University of St. Augustine???

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NDH

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I am new to this website but really hope I can get a bit of advice from anyone who has attended or been affiliated with the University of St. Augustine. I have an interview at the end of this month and was hoping to gain opinions of this school from anyone who has experience with them. I am excited by the dual degree and think it is innovative to blend the OT/PT especially if you are interested in working in a clinical environment. Any information would be greatly appreciated

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I wouldn't get that dual degree unless St. Augustine paid me. None of your future employers will care if you have a dual PT/OT degree. It was concocted by the school as a way to increase revenue, not as a response to employer or patient demands.
 
A good friend of mine (who actually is the reason I looked into PT as a possible career choice in the first place) is a 2nd year student in the program and loves it, and feels that he's getting a top notch education. I decided to stay at the same school we did our undergrad work at for grad school, and feel like I made the right choice.. He moved to Florida for the dual degree and feels that he made the right choice. That being said, I see literally NO reason for wanting such a thing. It sounds great in theory, it really does. I do see the appeal. But when you really sit down and think about it, there's no practical reason for having both a masters in OT and a doctorate in PT. In any given practice setting, you will be hired on as either a PT or an OT and will be paid the same as the other PTs or OTs. The only reason I could see in having this is if you decide later in life you want to switch from one profession to the other, but at this point in your education you should know which it is you want to do.
 
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Thank you for your input. Like anything else education is a business and the idea to promote a dual degree is creative appeal. I think that having a dual degree as an OT/PT would make you more marketable, give you more experience, altogether adding to your qualifications. I see the attraction. I would like to know more about your friend that is attending the school. Is there anyway that I can contact your friend on this forum?? I don't mean to sound creepy, but I would really like to hear about his experience at St. Augustine. If anyone else can share more I would LOVE to hear about it as there seems to be "dueling" opinions about their dual degree...
 
NDH -
I don't want to sound like I'm beating a dead horse here, but if I were you I would really think long and hard before I enrolled in this dual degree program. There is a reason that other universities and colleges have not adopted this type of program. It makes absolutely no sense in the clinical realm, and little sense in the academic realm either.

I have been a manager of a physical therapy clinic for the last three years, thus I've been responsible for hiring staff for those clinics during that time. I, and other managers within our organization, are looking for clinicians who have a skill set in a specific area. This is because our patients are increasingly looking for clinicians who have expertise and acumen in a particular area - in my particular case, it's outpatient orthopaedics. They want someone who has treated hundreds of patients after ACL reconstruction surgery, or with acute low back pain, or rotator cuff impingement, etc. A dual degree does not help you attain this level of skill and/or experience to a greater extent than does a DPT degree.

You state that you feel this will make you more marketable - the catch is, with the state of the current job market, you don't need to be more marketable. There are more jobs than therapists right now, and I don't anticipate that that will change in the next few years.

Given the current state of health care, your dual degree will get you the following (and I don't think I'm being too cynical here):
1. More debt, because you'll have to take more credits to get the OT degree.
2. A salary commiserate with your experience as a PT OR an OT.

I'll give you the same advice I've spread around other posts on this website - go to the school that has a good pass rate on the national physical therapy exam that has the lowest tuition. Try to find a master's degree PT program if you can.

I wish you the best of luck as you make your decision.
 
I too have a University of St. Augustine interview coming up at the new San Diego campus. I would love any advice on how to prepare.
 
NDH - Have you heard from USA? I had a Feb. 23 interview in St. Augustine too, and I'm freakin' out waiting to hear something. They said it would be "less than a week to two weeks" before we were notified as to whether or not we had been accepted. They said we would get a phone call if we were accepted, an email if we were placed on an alternate list and a letter if we were rejected, so I figure those that don't hear for two weeks will likely get a letter, as the extra time would be needed for mailing. Anybody else out there in the same boat I'm in?
 
There are many reasons to get the dual degree and its not always about being marketable or making more money. The interviewers at least in my interview (I had the Feb 23 dual interview too!) were clear when they said that there is no research that shows Dualers get more or less than other MSOT or DPTs.

I know for a fact I want to teach later, and I want to do research and doing the dual will allow me to have that realm. I want to practice as a PT and as an OT and I've seen it in MANY clinics where I am where the clinician is certified as both so it IS possible.


