Stanley V. Paris, PT, PhD, FAPTA, president of the University of St Augustine, St Augustine, Fla, recently spoke with Physical Therapy Products about trends in physical therapy education.

PTP: How has the DPT requirement changed clinical-training practices for PTs?

Paris: By and large, not a great deal. It is difficult for schools to gain all the clinical affiliations they wish. Instead, the push for the DPT was to upgrade in the didactic area, such as by offering courses in imaging, medical diagnostics, and pharmacology. Clinical skills are, of course, being taught, and there is no question that some schools place a greater emphasis on this than others.

PTP: What advice would you give to PTs who are thinking of beginning a transitional DPT course?

Paris: My advice is not to waver from that decision, for it is the right one. We are a doctoring profession fully qualified to diagnose and treat direct-access patients. Unfortunately, not all PTs are ready for this responsibility—especially those who trained some years ago and have not kept up with current theory and practice. So each therapist should look at their weaknesses—such as in medical diagnostics, pharmacology, and imaging—and work them into their program; then look at their areas of practice and interest, such as primary care and manual therapy, and take those courses.

PTP: How have CEU courses evolved in the recent years?

Paris: Originally, the seminars were 1–2 weeks long. Rare today is the therapist who could leave home and the office for 2 weeks to take a seminar. Consequently, the longest seminar we now teach is 5 days, with most being 3 days long. The move in CEU courses is, of course, to be evidenced-based and accredited. Where we have saved some time and added convenience for the graduate therapist is to provide online education—a therapist can now gain a transitional DPT entirely online or can attend seminars, and then go online for the extra credit.

PTP: Are there new trends in residency and fellowship education? Please explain.

Paris: Informally, some wise graduates have over the years taken clinical positions that provide a mentoring experience to advance their clinical skills. Now, the American Physical Therapy Association has taken this over and is advocating expansion of residencies for new graduates and fellowships for those with some experience. The long-term vision of PTs becoming the primary care physicians of the musculoskeletal system would more or less mandate that all new graduates go into a residency and perhaps on to a fellowship program. Eventually, a residency should be required before taking any of the specialty boards, which, at present, do not have a means for providing for assessment of clinical skills.