Selecting the Right School for DPT

[tg32]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Having graduated in May of 2008 with a B.S. in Physical Education: Exercise Science Pre-PT, I am now ready to start grad school this summer to begin earning my DPT. While I have been accepted to a diverse selection of programs, I am having a difficult time deciding which school to attend. I have been putting a great deal of thought into my decision, as well as reading many topics on sdn. While I will be able to obtain loans, money (tuition and cost of living) is still somewhat of an issue to me in making my selection. I have also read that, because programs must maintain a set standard, cheaper is the way to go when it comes to physical therapy, as employers will not care where you obtained your DPT, but rather that you passed your licensing test on the first attempt (such as Miami being the 7th ranked program of over 120 in the US, or Upstate and Buffalo in the 50's). I have also taken into account the distance from home that each school is, as I know I would enjoy the sunny, warm weather, and atmosphere in Florida, but would be far from my family and friends in upstate New York. To put it bluntly, I need some input from everyone here. Any suggestions you may have, as well as anything you may know about these schools/programs would be greatly appreciated.


UNIVERSITY COST/YEAR COST OF LIVING DISTANCE FROM HOME DESIRE TO GO

NEW YORK
SUNY Upstate Medical $16,000 Low 60 miles High
SUNY Buffalo $13,000 Moderate 240 miles Low
Uitca College $21,000 Low 90 miles Low

PENNSYLVANIA
University of Scranton $28,000 Low 60 miles Moderate
Widener University $23,000 Moderate 200 miles Low

FLORIDA
University of Miami $25,000 High 1,000+ miles High
Nova Southeastern $22,000 High 1,000+ miles Moderate

 

[pt hopeful]

i'm faced with the same hard decision and i was also wondering how people made their decisions.

two of my top choices have accepted me and they are identical in tuition cost, upcoming program start dates (may and june), and are equally far away from my home state. one of the programs needs an acceptance in 7 days.

exactly in 7 days, i'll be interviewing at a program nearby which interestingly costs more than either of the other two, but is still a school i'm considering.

i am very open to moving away, so distance is not an issue. i've thought it through and every pro and con of the 2 schools are matched, so i'm having a hard time deciding.

any insight would be greatly appreciated. the schools i'm talking about are New York Medical College, University of Miami and Western Health Sciences. any opinions? thanks!

 

[Cyres]

Desire. Easy. I would wipe off any place you have a low desire to attend. Whatever the reason, if you end up there you'll likely be unhappy in some way, shape or form. You do not want regret to be a factor during your 3 years.


Mileage/ Friends/Family. A little tougher. I'd say that you will not have abundant time for them so don't make that the key factor, however, it always nice to get home for holidays or long weekends. But keep in mind that you're going to make darn good friends in your class. (And they'll be in the same boat e.g. not distracting you/understand when you need to be hitting the books.)


Cost. The key factor. Keep it as cheap as you can and remember you'll have cost of living as well.


I can't speak for the others, but I have a relative in Nova's DPT school. From what I understand the program is too anal about the little things (for me to have fit in well anyway), however, the education sounds top notch.
Weather's glorious (except in summer when it gets sweltering), city offers a lot, and the beaches are ~15 minutes away. The cost... I'd say $22,000 is about as much as you should be willing to pay. Cost of living is a factor in that area. I think rent at an acceptable place is at least $1,100/mo and go up from there with other costs.

I'd say these are your winners based on what you've posted.


SUNY Upstate Medical $16,000 Low 60 miles High


Nova Southeastern $22,000 High 1,000+ miles Moderate

 

[MinnDasota]

Definitely take away any schools with "low" interest. That leaves 2 high and 2 moderates. What makes you put high on those vs. the others? You have put up a good argument, but what do you actually "want" from a school when you take away everything that you have listed? Are you a peds person and does one have a better peds program than the other? same goes for any other aspect of the field (sports/ortho/neuro/etc). Does any school allow diversity in clinical sites that you would want in the program? I don't know if I'm reaching but if you're close between schools, then these may actually push you in one direction or another.

Remember, if you choose to go to school in sunny FL, you can always set up a clinical near home! Also, I'm sure your friends would not hesitate to come down to visit you