Have you heard yet? Cause I'm going CRAZY waiting to hear! I'm hoping for a call this week!!! Eeeek! Good luck!
 
I am so anxious also... weird how it just kinda hangs around in your mind with a big ??? Anyways, I guess we will see. If anybody knows anything about the # of dual degree applicants or has heard anything from the school please post the info cause many of us are curious. Anyways, best of luck to us all!!!
 
SunyFB,

There is no need to get a dual degree in order to participate in research. Also, a great many instututions will require their faculty to be PhD level clinicians, or at least EdD, or DSc. Both the MOT and DPT are clinical degrees, not academic ones.

Still not seeing how this dual degree gets you where you want to go.
 
I'm aware of the fact that these are clinical degrees. The reason I say I'd like it for research is that I will most likely have more clinical experience to do research.

As for faculty in most programs that I applied to most faculty have either an MSOT or a DPT. YES there are some that have PhD's, but I've worked with many at a University level that aren't PhD's but just clinical. They also have the money-raking ideas. Mind you thats MY experience and you can't always generalize.

Again, I'm not advocating for everyone to get a dual, everyone has to do whats right for them.
 
Hi, NDH - I STILL haven't heard anything form St. Augustine - have you??? I have gotten accepted at Nova and the University of Florida and have accepted the UF invitation, but I still think it's curious that I haven't heard ANYTHING from USA. An acquaintance of mine who also went for the Feb. 23 inverview has not heard anything, either. Very strange, I think. I recall that they said we'd hear "in less than a week to two weeks."
 
I heard on Thursday via a phone call. When I talked to them on Wednesday they said the decisions from the committee hadn't come yet and were expecting them on Friday.

There are over 90 phone calls to make and about 2 people to make them so try to be patient (its hard!) .... and emails/letters should go out next week.

I'm hoping for the best for you! Grats on your other acceptances!
 
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Congrats, Suny!I assume you got accepted to USA. I really think you will get a great education there. I was really impressed with the school, and loved the concept of a small school where everyone was studying the same thing. However, I really didn't expect to get accepted to UF, and when I did, I just couldn't turn it down. But, in spite of UF's great reputation, I still believe that USA will be hard to beat. I wish you the best of luck!
 
Thank you Paddyo! And yes I did get accepted, and I'm VERY excited!

I really wish you the best at UF too!!!! I heard some great things from my friends who applied there.

Does your term start in the Fall?
 
Ok guys...Im not gonna beat around the bush with ya...the school sounds great, the environment sounds pristine...but i'm gonna level with you....the cost of living is a bit outrageous, the "living by the beach" is a tease in it's own right, considering the fact that you will spend quite a bit of your time(figure on 85%) trying to make things happen academically......I was accepted for the september 2007 DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM.....MOT/DPT. I have a bachelor's in Mathematics, and have taken all the prerequisite courses necessary to get it done......I think that if u are a bit older(im 28) and you want to earn and learn like most adults need to be doing, you will find it a bit of a slap in the face to have professors tell you to just drop whatever it is in order to make their classes priorities......i bought a townhome, needed a car, paid for my own insurance, both medical and auto, and utils and food, gas, electric, auto gas, etc......all these kids are delusional thinking that a weekend beer binge is possible all while living on mommy's dime....get real if u think it'll occur! I invite anyone to talk to me about my experiences....AOL SCREENAME is IRISHMATHGUY....LET THE CONVs BEGINS!!!! :p
 
Ok guys...Im not gonna beat around the bush with ya...the school sounds great, the environment sounds pristine...but i'm gonna level with you....the cost of living is a bit outrageous, the "living by the beach" is a tease in it's own right, considering the fact that you will spend quite a bit of your time(figure on 85%) trying to make things happen academically......I was accepted for the september 2007 DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM.....MOT/DPT. I have a bachelor's in Mathematics, and have taken all the prerequisite courses necessary to get it done......I think that if u are a bit older(im 28) and you want to earn and learn like most adults need to be doing, you will find it a bit of a slap in the face to have professors tell you to just drop whatever it is in order to make their classes priorities......i bought a townhome, needed a car, paid for my own insurance, both medical and auto, and utils and food, gas, electric, auto gas, etc......all these kids are delusional thinking that a weekend beer binge is possible all while living on mommy's dime....get real if u think it'll occur! I invite anyone to talk to me about my experiences....AOL SCREENAME is IRISHMATHGUY....LET THE CONVs BEGINS!!!! :p




I'm not sure if I should be offended by this. YES the cost of living IS expensive but it is MORE expensive where I live now so this isn't an issue for me.

