Author Response to Gordon and Tilson.

Abstract

Thank you to Drs Gordon and Tilson for their rapid and insightful response to the concerns we voiced in “Storm Clouds on the Horizon: 3 Perils of Unconstrained Growth in Physical Therapist Education.”1 We agree that the Commission on Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) has considerable power and ability to address the perils of program proliferation and expansion and that publicly available data would enable estimation of program quality. We want to also reinforce the importance of 2 other sources of power that must join the discussion about the character, speed, and impact of program expansion. First, we appeal to those in higher education leadership positions (eg, presidents, provosts, deans) to reevaluate the current landscape and projected trajectory of physical therapist professional education as they consider program development and/or expansion. We urge these leaders to fully acknowledge the perils of program growth and expansion and to recognize that the current growth pattern may not be sustainable. Reliance on physical therapy tuition revenues to cover budget shortfalls, which has been shown to influence development and expansion decisions,2 will affect overall institutional financial health if programs cannot meet expectations for enrollment. These decisions present institutional perils and must be heeded to avoid downstream consequences for faculty, students, and the community.