What helped you choose one program over another?

[PTProspect7]

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I've received acceptance into two programs in the past week and I have another week to send my deposit in to either of them. It came so suddenly that I feel unprepared and rushed to make a decision so soon. Both of the schools would begin in May, and are out of state, so I would have a few months to find housing. What I am concerned about is whether or not I am choosing the right, or better, program. The programs are Marshall and Wheeling Jesuit University. The programs differ greatly in terms of teaching methods, tuition costs, class size, school size, area-resources, commute from home, and program length. Below is a comparison.

Marshall- Modified case-based model, designed in a “builds on, leads to” manner which is delivered in a full-time, approximately $76,000 for 3 years, 40 student class size, moderate sized public campus, campus medical center and surrounding health systems, 4.5 hours from home, 9 semesters, and a good amount of recreational options within an hour of campus in all directions. Candidate for accreditation (expected to be fully accredited May 2015).

WJU- Problem-Based Learning model, approximately $100,000 over 2.5 years, 55 student class size, small private school, few health systems nearby, 2.5 hours from home, 8 terms (first and last are online), mountainous terrain all around. Accredited

I am leaning towards Marshall based on my impressions of the program on interview day. Potential lack of accreditation is the only factor that seriously worries me. If anyone on here is in a similar situation, has had to make this exact choice before, or knows someone who has, any advice would be more than welcome. Thanks!

 

[phleb91]

Hey i am also trying to decide between marshall and an accredited program. For me I am leaning toward marshall because of the facility and the fact that the director has established programs in the past. Personally i could not learn very well in the style that wju uses.

 

[Romazicon]

I feel like the cost alone in itself would make me choose for Marshall. Not only that, but also the smaller class size, "builds on, leads to" model, and no online sections. 1 more semester may not be that bad. And since it's expected to be fully accredited this year, then I say go for it. It may surely be accredited by the time you finish the program.

 

[DesertPT]

"What helped you choose one program over another?"



$25k+ is a substantial difference. I think you'd need to have a seriously good reason (better than you've given so far) to choose the more expensive program.

 

[WarriorPT]

I chose my school based on the faculty members, not the prestige of the university. However, a small class size was important to me. Keep in mind that your professors are making images of themselves in you. Make sure that they are people that you want to model. Keep in mind that, in the end, all PT school does is prepare you to take a licensing exam. In the end that is how they maintain their accreditation (I'm oversimplifying). The question you have to ask is: "Who do I want to learn from or emulate?"

 

[ktachiba]

I chose my school based on the faculty members, not the prestige of the university. However, a small class size was important to me. Keep in mind that your professors are making images of themselves in you. Make sure that they are people that you want to model. Keep in mind that, in the end, all PT school does is prepare you to take a licensing exam. In the end that is how they maintain their accreditation (I'm oversimplifying). The question you have to ask is: "Who do I want to learn from or emulate?"

Why was a small class size important to you? I'm trying to come up with pros and cons of small class sizes (~35 or less) and large class sizes (~50 or more)

 

[Watson27]

@PTProspect7 I would choose Marshall. Their candidacy is the only thing that would make me hesitate, but as long as they have a contingency plan if they are not granted accreditation, it is an obvious choice. The cost alone should make the decision for you. And in my opinion, the class size and curriculum model would also lead me to choose Marshall. As other people have mentioned, PBL is not for everyone.

@ktachiba Small class size was an important factor for me also. My pros: I know I do well in a small program because that is what I am used to (My high school and undergraduate classes were small). It is easier to form the "family bond" among classmates because you can get to know all of them. It is easier for the faculty to get to know all of the students, and identify students who are struggling or excelling. The main thing that I have heard from PTs/DPT students - the quality/choice of clinic sites is better with fewer students. If a program has one Director of Clinical Education who is responsible for placing all students, think how much more difficult it is when there are 60 or 90 students per class. I know of at least one program that struggled to find clinical sites the first year they doubled their class size. I also noticed that the programs with more students all had a "draft" or "lottery" to assign clinical sites, whereas at smaller programs, the DCE sits down with every student and finds the best fit.

For me, after cost was factored in, the clinical education component of the curriculum was my main deciding factor. It is something that is usually quite different among programs. How many rotations are there? What are the required ones? Do you start with a part-time or integrated clinical experience (ICE) in the first year? How are the placements assigned? If I have an interest in specializing, are there placements available in that field? Is the program willing to pursue a new contract/site for a student? Are most of the sites in the same metropolitan area, or will I have to travel for all of them?