I know in some places PT's can make 90-100,000$ but the median is about $80,000. So I was wondering do they make enough to live comfortably?
To the op:
I suggest you consider the student loan debt that is required to be a physical therapist. If it is 100% what u want to do, go for it! If you have any doubts, don't take on the debt. The PT path has one of the worst cost/benefit ratios of all health professions given the 6 figure debt many accrue, the 3yr opportunity cost, and the mediocre declining starting salary of 60k
I should also note that at least half my graduating class would agree that the D is completely unwarranted for the current PTs scope of practice.
I know many people in my current DPT class who would agree with that. The general consensus seems to be that the third year is just a way to get more tuition dollars from the student. I do not necessarily agree with this statement but it seems to be a common theme.I should also note that at least half my graduating class would agree that the D is completely unwarranted for the current PTs scope of practice.
No it's pretty true. It should not be necessary for me to spend several hundred dollars per day working in a clinic that does not receive any money from the school to supervise me. the biggest money grab, period.I know many people in my current DPT class who would agree with that. The general consensus seems to be that the third year is just a way to get more tuition dollars from the student. I do not necessarily agree with this statement but it seems to be a common theme.
No it's pretty true. It should not be necessary for me to spend several hundred dollars per day working in a clinic that does not receive any money from the school to supervise me. the biggest money grab, period.
Naw, we're just bitchin and complaining. Don't sweat it.Do you guys wish you had done something different? Am I blinded to reality of this profession by the joyous feeling of being accepted to PT school? Should i just get my CSCS and become and over qualified personal trainer?
Do you guys wish you had done something different? Am I blinded to reality of this profession by the joyous feeling of being accepted to PT school? Should i just get my CSCS and become and over qualified personal trainer?
I agree with all this. Do not become a personal trainer for any reason. PT is a much better gig.Whatever you do, DON'T become a personal trainer, whether your're qualified or not. At least as a PT you'll have a well-paying job, even though you'll be paying off loans for 10 years. If PT is the only thing you want to do, then debt shouldn't deter you from school.
HAHA yeah. I love what I do.Naw, we're just bitchin and complaining. Don't sweat it.
I have nothing to say about who knows more. Frankly, I don't care. All I know is that with PT you can work 9-5 and make $60,000 plus benefits and have a secure career. Few trainers get this. So that is enough for me to say that PT is a better job. For me.Whats up with the constant bashing of personal trainers on this forum?
There are plenty of personal trainers out there who know more when it comes to working with more athletic populations than some physical therapists who work in OP..... trainers like Eric Cressey, Mike Boyle to name a few, and im sure thousands of others who just arent as well known as the two I just mentioned. Ive noticed the same thing amongst some of my classmates...there are some who think that because they have spent 2+ years in PT school, that they automatically know more than a personal trainer when it comes to strength training and working with more athletic / able populations. Most PT schools dont teach you how to teach clients how to perform a proper deadlift, front or back squat (just a few examples)...something that any good personal trainer is able to do, as well as identify the limitations a person may have that preclude them from doing those movements, and fixing them.
I will agree, for ME I believe physical therapy will be a better a job than back when I used to do personal training. But that is not the case for everyone. There are pros and cons to both jobs, and we should stop bashing the personal trainer field. Just my two cents.
Whats up with the constant bashing of personal trainers on this forum?
There are plenty of personal trainers out there who know more when it comes to working with more athletic populations than some physical therapists who work in OP..... trainers like Eric Cressey, Mike Boyle to name a few, and im sure thousands of others who just arent as well known as the two I just mentioned. Ive noticed the same thing amongst some of my classmates...there are some who think that because they have spent 2+ years in PT school, that they automatically know more than a personal trainer when it comes to strength training and working with more athletic / able populations. Most PT schools dont teach you how to teach clients how to perform a proper deadlift, front or back squat (just a few examples)...something that any good personal trainer is able to do, as well as identify the limitations a person may have that preclude them from doing those movements, and fixing them.
I will agree, for ME I believe physical therapy will be a better a job than back when I used to do personal training. But that is not the case for everyone. There are pros and cons to both jobs, and we should stop bashing the personal trainer field. Just my two cents.
Whats up with the constant bashing of personal trainers on this forum?
trainers like Eric Cressey, Mike Boyle to name a few, and im sure thousands of others who just arent as well known as the two I just mentioned.
Yes you likely "need to spend money first". However, a 65k pt salary with a 6figure debt from student loans, equates to a 33k salary after student loan payments with interest over 20yrs...that salary is attainable in many other careers. PT is a terrible bang for ur buck IF you r going to need more than 50k in student loans. Avg starting salary is around 60k and trending downwards due to medicare therapycap, and overall tougher reimbursement. I'd also argue that a lot of therapy is luxury service...PT isn't indicated nearly as much as some students think
I'd also argue that a lot of therapy is luxury service...PT isn't indicated nearly as much as some students think
I would say costly imaging, surgeries, and medicine are not indicated most of the time. PT saves money and time. Do you have any research that suggests that PT is a "luxury service"?
