Commentary on “Use of Demographic and Quantitative Admissions Data …”

Abstract

Student recruitment and selection into professional physical therapist education programs is an issue of contemporary importance to the profession and especially to the physical therapy academic community. On an annual basis, academic programs are charged with evaluating the credentials of applicants to programs and to make predictive judgments about applicant appropriateness and likelihood for success as a physical therapist. The outcomes of these decisions have enormous effects on the applicant, on the program, on the institution where the program resides, and, ultimately, on the physical therapy profession and the community. It is to this process that Utzman and colleagues make timely and important contributions. The authors address 2 important questions facing admissions committees: (1) Will this student complete the program without academic difficulty? and (2) Once graduated, will this student pass the National Physical Therapist Examination (NPTE)? The answers to these questions are determined by the ability and motivation of the applicant and the strength and expectations of the faculty and curriculum. It is examining these questions using a national representative sample of physical therapist education programs and a systematic method to study demographic, program, and academic variables affecting student outcomes where the authors shine a light on these issues. The focus of these studies is to identify predictive characteristics of applicants that can assist with admissions decision making. In doing so, they affirm some basic tenets of admissions decision making related to applicant qualifications and also uncover some issues that need the attention of the profession. The authors affirm some basic dogma ascribed to by physical therapy admissions committees. Students need to be well prepared academically to learn in a physical therapist education program. This is the message that needs to be understood by people who are considering physical therapy as a career choice. In the first study,1 …