Amid the prominent issues facing physical therapists (PTs) today is the choice of when and how to pursue a doctorate of physical therapy (DPT) degree. As industry requirements gear the physical therapy profession toward being a doctored field, today’s PTs have to ask themselves questions regarding how their degrees will be valued in the future.
To answer a few important questions about how the advent of the DPT affects today’s practicing PTs, Physical Therapy Products spoke to: Kevin C. Weaver, PT, DPT, MA, OCS, CEA, CIE, a clinical assistant professor at the Physical Therapy Department of New York University, Manhattan, NY; Mary T. Keehn, PT, MHPE, director of physical therapy and clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago; and Michael O’Donnell, DPT, OCS, director of the postprofessional DPT program in the Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Why should PTs consider a transitional DPT?
Weaver: The profession of physical therapy is moving forward, and the demands being placed on licensed individuals continue to expand. Autonomy is the future, and the transitional degree curriculum offers many PTs the tools to act autonomously and expand their ability to handle patient-diagnostic classes that they may have never thought possible, such as women’s health.
Keehn: A simple reason is that the DPT is a credential that will reassure the public, regulatory agencies, and insurers that the person providing physical therapy services meets current educational standards for providing physical therapy services. A more individual reason is that the educational process and content for entry-level PTs has changed dramatically between 1996 and 2005. If a PT graduated under older accreditation standards and has not participated in professional-development activities to remain up to date, then they will be able to “fill in the gaps” by taking courses in a transitional DPT (tDPT) program. If another PT graduated under those older standards but stayed up to date through continuing education, getting a postprofessional degree, or through self-study and scholarly practice, then they may not need to do much to complete a tDPT degree.
O’Donnell: The title, DPT, implies that therapists properly trained will practice in a truly autonomous fashion. Entry-level DPT curricula are composed of course-work that give therapists the knowledge base and skills to practice in this manner. Entry-level curricula for master’s, bachelor’s, and certificate programs did not typically contain courses that would properly equip therapists to practice in an autonomous capacity. Transitional DPT programs are designed to provide graduates with the skill sets to allow them to practice in this more autonomous role.
How does a DPT expand a PT’s opportunity for jobs, teaching positions, etc?
Weaver: The clinical faculty that are a part of NYU’s clinical affiliations have recognized that the DPT student has had a more demanding academic experience and is better able to handle the various clinical experiences. The addition/expansion of credit hours in practice arenas that may have been considered niche in the past (such as women’s health, wound care, wellness, and ergonomics) give these students an edge in pursuing a job within these arenas or helping an employer expand clinical care. As far as teaching within PT programs, the DPT is a clinical doctorate—so if the program offers a clinical line versus your traditional research tenure tract, it should give you an advantage over someone with a master’s in sports physiotherapy.
Keehn: The educated consumer is likely to prefer a professional with a higher-level degree unless they have personal knowledge of the PT with the lower-level degree. In a hiring situation, there seems to be some variation on whether or not an employer will give preference to a PT with a DPT degree. In some cases, the claim is made that no difference is acknowledged, and in other cases (my own situation being an example) I consider the DPT to be a superior education. Unless I personally know a program at the master’s level offers the same level of training, and other factors being equal, I will choose to interview a candidate with a DPT ahead of one with a master’s or bachelor’s in physical therapy. I would say that most employers will not have enough knowledge of most programs to be sure that a master’s-level program is as strong as a DPT program.
O’Donnell: A DPT (entry-level or transitional) is primarily a clinical degree. As such, it does not necessarily confer the right or ability to teach. The decision to utilize therapists who have attained a DPT as faculty members is a decision of the respective academic institutions. As far as other career opportunities, it seems logical that in a competitive job market, the individual who is the most skilled stands to have the most success.
Should a PT with a MPT or MSPT pursue a DPT?
Weaver: Yes, they may be surprised at the change in the curriculum for DPT students. It gives them a unique ability to pursue an academic educational experience that may not have been a part of their prior physical therapy curriculum.
