The t-DPT degree is conferred upon completion of a structured
postprofessional educational experience that results in the augmentation
of knowledge, skills, and behaviors to a level consistent with the
current professional (entry-level) DPT standards. The t-DPT degree
enables the US-licensed physical therapist to attain degree parity with
therapists who hold the professional DPT by filling in any gaps between
their professional baccalaureate or master's degree PT education and the
current professional DPT degree education.
2. Is the t-DPT just another
professional (entry-level) degree?
Yes and no. It is analogous to the professional (entry-level) DPT
degree in that the majority of transition program curricula include
coursework that reflects the augmentation in professional (entry-level)
content that has occurred over the past 5-10 years. Put differently, the
t-DPT is fully consistent with the current professional DPT standard; it
does NOT indicate the acquisition of advanced clinical knowledge,
skills, and behaviors beyond that standard.
While the t-DPT is most analogous to the current professional
DPT:
- The program offers content in areas that have been significantly
augmented over the past 5-10 years,
- Experienced PTs may augment their knowledge and skills in areas
that, together with any specialized knowledge and experience acquired
over the years, would position them more strongly as a provider in a
health care system that is often characterized as uncertain and
competitive.
- A t-DPT program is a valuable and exciting context for learning,
including the rich and diverse interactions between PTs whose respective
experiences provide an invaluable source of shared learning.
- A t-DPT curriculum may be customized to particular learners based on
their knowledge and experience thereby minimizing the prospects for
duplication of content.One way of documenting that knowledge and
experience is through APTA's Physical Therapist Evaluation Tool
(PTET).
- A t-DPT program is not "just another" professional (entry-level)
education experience because the learning context, including the
learner's experience and discourse, reflects a breadth and depth of
experience that cannot be present in a professional degree program with
students who have no clinical experience.
3. What's the difference
between the t-DPT and an advanced clinical doctorate?
The t-DPT degree does not reflect the acquisition of advanced
clinical skills (eg, specialization); rather, it reflects an
augmentation in the physical therapist professional body of knowledge
and practice over the last 5-10 years. The outcome competencies of the
graduate of a t-DPT program are most analogous to those of the
current professional (entry-level) DPT standard. The
postprofessional advanced clinical doctorate reflects the acquisition of
advanced level knowledge and skills associated with specialization,
certification, clinical residencies, fellowships, etc.
4. What's the difference
between the t-DPT and the PhD?
Both degrees involve mastering a body of knowledge in the particular
field of study. The DPT degree (conferred at completion of a
professional PT program or a postprofessional transition program) is
considered a clinical or applied doctorate similar to those for medicine
(MD), dentistry (DDS), education (EdD), clinical psychology (PsyD),
optometry (OD), and podiatry (DPM). The t-DPT degree signifies that the
learner will apply the newly acquired knowledge – most likely in a
clinical setting. The PhD is an academic degree that reflects, in
addition to the mastering of a body of knowledge in the particular field
of study, completion of an original scholarly work that adds to the body
of knowledge in the discipline.
5. Can I practice without a
DPT?
Absolutely. The right to practice therapy is granted by states
through licensure; licensure requires graduation from an accredited
professional physical therapist education program. Graduates possessing
a professional baccalaureate, masters, certificate, or doctoral degree
are currently licensed in the workforce. However, students who graduated
from a CAPTE accredited program after January 2002 and are eligible to
sit for the licensure examination hold only the master's or doctoral
degrees.
6. If I get a t-DPT, will I get
a better job? Will I be paid more?
There are no data to suggest that DPT practitioners get better jobs.
Although there are instances where the practitioner has benefited from
such a consequence, the lack of data prevents any generalization to the
overall DPT population. There are no data to suggest that, as a matter
of course, a physical therapist with a DPT will be paid more than one
who possesses a master's or baccalaureate degree. Although there are
exceptions, they should not be used to generalize to the DPT
practitioner population. According to APTA's
2005 Median Income of Physical Therapists Summary Report, years of
experience in clinical practice exerts a larger influence on the
variation in reported salaries than the degree level of professional
education.