As for living off of my mother's dime I hate to break it to you but I paid and worked my way through undergrad and I will pay (prob. through loans as I research) for grad school on my own. My parents are VERY supportive but I did this on my own.


Living by the beach doesn't mean we will be surfing everyday, its just a perk to the place. I don't drink often and when I do its over dinner with friends so don't just assume us youngins just do that.
 
JessPt-

Why do you say you should look to find a Masters Degree physical therapy program. I only ask this because I just got into one and also the DPT program at USC. Im trying to figure out if the USC is worth the extra 90,000$ as opposed to Cal State University of Northridge that has an extremely high pass rate (i think 100% in the past 3 years) as well as being cheap ($6,000 a year). Any advice?
 
As per you working during undergrad and paying for it all by your own SUNYFB, I am sure you have little to compare it to, since you have not been there. Undergraduate is COMPLETELY different than Graduate, I assure you fo that. I worked full time as well and not only paid for my undergraduate, but also bought a house, new truck and did it all on my own. Don't think for a minute that the two different scenarios can be compared. I don't mean for this to be offensive, but it IS a reality check if you think that you will be able to work AND do PT school...just be prepared for that moment when you say "holy crap, I am taking on a butt load of work". Enjoy.
 
Confusedallover,
I see where you are coming from, and I guess it depends on where you lived in the past to state that St. Augustine is expensive; I am applying to go there and have some good friends there. Expenses wise the city is comparable to where I currently live.
I guess you just didn't realize/research the area enough or know what the heck you were getting into. Every person I have talked to has said you cannot work and go to PT school, so if you thought you could work full time (pay mortgage, car payment and everything else) that is your bad and is not at all a reflection of the school.
Your professors have every right to say you should study more and set your priorities, you are (were) going into a high demand medical field, at a school that is known for turning out good PT's, they are going to talk to people that they feel are not dedicated to the career. This is by no means an attack on you as a person. I just seems to me that you set yourself up to fail.
 
In retrospect, the fact that there were so many independent factors was an issue. Gas at 3.25/gallon, health insurance(which i expected to pay), the mortgage wasn't too bad of a burdon, but the fact that these kids had money to go to the bar, or time to go to the beach once or twice a week was unreal. the loan was at a 9.5% variable(private loan with cosignor), and to not even be able to work making 50.00/week was a bit much for me. I don't think the school fully tells you all the ins and outs as to what things cost. Upper classmen tell u not to buy all the books, but they don't know your background educationally, so you take a risk as to what advice to accept as well. on weekends, its one big frat party to be honest with ya....it's a touristy town, so they hack the prices up. I live 25 minutes outside of NYC, and the prices aren't as high as they are down there. The major problem about working is that the jobs you gets are 60% paying what I would make in NJ. That, to me, was the issue.....If the minimum payments couldve been made, then things would have been ok, but not even the minimums were being situated. Now, I know you may think I have set myself up for failure, and part of it is true, but there are things that they don't tell you, like a 50.00 Decal for parking, and the relocating as far as 2 1/2 hours away for an observation....those're the factors that cost money...noone can budget for that when u get a memo in your mailbox to go to the observation 3 days prior to having to be there...I had over 3000.00 cash saved up for the trips, and that mainly when to monthly expenses.....
 
