Attainment of Doctoral Degrees by Licensed Physical Therapists: Perceptions and Outcomes of Graduates

Abstract

Background and Purpose. The transition of professional (entry-level) physical therapist education to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree has occurred rapidly over the past several years. However, the percentage of licensed physical therapists (PTs) who have pursued doctoral degrees is lower than hoped for by the profession. The purpose of this descriptive study was to measure perceptions and outcomes of doctoral degree attainment by licensed physical therapists. Subjects. Subjects included 103 licensed PTs who had completed 1 of the following degrees: the DPT in a transition format (tDPT), Doctor of Health Science or Doctor of Science degree in physical therapy, or a Doctor of Philopsophy (PhD) degree in physical therapy between 2002 and 2006. Methods. A questionnaire was developed using QuestionPro online software. Content validity of the questionnaire was established by a panel of experts and test-retest reliability was established with 10% of the participants. The questionnaire included demographic information, characteristics of the education program, anticipated and actual outcomes, perceived benefits and value, and impact on professional credibility. The questionnaire included both Likert-scale and open-ended question formats. Subjects were recruited via an APTA Education Section listserv posting and e-mails to postprofessional doctoral program directors. Descriptive statistics were compiled with QuestionPro software. Pearsons Chi Square statistic was used to generate cross-tabulations between the Likert-scale items and type of doctoral degree. Results. The majority of participants agreed that they valued the doctoral degree (98.06%), the benefits outweighed hardships (93.13%), and the degree enhanced their use of evidence-based practice (87.37%). Fewer participants agreed that the degree enhanced credibility among third- party payers (27.72%). Significant relationships were found between type of doctoral degree and perception of employers' value of the degree and ability to practice in a direct access setting. Categories of open-ended comments included: Impact on Professionalism and Practice Roles, Impact on Clinical Skills, Credibility of the Doctoral Degree, and Confusion About Faculty Credentials. Discussion. Perceptions and outcomes of doctoral degree attainment were positive in most respects. Participants who earned the DPT in a transition format indicated uncertainty regarding the use of the degree as a credential for a faculty position. Conclusion. This study provides information that may be useful to PTs who are considering pursuing a doctoral degree and to educators who conduct these programs. Further study with a larger, random sample would be beneficial to confirm the trends identified in this study. Key Words: Doctoral education, Postprofessional education, Student outcomes. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Vision Sentence for Physical Therapy 2020, endorsed by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) House of Delegates in 2000, states that By 2020, physical therapy will be provided by physical therapists who are doctors of physical therapy, recognized by consumers and other health care professionals as the practitioners of choice to whom consumers have direct access for the diagnosis of, interventions for, and prevention of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities related to movement, function, and health.1 The specific elements of Vision 2020 include autonomous practice, direct access, doctor of physical therapy and lifelong education, evidence-based practice, practitioner of choice, and professionalism.1 Consistent with Vision 2020, the conversion of physical therapist professional (entrylevel) education to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree has occurred rapidly. According to the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), as of August 2010, 96.7% of currently accredited professional physical therapist education programs are authorized to award the DPT degree (written communication, Ellen Price, PT, MEd, August 2010). …