Keehn: I believe that anyone who intends to remain professionally active for more than 5 more years should pursue the DPT. As the number and percentage of DPT-trained PTs enter the workforce, the person with a master’s degree will have to do more to reassure patients and referral sources that their qualifications are similar. In many cases, they will have the additional training and clinical experience to make the case for their equivalent or superior skills, but making the case will require time, effort, and a repeated need to defend one’s training and experience.
O’Donnell: The degree held by a therapist should not be the determining factor in weighing whether one decides to pursue a DPT or not. The consideration should be, “Will a DPT degree, or rather the knowledge and skills learned in the DPT program, allow me the ability to practice at the level I wish to?”
What can PTs expect to pay for a DPT education? How have you seen PTs budget for this?
Weaver: Obviously this will differ in credit hours requirements and private versus public institution. I think the tDPT student should expect to pay, at the very least, $6,000 for public in-state education versus more than $20,000 for a private institution.
Keehn: The amount of tuition varies from program to program, and it would be best to check individual program information to get real numbers. My estimate is that the cost will be at least $8,000 for someone who is able to get credit for extensive continuing education, graduate education, professional experiences, etc. Someone who ends up needing to take many courses may end up spending $25,000. Most of the programs are completed on a part-time basis, so the cost is spread out over time. Like any other education program, the student may have to save for a period of time, they may need to borrow against other assets, and they may need to alter their lifestyle for a period of time. Some programs offer financial aid, but specific information about that would need to come from individual programs.
O’Donnell: Costs for a transitional DPT program range from $6,000 to $30,000. Students have used various means such as employer assistance or securing teaching assistant (TA) positions. Employers have a tax benefit of over $5000 that can be passed along to employees to be used for educational purposes. TA positions usually cover the entire cost of tuition, and provide a stipend.
What are some key factors to consider when choosing a DPT program?
Weaver: Your learning style and motivation. If you require a little more guidance and react well to traditional didactic and laboratory education, you want to chose an experience that requires you to be in the traditional classroom setting. If you are able to work more independently and are highly self-motivated, an online experience may serve you well. I would speak to graduates of as many programs as you can.
Keehn: Like any other education program, one needs to look at the courses that are required, the overall curriculum, the qualifications of the faculty, and the resources that are available.
O’Donnell: As in selecting an educational program, prospective DPT students should look at the strength of the faculty, the quality of the graduates, and the philosophy of the academic program.
How demanding is a DPT program?
Weaver: It is a bit demanding to be back in an academic setting after leaving many years ago—but I also feel faculty are well aware of the fact that the tDPT students are usually working and have family concerns as well. Obviously, I would space the credit work according to your specific requirements and speak with the faculty and/or tDPT director about your specific requirements and outside responsibilities.
Keehn: I think there is also variation among programs with regard to rigor. Even within a program there are likely to be some courses that are tougher than others—probably not any harder than many of the courses in the person’s entry-level degree program. It might be wise to take a 1- or 2-credit course first to test one’s ability to handle the workload before diving in full force. If a clinician is in the habit of practicing scientifically—that is, they read the literature and spend time considering evidence in their decision-making—then they may be more ready for the tDPT than they think!
O’Donnell: Students who have been away from school for a while should expect to brush up or develop computer skills. Information, course materials, and communications is disseminated, to a large extent, with the use of computers and the Internet.
The demand of the program will be in part due to the rigor the individual academic institution places on its program and in part by the experience the therapist enters the program with. In contrast to entry-level students, students in tDPT programs will find that they can often draw on their clinical experience and knowledge gained while working to assist them in their program.
How can full-time PTs manage their time between work and a DPT program?
Weaver: Students often take only one class per semester. Others work part-time.
Keehn: I happen to be doing that now—along with two of my colleagues—so I know it can be done. It may be necessary to use vacation days or paid time off to complete some assignments. It may be necessary to cut down on other professional and personal activities periodically when the workload is going to be heavy. These are the same strategies that I think we all use to juggle multiple responsibilities and priorities on a regular basis.
O’Donnell: Most transitional DPT programs are designed for working clinicians. Most graduates of our program worked full-time while completing the program. Courses are typically held on evenings or weekends to accommodate therapists’ schedules.
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