post-undergrad masters or straight to dpt?

[amg1322]

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Hi all, first post here!

I am currently working on my undergrad at UCF in sport and exercise science. I have always been interested in atc/dpt but have a couple questions I was hoping I could get some input on.

Is it worth getting a masters? Whether it be in kinesiology or athletic training or sports medicine? Or would I be better off going straight to dpt?

At the end of the day, I would prefer to be work with athletes in whatever way possible, whether it be on the sidelines or in the locker room or from a rehab stand point. Would it be worth pursuing a masters in athletic training and then doing dpt? Does anyone have any experience with any of this?

Any input you have would be more then helpful as there are so many options and really I am a bit confused as to what is the best route to work towards the end result, and quite frankly what degree would be best for the end result. Thanks!

 

[StudentRehab]

Hi all, first post here!

I am currently working on my undergrad at UCF in sport and exercise science. I have always been interested in atc/dpt but have a couple questions I was hoping I could get some input on.

Is it worth getting a masters? Whether it be in kinesiology or athletic training or sports medicine? Or would I be better off going straight to dpt?

At the end of the day, I would prefer to be work with athletes in whatever way possible, whether it be on the sidelines or in the locker room or from a rehab stand point. Would it be worth pursuing a masters in athletic training and then doing dpt? Does anyone have any experience with any of this?

Any input you have would be more then helpful as there are so many options and really I am a bit confused as to what is the best route to work towards the end result, and quite frankly what degree would be best for the end result. Thanks!

I've always heard and read that doing a masters after undergrad is a waste of time and money if your ultimate goal is DPT. I've heard of DPT's working directly with athletes/teams and I know AT's do the same job. Pretty much up to you in what your goals are financially after schooling (not sure how much AT's make these days I'm sure it varies with what level athletes you're working with).

I think a masters would be helpful if you have a low undergrad GPA/GRE score and keep getting rejected from DPT schools, but is definitely not necessary in order to get into DPT school.

 

[longhornPT373]

Hi! I also am looking into specifically working with athletes/sports teams as a physical therapist and recently was looking into getting my masters in athletic training as well.

As of now, I think there is only one program that offers a dual atc/dpt degree (with a masters in athletic training, not just bachelors) and that's Shenandoah in Virginia. They only accept 5 people per year though, so it's a very competitive program to get into!

The other programs I have heard of appear to be structured where you apply to them out of high school or your freshman year of college and they get you your bachelors in athletic training and your doctorate in physical therapy in 6 or 7 years (I'm a junior so those are out of the picture for me, but if you're a freshman I would definitely look into them. I believe there's one at Boston University and if you google around there should be a few more colleges that offer the program.)

Personally, I don't want to be in school forever so I probably wouldn't do the masters first and then the dpt, but if you don't have a problem with it then that is a good option as well!

Another option would be to finish your DPT and then, while working, get your masters in athletic training or sports medicine, etc.

I've heard people say that getting your masters in athletic training is "a waste of money" for a dpt, but I believe that it would make someone a much better applicant to work for a collegiate sports team or even professional team if they had the skills of not only a physical therapist but an athletic trainer as well.

I'm still not 100% sure if I'm going to attempt the masters though, and I also would like to hear if anyone has pursued this or has done the program at Shenandoah and what they have to say about it! Also, I'm interested how having a masters in athletic training compares to just completing a sports residency program after dpt. Is one better than the other for working with athletes, or are both considered equal?

 

[amg1322]

I've always heard and read that doing a masters after undergrad is a waste of time and money if your ultimate goal is DPT. I've heard of DPT's working directly with athletes/teams and I know AT's do the same job. Pretty much up to you in what your goals are financially after schooling (not sure how much AT's make these days I'm sure it varies with what level athletes you're working with).

I think a masters would be helpful if you have a low undergrad GPA/GRE score and keep getting rejected from DPT schools, but is definitely not necessary in order to get into DPT school.

I haven't taken my GRE yet but have been studying hard so hopefully I will do well. As of right now my GPA is good, but definitely not the greatest, so using a masters as a stepping stone is definitely a possibility.

Financially, I mean at the end of the day, I would obviously like to be able to make the most money possible in my field but not at the expense of not enjoying my every day job so I am just trying to find out what works best.

 

[amg1322]

Hi! I also am looking into specifically working with athletes/sports teams as a physical therapist and recently was looking into getting my masters in athletic training as well.

As of now, I think there is only one program that offers a dual atc/dpt degree (with a masters in athletic training, not just bachelors) and that's Shenandoah in Virginia. They only accept 5 people per year though, so it's a very competitive program to get into!

The other programs I have heard of appear to be structured where you apply to them out of high school or your freshman year of college and they get you your bachelors in athletic training and your doctorate in physical therapy in 6 or 7 years (I'm a junior so those are out of the picture for me, but if you're a freshman I would definitely look into them. I believe there's one at Boston University and if you google around there should be a few more colleges that offer the program.)

Personally, I don't want to be in school forever so I probably wouldn't do the masters first and then the dpt, but if you don't have a problem with it then that is a good option as well!

Another option would be to finish your DPT and then, while working, get your masters in athletic training or sports medicine, etc.

I've heard people say that getting your masters in athletic training is "a waste of money" for a dpt, but I believe that it would make someone a much better applicant to work for a collegiate sports team or even professional team if they had the skills of not only a physical therapist but an athletic trainer as well.

I'm still not 100% sure if I'm going to attempt the masters though, and I also would like to hear if anyone has pursued this or has done the program at Shenandoah and what they have to say about it! Also, I'm interested how having a masters in athletic training compares to just completing a sports residency program after dpt. Is one better than the other for working with athletes, or are both considered equal?

I don't want to be in school forever either but if it's worth it then I don't really have a problem with it. I am going to be a junior in the upcoming fall so any of those programs that began freshman year are out of the question for me too. But if I can find a program to transfer into and complete now then maybe it would be worth it.

I have heard about the shenandoah program but not much, and I have looked into the one at Boston University it seems pretty good.

I too am interested to find out the same thing though, whether either getting a masters (in anything sports related really) or a degree in athletic training bachelors/masters would help or make a difference with dpt as compared to a sports residency?

 

[NewTestament]

If you're going to get a masters degree in case you don't get accepted into a DPT program, make sure you get a valuable degree. Don't just get a degree to enhance your resume. Get a masters in business, health care administration, or some specialized field in biology.

 

[SPTCSCS]

I am almost finished with my Masters in Health Promotion Management and used that to help frame my application essays, interview questions etc. Just make sure you can apply it to DPT somehow...

 

[amg1322]

Is it worth getting a masters tho? Is it worth getting an athletic training masters or a kinesiology or sports medicine masters? Do you think that anything like that would potentially be helpful in the long term?

 

[futuredpt01]

If your ideal job as you said is working with athletes then go for athletic training. Physical therapy isn't geared towards working with athletes on the sideline at sporting events. Doing both athletic training and dpt seems like a lot of extra debt to take on to me, but it's up to you.

 

[amg1322]

If your ideal job as you said is working with athletes then go for athletic training. Physical therapy isn't geared towards working with athletes on the sideline at sporting events. Doing both athletic training and dpt seems like a lot of extra debt to take on to me, but it's up to you.

Oh it does definitely seem like a lot of debt, but if in the end it's worth it.. then its worth it. I have shadowed both athletic trainers and physical therapist and truly enjoyed both so I guess I'm jus confused as to which direction to head in or what the right move would be