7. What is a t-DPT
program?
A t-DPT postprofessional physical therapist education program is one
that: 1) allows the U.S. licensed physical therapist to obtain the
clinical doctorate by demonstrating knowledge commensurate with that of
current professional (entry-level) DPT program outcomes and 2) takes
into account a learner/applicant's knowledge and experience.
8. How many t-DPT programs
exist?
As of July 11, 2006, there were 64 t-DPT programs in the United
States. All of the t-DPT programs are listed on APTA's Web site by
state and program delivery method with links to the specific academic
programs for more detailed information.
9. Where are t-DPT programs
located?
The vast majority of t-DPT programs are located in institutions of
higher education that have professional (entry-level) DPT programs
accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy
Education. A very few t-DPT programs are offered by regionally
accredited higher education institutions without a professional DPT
program.
10. Will t-DPT programs
always be available? If not, for how long will they be offered?
No. When the demand for the t-DPT is essentially met, transition DPT
programs will no longer have the necessary economic incentive to remain
in operation. While the time frame cannot be stated with certainty, it
is likely that these programs will not exist beyond 2020. Trends from
1999 – 2005 demonstrate continued increased enrollment of physical
therapists in t-DPT programs.
11. Why are t-DPT programs
different? What are some of the differences?
Transition DPT programs vary in many ways. Because the educational
mission of each institution of higher education is unique, including the
policies that govern graduate education, the configuration of each t-DPT
program is different. Many of the important distinctions can be found here.
T-DPT programs are intended to conform to institutional mission and
policy; however, the prospective learner/applicant should evaluate
program differences; eg, the curriculum, length, delivery method(s), and
price. These differences should be considered in an assessment of
program "fit," including whether or not the program's goals serve the
learner/applicant's interests and professional career pathway needs.
12. Why do programs vary in
length?
The length of a program is ordinarily a correlate of two factors: a)
the graduation requirements of the institution, and b) the method of
coursework delivery. Of course, whether or not a learner enrolls as a
full time or part time student makes a significant difference in the
length of the program.
13. Are t-DPT programs
accredited? If not, how is quality assured?
No. Postprofessional physical therapist education programs are not
accredited by CAPTE. In most cases, quality is assured by virtue of the
fact that rigorous standards are applied by regional accrediting
agencies to the higher education institutions and by CAPTE to the
professional programs, which offer the transition DPT programs. In
addition, APTA has attempted to influence the quality level of t-DPT
programs by providing consensus-based Outcome
Competencies document (including tasks) and a Preferred
Curricular Guide for the t-DPT Program. While their use is not
mandated, APTA believes that the voluntary use of these foundational
documents will help ensure a high level of consistency and quality in
t-DPT programs. In all cases, learner/applicants should understand
that, as consumers, they are responsible for ensuring that a particular
program meets those standards deemed critically important for
success.
14. Are any practitioners
currently enrolled in a t-DPT program?
Yes. As of October 2005, academic programs reported more than 9,000
physical therapists currently were or had been enrolled in t-DPT
programs with more than 2,700 reported graduates.
15. Do t-DPT programs admit
clinicians with a baccalaureate PT degree? A Certificate? A
Master's?
The vast majority (88%) of transition programs admit US-licensed or
licensure eligible physical therapists with a baccalaureate or master's
degree or a Certificate; in all cases, the learner/applicant is strongly
encouraged to contact the programs of interest directly to determine
their admission requirements. As of October 2005, 6 programs reported
that they would accept students with licensure equivalency or Canadian
licensure.
16. What are the
pre-requisites for a typical t-DPT program?
-
A baccalaureate, master's professional degree or a Certificate from
a CAPTE accredited professional degree program
-
A valid US license to practice physical therapy or licensure
eligible
-
Completion of an academic institution application
-
Transcripts from all professional and postprofessional degree
programs
-
Specified standardized examinations and/or evaluation tools (eg,
GRE, PTET)
-
Letters (2-3) of recommendation
17. What content is typically
found in a t-DPT program?
