Kayode Soladoye can claim many titles in his life: physical therapist, businessman, father, husband. And he has just added a new one: DPT. In August 2006, Soladoye earned his transitional doctor of physical therapy (DPT) degree from the University of St Augustine, St Augustine, Fla.

Though this is not remarkable in and of itself—most PTs entering the profession today are headed toward the DPT as their terminal degree—what is unusual is that the Pensacola, Fla-based Soladoye did it while running a new, growing two-office physical therapy practice.

Soladoye began his sojourn to gain his DPT in April 2003. He finished his coursework 3 years later, in April 2006. His motivation for earning the degree was as much an issue of simple pragmatism as it was one of personal improvement. "I felt that it was expedient to do it," he says. "Let’s face it: That’s the future, and I didn’t want to be left behind." He is alluding to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)’s 2020 Vision, which calls for all current PTs to earn their DPT degree by 2020.

Soladoye sees education as a key part of being a PT. "In this profession, schooling is an ongoing process," he says.

Keeping abreast of new medical practices and expanding his role and skills in treatment were two other powerful motivating factors. Soladoye found that many of the academic curriculums that he considered emphasized imaging, pharmacology, and the diagnosis of signs and symptoms of other diseases.

Florida is a direct-access state, which means that PTs can start seeing patients without a physician referral. Because of this, Soladoye says that he may see his patients more often than a physician would. Hence, he may become aware of a medical problem before the patient’s general practitioner does. The broader approach that the DPT offered Soladoye appealed to him for a more personal and business reason. "I was able to get a handle on all these [different areas], and that was going to allow me to stay at the top of my game," he says.

But, while getting the DPT had obvious long-term benefits, there were some practical issues that Soladoye had to consider before he began: namely, how to balance his academic pursuits with the day-to-day needs of his practice.

A Question of Balance
This is not the first time that Soladoye has pursued an additional degree. He received his MBA in 2000 while also working as a therapist. "[In pursuing the DPT], my mentality was that it was something that has to be done, so I have to have a game plan," he says.

A number of factors contributed to Soladoye’s success. First among them was the support of his family. His wife works in his practice managing the office, so Soladoye had someone to look after the day-to-day business side of the practice while he attended to schoolwork at night and on weekends. Soladoye was also already a working PT—he received his degree in 1988 from the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (Nigeria)—and worked as a PT in Nigeria until emigrating to the United States in 1993. This allowed Soladoye to enter a transitional DPT program as opposed to starting from scratch. The transitional programs are designed for therapists who already have their degrees and want to meet the requirements of the APTA 2020 Vision.

The big advantage that the program that Soladoye pursued had over other schools is the amount of on-campus class time it required. Most of the classes were conducted via the Internet with reading and homework assignments that could be completed by Soladoye after business hours.

However, there were several classes—extremity manipulation, spinal manipulation, and medical diagnosis—that required the DPT students to attend classes on-site. "These have to be done on a live person," Soladoye says.

The on-campus courses were intensive, 1-week sessions. And though he had to make arrangements to fit it into his schedule and take time off from his business, the skills Soladoye learned in these weeklong courses could be put into practice immediately upon his return.

Soladoye—like his other classmates in the transitional program—had many of the skills necessary to make it through the program. What Soladoye’s experience shows is that success is really a matter of planning to successfully balance career and academics. "It was a lot about being focused, sticking to my game plan, and being disciplined," he says.

The Game Plan
This is not to say that Soladoye had all of the particulars worked out before he began his studies. At first his game plan was more of a strategy, using the first few classes to gauge what was expected, how much time would be involved, and the order in which to take the courses.

The father of two school-age children, Soladoye arranged his schedule to take tougher classes—including the ones that had to be completed on-site—during the summer when his kids were off from school. In terms of scheduling, "you do have to be flexible," he says.

With the idea of flexibility in mind, Soladoye advises those who want to return to school to look at a variety of programs and "pick the one that fits your schedule the best," he says. This involves doing lots of online research. But it is this research that Soladoye credits as a key to his successful strategy.

Even with a good strategy, there were some factors that could have become serious, potential challenges for Soladoye during his schooling. The first was the money that the DPT program costs—between $8,600 and $10,000—though this was less of an issue for Soladoye because he had a thriving practice. The other was finding the time to do the coursework. The program consists of 22 credit hours. Again, this is one of the ways that his extensive research paid off: finding a program that had a minimal commitment of on-campus time. During his studies, Soladoye carried the same clinical caseload that he had prior to going back to school.

Soladoye sees the transitional DPT program more as a refresher course. "It’s not like taking a whole different program or doing something new," he says. "And it’s not as hard as you think it will be. This is what [we’ve] been doing our whole professional life." By comparison, Soladoye found earning his MBA to be much more difficult.

To earn his DPT, Soladoye did not have to take a licensing examination, but he did have to complete a thesis project. His was a literature review of the uses of iontophoresis in rehabilitation. The transitional DPT students have three final project options: a literature review, a case review of one of their patients, or a 6-month clinical residency in a specific discipline.

For the students going through the regular DPT program, clinical rotation is a key part of their education. "The beauty of the clinical rotations is that it gives the students lots of experience," Soladoye says. "That’s how they pick up [clinical skills]."

Earning his DPT has already translated into benefits for Soladoye and his practice.

Practice Building
Soladoye’s Trinity Rehabilitation Clinic Inc has two clinical locations: a 1,300-square-foot office in Pensacola and a 1,000-square-foot satellite in nearby Milton, Fla. In addition to his wife, the practice employs two others. Soladoye is the sole PT in the practice, and he sees about 40 to 50 patients per week. The practice was started in 2002, and it offers primary care across demographic lines.

Included at the facility is a full rehab gym with weights, treadmills, and rehabilitation exercise equipment such as therapy balls and bands.

Since receiving his DPT, Soladoye has used his new credential to build his business. "It’s a good marketing tool, and it gives me a better standing in the community," he says. "The title ‘doctor’ connotes a certain level of knowledge and respect."

Though Florida is a direct-access state, Soladoye still gets most of his patients via physician referral. The DPT designation has improved his standing with the medical community as well. "Since adding the DPT, my referral sources have been impressed and have a higher comfort level in sending me patients," he says.

Soladoye’s patients are also impressed, and, though it is a little early to tell, they may be more compliant because of he is a DPT. Many referring physicians have already begun motivating their patients with the fact that Soladoye is a doctor of physical therapy, so they enter his office knowing that they will be treated by an expert.

But Soladoye believes that it is the way he treats his patients—a method that he has honed over his 19-year career—that ensures they will be cooperative. "I’ve been very fortunate in my practice," he says. "I coach and motivate my patients, and I’ve been very successful with that."

He does acknowledge that to some extent, having the DPT will improve patient compliance. "I think to an extent that will happen," he says.

With Soladoye’s extensive level of education, it is not surprising that he would recommend to those PT’s without a DPT to pursue it. But his final words of advice are tinged with the kind of practicality that comes from years of experience. "This is the future of the profession; this is where we’re going," he says. "Having gone through the program, I know that much of the coursework is about updating your skills."

C.A. Wolski is a contributing writer for Physical Therapy Products.