I guess from what I am seeing, you didn't plan well financially, yes there may be "unexpected charges" like parking permits which btw at my undergrad i pay well over $200 for nine months; you are paying 150 for 12. From what I have heard and seen at USA, in your first year you only go to observations 1-2x/week and they send more than 1 person there (or in the same city) so you can carpool. Once you get to the point were you are doing your full-time internships yes you are paying rent in two places but that is at every school.
Your other complaints, they cannot make you buy the books and it really doesn't matter what your background is, you get complete lecture notes from the teachers and the tests are off the notes; I have heard the teachers tell the students that they did not HAVE to buy the books.
Yes, people go out to drink, and I guess you might be frustrated seeing people going out when you are struggling; but you can not worry about what everybody else is doing. Who cares if other students want to party that is their choice and they will pay the consequences for their actions.
I just do not see how these issues that you have are a reflection on the school and how the school is being anything but upfront. I did look on their website and it doesn't say anything about parking fees and such, but when all schools charge for parking (and most apartments complexes, why would you not think that this particular school wouldn't charge?)
Like I had said in a previous post I do not intend this to be a personal attack on you and I hope you do not take it that way but when you are accusing an institution of being deceitful about their fees, and then in the next breath talk about your other responsibilities (truck/home) it seems to me that you dug yourself a hole before going into the school and you couldn't get out. Much of the problems you had were due to your own actions not that of the administration. Yes, I will agree you do get short notice as to exactly where you will be for your observation, BUT they also have other people there to carpool with you so you do not have to pay for all of those expenses; and they typically give you a general idea of the distances before you get the memo.
Not to compare undergrad to grad (because there really is no valid comparison) in my undergrad I had observations/clinicals 1 hour away at least 4 times a week for a four month period, I was easily spending $75/week on gas with no one to carpool with. It sucked but it was just part of being in my program, in your first year in the MOT/DPT program you are not traveling that much, you go maybe 1-2 times a week, and not every week.
Again your problem was poor planning not a terrible school.
 
Well, it is obvious that you have done your homework better than I did, which is nice. But for most who start grad school for the first time, to me, it seems that the nurturing process couldve been done a bit more thorough. I'm not saying they should've held our hand throughout the process, but it did get to be a bit intense with the lack of emphasis on certain things...The notes(especially Dr Gorniak's) were extremely thorough, but there were just some things he didn't touch upon and you werent sure whether or not to study that un-touched subject matter. Some things, there just wasn't enough time to touch upon all of it, so a bit of negotiation needed to be done with the professor, and your own personal time management. As for the financial scenario, I still have some assets that are around AFTER the dropping out. A private loan maximum allowance is only 45000.00/yr and with everything all added up, it just wouldn't have worked, that's why. I just think it would be in your best interest to get a federal loan and go to a different school. deferments are a powerful thing. I still had to make payments to my undergrad loan because it was a private loan. so with that burdon in hand, borrowing money at a higher rate to pay a low rate?? doesn't make sense...but there are a lot of KIDS who have things pretty much put into place for them that all they have to do is just attend school. not with my blue collar family.
 
nokabob4u -
I say that you should find a master's program for one primary reason - to avoid incurring another year's worth of debt. Many master's programs have an extremely high pass rate on the NPTE, and many employers will offer tuition assistance for a t-DPT, so you could probably get that paid for, if the DPT was a goal of yours.
While I agree with the APTA's long term vision 2020, I see few, if any advantages to that view point in the short term, particularly with how the current state of third party reimbursement will likely effect PT salary levels in the near future.
 
I hate to say this, but I HAVE prepared to not work for Grad School. I'm very aware of the credit hours I will be taking and I know for a fact I won't be able to work. I'm sorry it was hard for you but you can't judge others circumstances to your own. I'm sorry that it was too expensive, I don't have a mortgage you're right, and my car will be paid off... but I knew this before I got into it, I didn't buy house because it wasn't that time in my life, I'm not criticizing you, because you have a family and I am an single person.
 
Has anyone here attended the new St. Augustine campus in San Diego? I had a hard time deciding which school to go to, and I ended up deciding on University of St. Augustine because so much of my family lives in San Diego. They had told me that the fact that they are not accredited for the fafsa yet was not a big deal because they have banks that know their situation and have low interest rates, however, now that I have decided to go there I'm finding out that these banks have variable rates and it's not as simple of a process that it would have been to just simply apply for government aid. Have I made the wrong decision to attend this school, will it cost me that much more just through loans? I would really appreciates someone's input that is either going through the same thing as me or already has.
 
I don't think you've made a bad decision! I myself am going to USA - in SA..