Program content may include any of the following: clinical
decision-making, physical therapy diagnosis and screening, diagnostic
imaging, pharmacology, health care systems, business, and economics,
outcomes measurement, patient/client management, clinical research,
principles of evidenced-based practice, specific content related to the
musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular-pulmonary and
integumentary systems, professional issues, and applied case-based
analysis or capstone.
18. Is there any agreement
about what should be in a t-DPT curriculum?
Among and between t-DPT programs, probably not. Among and between
those t-DPT programs that elect to use APTA's Preferred
t-DPT Curricular Guide as a foundation or "starting place" for the
design of a program-specific curriculum, there will likely be a higher
level of consistency. Although voluntary, the t-DPT Preferred
Curricular Guide does represent a consensus regarding the
preferred content in a t-DPT program. The curricular guide is fully
consistent with the Guide
to Physical Therapist Practice and A
Normative Model of Physical Therapist Professional Education, Version
2004.
19. Do work and life
experiences count when applying for admission? If so, how?
Yes. However, the manner in which the learner/applicant's knowledge
and experience is taken into account will vary from program to
program. Some programs have less flexibility in adjusting
graduation requirements based on knowledge and work/life experiences.
Others can make significant adjustments IF the learner/applicant's
knowledge can be documented in a consistent manner. These adjustments
take the form of course/content waivers, substitution of required
coursework with electives, or a reduction in total credits required for
graduation.
20. What is the cost of a
t-DPT degree? Why does the cost vary from program to program?
The price can range from around $4500 to more than $18,000. The price
you will pay depends primarily on the number of credits required for
graduation. Although this variable is a critically important one, there
are other differences that should be taken into account by a
learner/applicant. For example, the learner/applicants should consider
the faculty, location, delivery mode, institutional/program reputation,
institutional/program mission, and, most importantly, personal and
professional long-range needs and career goals.
Having said that, one of the major variables in pricing will be the
degree to which a t-DPT program chooses to account for the
learner/applicant's knowledge and experience; often, that decision
directly impacts the design of a learner-centered curriculum, including
the number of credits required for graduation. For that reason, it is
important to discuss pricing with all of the programs being
considered.
21. If I enroll in a t-DPT
program, do I have to relocate or travel?
It depends upon the program. Some t-DPT programs will deliver the
coursework by distance mode; in these cases you will not need to be in
residence but you will need the necessary hardware, software, and
internet connection (high speed) required to facilitate distance
learning. Programs vary in the amount of coursework that is delivered in
distance mode; some use it for all of the coursework while others
utilize a combination of distance learning and in-residence learning.
Again, the learner/applicant should discuss distance learning capability
and/or residency requirements with the individual programs being
considered.
22. If the t-DPT is delivered
online, what computer hardware do I need? Software?
A. Minimum Hardware Requirements:
B. Minimum Software Requirements:
- MS Office Suite or equivalent (word processing program,
presentation/graphic program, and email program)
- Antivirus program
- Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher OR AOL Navigator 6.0 or higher
- Adobe Acrobat 6.0 or higher
23. Where can I find
information about t-DPT programs?
Information about the t-DPT, t-DPT education programs, and related
resources can be found here.
Prospective learner/applicants are strongly encouraged to contact t-DPT
programs using their respective Web sites or by phone to inquire about
all aspects of the program.
24. How does the t-DPT fit
into APTA's Vision 2020?
APTA is unequivocally committed to a fully inclusive transition to
the status of a doctoring profession. Inclusiveness means that every
US-licensed physical therapist will be afforded the opportunity to
attain degree parity with those practitioners who possess the
professional clinical doctorate (DPT). In addition to the benefits for
the physical therapist, an inclusive transition also benefits the
profession as a greater critical mass of physical therapists are
prepared to practice using the most current body of knowledge and
skills, including all aspects of patient/client management (see Guide
to Physical Therapist Practice).
25. What is APTA's role in
the t-DPT?