Hi jesspt,
Stretching. Lack of evidence based medicine on its effectiveness. A 2week certified personal trainer stretches people. A 7yr dpt should not utilize this and say that it is science, b/c it just isn't.
Hi jesspt,
Stretching. Lack of evidence based medicine on its effectiveness. A 2week certified personal trainer stretches people. A 7yr dpt should not utilize this and say that it is science, b/c it just isn't.
Who would you rather have treating your generalized lower extremity pain complaint... A DPT or an experienced CPT? The answer to that speaks for itself in that a 7yr DPT education does not mean squat. Its all about experience. A top notch CPT who has experience could implement an exercise/stretching/conditioning routine just as effectively as a recent graduated dpt. How does a profession go from being a CC certificate to a Doctorate in 25 yrs? It all comes down to money and is unfortunate b/c the salaries not adjusting for the change in degree are proof that the move all the way to doctorate is illegitimate.
Yes I am a pt who works along side many other pts. I see a ton of similarities in the interventions that cpts and dpts implement. I was just making it a point that one could argue a person who has the means like cash out of pocket to pay for therapy, likely uses it b/c "it makes them feel better", not that it is actually indicated...thus making it a luxury service. Obviously post-op patients r not luxury service, I'm discussing the patient population that the OP referred to in reference to the type of person that seeks personal training services
(emphasis mine). Now if you're talking about cash-based patients, I'd argue that they make only a tiny fraction of most PTs outpatient orthopaedic caseload. Which, to my way of thinking, is far away from "a lot."I'd also argue that a lot of therapy is luxury service
Well, I'd rather have it be treated by a practitioner who does their best to practice science-based medicine. I suppose that could be a personal trainer, but it's not particularly likely. Not that they may not be bright enough to practice in this fashion, but their educational preparation does not provide them with the requisite knowledge base to critically appraise the relevant literature.Who would you rather have treating your generalized lower extremity pain complaint... A DPT or an experienced CPT?
But you said (emphasis mine). Now if you're talking about cash-based patients, I'd argue that they make only a tiny fraction of most PTs outpatient orthopaedic caseload. Which, to my way of thinking, is far away from "a lot."
You also asked Well, I'd rather have it be treated by a practitioner who does their best to practice science-based medicine. I suppose that could be a personal trainer, but it's not particularly likely. Not that they may not be bright enough to practice in this fashion, but their educational preparation does not provide them with the requisite knowledge base to critically appraise the relevant literature.
You keep arguing that the interventions we and personal trainers use are similar. I'd say that some of them may be identical. In the same fashion, an HVLA done by an osteopath or a chiropractor likely looks very similar to one done by a PT. It is not the interventions that we use that sets us apart from other professions which treat patients in pain. Rather, it is our ability to use Sackett's principles of evidenced-based medicine to examine the patient physically, determine their personal and societal biases about their condition in order to maximize the positive non-specific effects of the patient-therapist encounter, and to be aware of best available relevant research that allows us to best determine when to do what with the understanding that all interventions need to take into account the patient's beliefs and expectations. You don't sound like you understand this. At all.
It's funny you should mention evidence-based practice in regards to PT and other professions. In my experience, good personal trainers are avid consumers of the latest strength and conditioning research and practice. They stay up to date and are constantly experimenting with new theories and techniques. By itself, the use of evidence does not necessarily separate good personal trainers from good physical therapists.
Yes.So you're saying that you think the average personal trainer can critically appraise a research article using an understanding of statistics and then apply that to their practice?
Consuming the latest strength and conditioning research is just reading unless you are determining if the research itself is worthwhile. It has been my experience in talking to most personal trainers that they are very good at reading about the latest fads, but can't talk about hierarchy of evidence, etc.
Like a bossBut you said (emphasis mine). Now if you're talking about cash-based patients, I'd argue that they make only a tiny fraction of most PTs outpatient orthopaedic caseload. Which, to my way of thinking, is far away from "a lot."
You also asked Well, I'd rather have it be treated by a practitioner who does their best to practice science-based medicine. I suppose that could be a personal trainer, but it's not particularly likely. Not that they may not be bright enough to practice in this fashion, but their educational preparation does not provide them with the requisite knowledge base to critically appraise the relevant literature.
You keep arguing that the interventions we and personal trainers use are similar. I'd say that some of them may be identical. In the same fashion, an HVLA done by an osteopath or a chiropractor likely looks very similar to one done by a PT. It is not the interventions that we use that sets us apart from other professions which treat patients in pain. Rather, it is our ability to use Sackett's principles of evidenced-based medicine to examine the patient physically, determine their personal and societal biases about their condition in order to maximize the positive non-specific effects of the patient-therapist encounter, and to be aware of best available relevant research that allows us to best determine when to do what with the understanding that all interventions need to take into account the patient's beliefs and expectations. You don't sound like you understand this. At all.
In my experience, good personal trainers are avid consumers of the latest strength and conditioning research and practice. They stay up to date and are constantly experimenting with new theories and techniques. By itself, the use of evidence does not necessarily separate good personal trainers from good physical therapists.