I am running into the same problem but the Univ. is assuring me that they expect to be Title IV within the next year or so, and its just a matter of paperwork now. (Apparently they weren't cutting and distrubuting the checks by federal standards..and some other paperwork)
 
They have been saying for OVER 6 years they would be getting title IV funding... they are NOT guaranteed the money and although they have been saying so, the VP of finance said today that the faculty and staff that have been saying this were told not to be so "positive". They have been CONDITIONALLY approved with NO guarantee. Don't believe it until they tell you to fill out the fafsa.
I'm going to be leaving USA for this exact reason.
 
What class were u attending USA florida?? I attended Fall 07, and found it to just be overly intense...Im actually back into teaching HS, and taking nursing classes as a means of personal fulfillment. I plan on doing a BSN/MSN program as well, and eventually a CRNA certification...hope things go well for ya...
 
Just so anyone reading this now..

USA now has Title IV and is receiving federal money/loans for its students

PS. I'm wrapping up my 2nd semester and I feel great about my education!
 
hey!
I got in for fall 09 but have still to decide....
can you talk a lil' bit about your exoerience please?
Thanks!
 
Yes..they were officially approved so amazing as it is my first trimester this fall and i was having a hell of a time trying to get a private loan!...but dont be too fooled it is still a mess trying to deal with the whole fafsa process because they are so new with it..I just spke to donna mcutchin in financial aid and she said they are WAY behind in processing the loans..as i am sure the previous semester students are being processed first!
But overall it is a stress relief, but the total amount is for 20500 and that is for all 3 trimesters, so unless you have other means of income you have to also apply for the grad plus loan which is much easier to get!
They also have a max amount of money they can give out and it is diferent for florida than san diego obviously!
I am really excited to start but very nervous especially after the earlier post saying it was too intense and they dropped out, i did hear it is very intense but that is what i would expect from a good grad school!
SunnyFB..what campus are you at?
I think i read before that xmerrx is in florida..but congrats on your acceptance!
 
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new to site- to interview? shirt and tie, suit? how do most males dress?
 
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new to site -- I appreciate all the i advice. I applied to USA DPT for Fall 2010 and have interview on Feb. 26, 2010. Could someone look at my information and let me know my chances?

3.2 GPA
1120 on GRE (700 Quantitative and 420 Verbal).

I feel very confident with my autobiography and personal statement along with my past experiences.

Any advice on what to wear to interview? shirt and tie, suit? how do most males dress?

I also applied for that semester but no reply yet. When did you send your app? Based on what I've read, I would suggest wearing a suit for the interview. Look around the site, you should find some good info on interview questions and topics. Good luck, hopefully I'll get an interview also
 
I also applied for that semester but no reply yet. When did you send your app? Based on what I've read, I would suggest wearing a suit for the interview. Look around the site, you should find some good info on interview questions and topics. Good luck, hopefully I'll get an interview also

i also applied for fall 2010! i applied last minute though so they got my app like a week before the fifteenth. crossing the fingers =) good luck!
 
my application arrived to the university of st. augustine on dec 15th so they just received my application. i was wondering if anyone got the email that stated that they are still looking for students for the summer 2010. also, did anyone get interviews?
 
I also applied for Fall 2010 and sent my application in the first week of Dec. I still have not heard anything. Was all your information received? I sent in my GRE scores the 11th of November and for some reason I haven't gotten an email confirming my scores being received.
 
I'm being lazy right now and don't feel like reading all the posts. I do wonder why there are over 7000 views currently on this school. Anyone have any ideas?
 
I'm being lazy right now and don't feel like reading all the posts. I do wonder why there are over 7000 views currently on this school. Anyone have any ideas?

My guess is, this school has a trimester system and accepts students every trimester. They accept a larger number of students per year than most, if not all, other PT schools in the country.
 
Hey everyone!!!

I am currently a DPT student who is dissatisfied with the program that i am in and have decided to transfer to another. I've talked with several officials at St. Augustine and it sounds like that is the school for me. However, I know how that can sometimes be a trick! I find it best to talk to the current students in the program to get a better feel and idea as to how the program is set up, are you actually learning, do you feel prepared, are you satisfied with the level of education that you are receiving, what are the pros and cons to the program? I plan to visit in a few months, but until then, if any of you could shed some light on how the program REALLY IS, that would be extremely helpful to me and I would appreciate it. I can also be emailed at [email protected] because I am not sure how often I will be on here.
 