APTA cannot directly impact t-DPT programs; they are configured,
administered, and evaluated by the respective institutions of higher
education on the basis of educational prerogatives. However, APTA
completed a four-phased plan intended to serve the interests of t-DPT
programs and learner/applicants. This APTA Board of Directors Plan in
Support of the Transition Clinical Doctorate was approved in November
2000. A Task Force was appointed to oversee the management of the four
phase plan to ensure its implementation. The fourth phase was dependent
upon the needs of Transition DPT programs for faculty. At this point,
programs have been able to function without implementing the fourth
phase of providing a faculty course/content pool.
Each phase concludes with a specific outcome or product. They
are:
-
Consensus-Based Competenciesfor the t-DPT graduate,
including "Indicator" Tasks that demonstrate achieved
competencies.
-
A Preferred Curricular Model(Modular) for the t-DPT
Program
-
The Physical Therapist Evaluation Tool (PTET) –
a valid instrument for evaluating the knowledge and experience of the
learner/applicant.
-
A Faculty Course/Content Area Pool – a resource for t-DPT
programs that wish to augment existing faculty to provide quality
coursework for which institutional credit can be granted.
26. What is the PTET?
The PTET is the Physical Therapist Evaluation Tool. The
tool is a valid mechanism for documenting a learner/applicants knowledge
and experience when applying to a t-DPT program. The tool is comprised
of two major components: 1) a Professional Portfolio and 2) a Tasks
Performed component (scored). The items in the Professional Portfolio
are "linked" to the tasks in the Tasks Performed component. This linkage
can be used to further document that a learner/applicant possesses the
knowledge needed to achieve some of the consensus-based outcome
competencies of the t-DPT graduate. Between the portfolio and Tasks
Performed components, a t-DPT program can more easily and accurately
make decisions about how the learner/applicant's curriculum should be
customized.
27. What are the benefits of
the PTET?
The PTET provides a…
- consistent mechanism for the learner to document his/her knowledge,
skills, and experience for admission (depending upon program
preferences) to a Transition DPT program.
- mechanism for obtaining a self-evaluation score relative to a DPT
norm reference group.
- valid basis for negotiating a customized learner-centered
curriculum, depending upon the academic program, that may reduce the
total number of courses required for completion of the Transition DPT
degree.
- consistent way to evaluate all users who elect to complete the
PTET.
28. Is there a fee for the
PTET?
Yes. The fee is $400 for APTA members and $700 for non-members.
The APTA incurred significant costs in developing this valid
mechanism for documenting the knowledge and experience of the
US-licensed physical therapist. In addition, there are future costs
associated with an ongoing evaluation of the instrument, including
intermittent revision and improvement. Finally, the APTA fee includes a
fee that is paid to Credentialing
Services, Inc, the psychometric consulting firm that is responsible
for the PTET processing, scoring, and reporting.
29. Does the PTET measure how
well I perform? If not, what does it measure?
No. The PTET does not measure how well a learner/applicant
performs the identified tasks. Rather, the PTET documents the
learner/applicant's knowledge and experience using a scored
frequency-based assessment of tasks. The Tasks Performed
component of the PTET provides a measure of the frequency (number of
times) with which the practitioner performs 148 possible tasks during
everyday clinical practice. Each of these tasks is correlated with a set
of competencies that describe the knowledge, skills, and behaviors of a
graduate of a Transition DPT program. In addition, a second component of
the PTET, the Professional Portfolio, provides an opportunity for
the applicant to fully describe the degree-based experiences completed
since graduating from the professional physical therapist program as
well as practice, education, and scholarly experiences that have been
completed in the past 10 years. All of the items included in the
Professional Portfolio are related to the 148 possible tasks
included in the Tasks Performed. Thus, the applicant has more
than one way to demonstrate his or her knowledge, skills, and
experiences when applying to a t-DPT program.
30. What does the frequency
with which I perform tasks have to do
with competency?
Although a practical examination is ideal, the frequency with which
designated tasks are performed can and does relate to competence.
However, as in the case of the PTET, the tasks must be linked to the
desired outcome competencies of the t-DPT graduate. Using a norm
referenced group, a scoring key can be developed based on the frequency
with which tasks that are correlated with desired clinical outcome
competencies are performed. An instructive analogy would be the
case of choosing a competent surgeon using a recommended criterion
– the frequency with which the surgeon in question has performed
the particular surgical intervention.
