phrase medical school to describe the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
I'll happily concede to your objection with warm regard.

 

[ampaphb]

I think I've laxed recently when writing on the forum. To clarify, I was originally speaking to the fact that Doctors of Physical Therapy is the new "thing" now, that a friend and school mate had decided to return to undergrad to prepare for medical school to become a physician because of this change; he felt that if PT schooling was to demand a 4 year program, he may as well become a physician.

As I understand it, ampaphb, you take objection to the use of the phrase medical school to describe the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
I'll happily concede to your objection with warm regard.

And all it took was 55 prior posts to get to that point of agreement!

 

[Bleurberry]

And all it took was 55 prior posts to get to that point of agreement!

hooked on medical semantics @ SDN!!

-A

 

[curiousgurl]

Wow. Almost this whole thread was embarrassing to read lol. I'm new here and this really really made me excited (statement lathered in sarcasm lol) to be here lol... wow. Even if someone is trolling, do you act shamefully or do you remain silent...
I'm excited to see what kind of response this gathers lol as that was entertaining as well as embarrassing for the professional quality of the site.
But I still registered anyways lmao.
Thank you for that show of human kindness...sarcasm again... just in case anyone missed it lol
Rhetorical question, but are there moderators on here ??
For the few bits of info on here, I wasted my time filtering through these crazy comments that really just made it hard to read...I was curious about the original question too ....

 

[j4pac]

Wow. Almost this whole thread was embarrassing to read lol. I'm new here and this really really made me excited (statement lathered in sarcasm lol) to be here lol... wow. Even if someone is trolling, do you act shamefully or do you remain silent...
I'm excited to see what kind of response this gathers lol as that was entertaining as well as embarrassing for the professional quality of the site.
But I still registered anyways lmao.
Thank you for that show of human kindness...sarcasm again... just in case anyone missed it lol
Rhetorical question, but are there moderators on here ??
For the few bits of info on here, I wasted my time filtering through these crazy comments that really just made it hard to read...I was curious about the original question too ....

You are criticizing people who in large part don't even attend this forum anymore. This thread is nearly 10 years old!