I am just finishing up my first trimester at USA and I have to say I really like it. I read these posts before I decided to go and some of the negative ones concerned me, but I am glad I didn't let them stop me from going. They no longer charge for parking permits, they have title IV funding, and the teachers are very thorough and easy to get a hold of. I am 27 years old, married with a mortgage, car payment and health insurance to pay and I find no problem with the cost of living or school. The only negative thing I would say is that a lot (but certainly not all) of the students are fresh out of college, about 22-23 years old, so that is probably what the other guy was talking about the beer stuff.

As for the interview, wear a suit or other very professional dress attire. They are huge on professionalism so come prepared. Good luck everyone!!
 
Hi Morgie,
I would be interested in finding out how you are funding school? I am also a returning student and am concerned about how to pay for school and cost of living. I emailed the school and they said they don't even process FAFSAs until mid-May. Would you be willing to tell me how you are doing it?
 
Hey Morgie, I am really gratefull to see your post since I identify with your demographic much more than the age group you refer to. That said, I'm curious to get your take on how "crazy" the work load and anatomy course is. I start at the San Diego campuse May 6th, I'm 29 in a stable environment and feel good and ready about this next step. Just wanted to see how managable it was for you and get a feel of your experience balancing everything.
 
Hi, I have an interview this coming August at the San Diego campus. I'm applying in OT for Spring 2011. Just wanted to know if you guys can tell me what to expect on the interview day and how to prepare for the interview, such as types of questions being asked,etc. Thank you in advance!
 
I am currently in the process of applying for Grad schools and St. Augustine is one of my top choices. Lately I have been contemplating whether or not I want to apply specifically for the DPT program or go ahead and apply for the Dual MOT/DPT program. I have thoroughly read this post and I can see where everyone is coming from on the fact that it may not be the best choice to do the Dual degree. The only issue is those posts were done about 2 years ago, so I am wanting to know if there has been any change of mind within these past two years. Any input would be EXTREMELY helpful, as well as hearing from current students attending USA or those who have completed a program. Thanks!!
 
I applied to St. Augustine (ended up going to Loma Linda instead) and initially thought the dual program was a good idea. However, almost everyone I talked to said it doesn't really make sense to spend extra time/money on the duel degree when you will have plenty of work doing just PT or OT. Plus, employers might be nervous that it only took one extra year to get a master's and a doctorate degree. That's just what I've heard though!
 
You know some of the best things about USA?

You graduate in 7 semesters vs 9 with most schools, so you're working faster and you still come out with your DPT, and you come out with more hands on manual therapy training then any other school in the country.

I loved it!
 
I am applying to St. Augustine this month for the May 2011 class and am extremely nervous. This will be my second attempt at applying and this school is my number one choice. Since being denied the first time around, I have increased my GPA tremendously, my pre-req GPA is a 3.2 and my last 40 hours GPA is a 3.6... I got 1000 on the GRE and just got hired full time at Palmetto Health Baptist Hospital as a Rehab Tech. Since applying last I have also completed a 560 hour internship with geriatric therapy. I am just wondering if anyone has ANY tips on calming my nerves or helpful personal experience stories that will give me hope. I just want to make sure I do everything right this time around. Thanks ahead to anyone who would like to shed some light and ease my mind!
 
I have really looked into the program at USA. I would really like to go, but it's uber expensive and I live in the midwest. So it would be a really big move for me. What would be the major advantages of going and does anyone have any experiences they could share with me about a big move?

Thanks!
 
I have really looked into the program at USA. I would really like to go, but it's uber expensive and I live in the midwest. So it would be a really big move for me. What would be the major advantages of going and does anyone have any experiences they could share with me about a big move?

Thanks!

As I stated above, you finish in 7 semesters vs 9 (like most programs). Therefore, if you start the program at the same time a friend starts a different program, you're likely to make $40k+ before you friend even graduates from school. Also, you come out with more hands on manual therapy training vs most programs
 
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