31. What will I learn in a
t-DPT program that I don't know already?
You could potentially already know some or all of what is included in
a Transition DPT program as a result of your ongoing review of
professional literature, completion of continuing education programs,
postprofessional education degree-based programs, clinical residencies
or fellowships, earned board certified specialist certification, and
ability to remain current with professional issues. However, it is also
possible that you may not have learned and applied all of the content
associated with knowledge that has been augmented in the past 5 to 10
years in professional (entry-level) physical therapist programs. For
more specific content typically found in Transition DPT programs, please
refer to Question 17.
32. Why is it important for
clinicians to acquire the t-DPT?
The DPT is not required for the practice of physical therapy. Even
so, there are several reasons for acquiring a DPT:
- There is value in any educational experience that augments
knowledge, skills, and behaviors in a way that will help better position
a practitioner in a very uncertain health care environment.
- The t-DPT program will provide practitioners with a degree-based
opportunity to acquire new knowledge, skills, and behaviors and to do so
with colleagues who bring a wealth of experience in the application of
the science and art of physical therapy.
- Today, preparation to be a physical therapist requires an
educational experience that is, in fact, commensurate with doctoral
preparation; the DPT is the appropriate degree for that
preparation.
- The t-DPT program provides the US-licensed physical therapist to
achieve degree parity with graduates of professional physical therapist
education programs.
- The DPT is the foundation of a doctoring profession; the
doctorally-prepared practitioner will be perceived as possessing all of
the rights, privileges, and obligations associated with being a member
of a doctoring profession.
- The DPT is fully consistent with the profession's intentions
regarding the role and responsibilities of the physical therapist as
expressed in APTA's Vision 2020.
33. What factors should I
consider in deciding whether or not to pursue the DPT?
There is little data regarding the consequences of having or not
having the DPT. However, in the absence of data, learners should
consider a variety of factors in deciding on a particular professional
development pathway: a) available personal resources (time, money,
energy), b) the perceived value of additional degree-based learning, c)
the experiences of mentors and colleagues who can attest to the benefits
of certain professional development/educational opportunities, and d)
the prospects for job opportunities and enhancement.
34. Is the t-DPT only for
practicing physical therapists?
No. The Transition DPT degree is available to anyone with a US
license or is licensure eligible to practice as a physical therapist and
who has earned a professional baccalaureate, certificate, or master's
degree in physical therapy. Thus, physical therapist
practitioners, educators, administrators, managers, and researchers can
pursue a Transition DPT degree. Specific requirements for graduation may
vary, however, depending upon your earned professional physical
therapist degree, current knowledge, skills, and experiences, and the
specific Transition DPT program that you elect to complete.
35. Can I get a t-DPT degree
if I am not US-licensed or licensure eligible as a physical
therapist?
For 90% of the programs offering the t-DPT degree, US licensure and
licensure eligibility are required. The remaining programs do consider
licensure equivalency and Canadian licensure on a case-by-case basis.
APTA does have a position, Transition DPT: Accessibility to Degree
Programs (HOD P06-02-29-52) that states:
"All transition Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree programs
should be accessible to graduates of baccalaureate, masters,
certificate, or equivalent physical therapist programs. Transition DPT
degree programs should allow for a learner-centered curriculum that
takes into full account the knowledge and experience of the physical
therapist applicant who is licensed in a US jurisdiction."
36. Once I get a t-DPT
degree, can I be called "Doctor ______?"
Yes, and possibly, no. Conferral of the DPT degree means that the
graduate is entitled to all of the rights and privileges associated with
the doctoral degree. However, whether, where, or when a practitioner
exercises those rights and privileges (eg, a request to be referred to
as Doctor Jones) is a matter of professional judgment based on a variety
of factors, including the need for sensitivity during a period of
transition for physical therapy to a doctoring profession. The right to
call oneself "Doctor" is accompanied by the responsibility of indicating
that one is a physical therapist. Use of the term "Doctor" is subject to
jurisdictional law.
