Standard undergrad degree/pt school or 3+3 program

[stepho1]

I will be a senior in high school next year and am planning to go to college for PT. I’ve narrowed it down to two schools. One has students earn an undergrad degree and then go on the PT school. The other has a 3+3 program, which has 3 years of pre PT coursework (no degree) and then 3 years of PT school.

Is one program style better than the other?

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[SSDPT]

Hi Stepho1 - hard to say without knowing which schools in particular you have narrowed it down to. More information here would allow for a better answer. However, making an assumption that both programs are accredited or have their candidacy for accreditation (this equalizes parts of the programs) some things to consider:

COST - not easy to determine from a school's website - for example - some 3+3 programs count your 4th year as undergrad, others as grad - this has implications on any undergrad scholarships you may receive; rec speaking with the financial aid offices

QOL - where will you be happy doing your undergrad years? pay attention to HOW the accelerated program runs - summers? super heavy course work with no time for anything else? does school count that 4th year double - meaning courses in the 4th year satisfy both requirements for your undergrad major and beginning of DPT degree? rec speaking with admissions or students currently enrolled in program

FLEXIBILITY - what if you change your mind and no longer want to pursue a DPT degree? what undergraduate majors are available to you?

Hope this helps you to begin a pro/con list for each program.

 

[JMarcusDPT]

When deciding between two schools, I'd also take a look at graduation rates and NPTE/boards pass rates and see if there's a big difference between the schools. Good luck!