UTSW Physical Therapy vs. Texas Tech Physical Therapy

[TxDPT14]

I'm have a really hard time deciding between UTSW and Texas Tech Physical Therapy schools. I am from the panhandle, so going to Texas Tech would be cheaper, but I feel like their school just doesn't have as much to offer as UTSW. For example, UTSW has professors that are always available, while TTU does a lot of video-broadcasting for their lectures, therefore the professor who actually lectured isn't available after class. UTSW also has a first time pass-rate of 97% while Texas Tech's is a little lower (I believe, correct me if I'm wrong). The only thing holding me back is the cost of living for UTSW vs. the cost of living for TTU. My parents live here in Amarillo so I wouldn't even have to pay for rent if I stayed here and went to Texas Tech. I am completely torn! Any suggestions or opinions?

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[TxDPT14]

I guess what I'm really trying to ask is:

Is it worth it to go to a school where I will graduate with fewer student loans to pay back or should I go to the school that I feel offers a better faculty and clinical experiences?

 

[CherokeeWahine]

Personally, I would rather go to the better school (UTSW) than Texas Tech.

Ultimately: do you want a better education or do you want to save money?

That's the question you need to ask yourself.

 

[TxDPT14]

Thanks for your response!

I know I should go with the better education, but since the starting salary of a DPT is typically 50k, I don't know if it would be worth it to go to UTSW and have to pay back loans with that kind of salary.

 

[goyo1010]

It's up to you, honestly. Tuition w/o room & board for UTSW is about 27K. You could of course try to find roomates to live with near UTSW to tryoffset the costs of living there. I honestly do not like TT's PT program with their "convenient" broadcasting of lectures and such. PT school needs to be direct, hands-on, and more interactive than that.

Faculty is a big part of the PT school experience. Our professors here at TWU are amazing and without them being there for us around the clock (most gave us their cells, personal emails, most have open door policies) the program would be insane.

Just make sure you choose a school where you won't regret that choice. Will the 'better' education be worth the extra money, or will the savings be worth the not-as-good education?

 

[TxDPT14]

Thanks for your input!

 

[Ramiro22]

Both are very good but it depends on their team both has got wonderful team UTSW Physical Therapy & Texas Tech Physical Therapy but in my opinion i have personal experience Texas Tech Physical Therapy is more good they more advanced............

 

[NATO]

I guess what I'm really trying to ask is:

Is it worth it to go to a school where I will graduate with fewer student loans to pay back or should I go to the school that I feel offers a better faculty and clinical experiences?

I'm not a PT student (yet ), but I am a non-traditional student that's been working in 'Corporate America' for 10 years now. If the national exam passing rate is about the same, then I say go to the cheaper school. The lower your loan is, the better off you are after graduation. For every $1 you barrow, expect to pay $2 back.

 

[jh1748]

I'm a current student at Texas Tech and the broadcasting isn't bad at all. It's actually very interactive...you can ask questions and converse with your professors just as you would if they were right in front of you. As for the labs, we don't use the broadcasting...the different campuses each have their own lab instructors who are available to be direct and hands on. I think the split campus labs are beneficial in this way because we are in smaller groups and this allows for more individual attention. Bottom line - don't let the split campus broadcasting put you off

 

[TxDPT14]

jh1748 thanks so much for your response! I have some questions...

Which campus are you on?

What other schools did you apply to and what made you choose Texas Tech?

Thanks!

 

[jh1748]

I actually never took my gre and was planning on taking a year off to get that done and volunteer at more setttings but decided to just apply to UNT and Tech anyway. I ended getting accepted to Tech so I just went haha (This probably doesn't help you with your decision much). I'm at the Lubbock campus.

 

[andzpt11]

JH1748, I have some questions about the Tech program that maybe you could help answer. I am in a similar situation in deciding between schools (Tech and UTHSCSA). If I attend TTUHSC I too will be at the Lubbock campus.

Anywho, so my questions are, which classes do you have labs for (you dont have to list them all, I just kind of wanted to get an idea..)?

How are your interactions with faculty and with your classmates?

What places have some of the other Tech DPT students gone for clinicals?

 

[jh1748]

So far we have had labs for Gross Anatomy (cadaver lab), history and systems screening, foundational skills and assessment, functional anatomy, therapeutic exercise, cardiopulmonary practice patterns, physical agents and modalities, and general practice patterns....LOOOTS of time spent in lab . Also, we are taking neuroscience this semester so we will be back in the cadaver lab going over the finer details of the nervous system we didn't cover in gross anatomy. The faculty have been great so far...they make themselves very available and seem to genuinely want us to come to them with any questions or concerns (they are very open to our input about the program/classes/everything!). There are also discussion boards for each of our classes on-line so if you have questions about specific topics covered in class or about tests you can ask them on there. Our professors are VERY good about getting back to us that day (actually usually within a couple of hours). My class is awesome...we all definitely make an effort to help each other through the long weeks whether its through sharing study guides or reminding each other of due dates...you aren't really in competition any more so it's definitely a different environment than undergrad. We also made a facebook page for our class, so it's a great way for the three campuses to keep in touch. Our Lubbock group, and I'm sure the other campuses do social events every couple of weeks when we have time...bowling, dinners, seasonal parties etc. As for clinicals...I'm not too knowledgeable about them yet because our first one will be this upcoming summer. We don't even know where we are going yet, but should know before spring break Hope some of this helps!