Giovanni De Domenico, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, notes that the proposed doctoral degree in physical therapy would be the first doctoral degree offered by the School of Allied Health Sciences.
Printer Friendly Format

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is one step closer to offering a doctoral degree in physical therapy (DPT) in the fall of 2008. If approved, this will be the first doctoral program in the School of Allied Health Sciences.

On Nov. 9, The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved the School of Allied Health Science’s plan to convert its master’s degree in physical therapy to a three-year doctoral degree. The next step is to receive approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which is expected to consider the request in the spring.

Higher standards recommended nationwide
“We are very hopeful that our proposed DPT program will gain final approval,” explained Giovanni De Domenico, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy. “The eight public universities in Texas currently offering a curriculum in physical therapy have been working together to upgrade our master’s degree programs to doctorate degrees. In fact, more than 80 percent of the current physical therapy programs nationwide now are offering the doctoral degree. We expect that within the next couple of years, master of physical therapy (MPT) degrees will no longer be offered in the U.S. and this will mean that in order to get a license and practice physical therapy, a graduate will need to have a doctorate,” he explained.

The move is based on the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) recommendation that a doctoral degree be the entry-level professional degree for physical therapists. APTA is the national professional organization for physical therapists.

Gregory Ernst, DPT, assistant professor of physical therapy (left), supervises a physical therapy technique being demonstrated on Joseph Elliott (lying down). Other students are (left to right) William Allen, Ellis Goins, Ofelia Serrata, Sejal Desai and Amy Bridges

According to APTA’s “Vision 2020” statement, “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.”

Opportunity for current students to earn a DPT
If the Health Science Center plan receives final approval, students currently in the master’s degree program will be offered the opportunity to earn a doctorate by taking an additional intensive semester of courses designed to broaden and deepen their critical-thinking and clinical skills in the broad area of physical therapy. These skills are needed to facilitate the role of physical therapists as autonomous practitioners, similar to podiatrists, optometrists and chiropractors.

New students entering the proposed DPT degree will take courses during the first summer of the program, which for master’s students was a summer off. “Because we already offer an intensive three-year entry-level program that provides many additional learning opportunities, the conversion process to a DPT is expected to be relatively smooth,” Dr. De Domenico said. “Many other master’s programs are two-year degrees and programs moving from a two-year to a three-year curriculum, will obviously involve a considerable change in tuition costs. For our students however, the conversion to a DPT will mean only minimal changes in tuition costs,” he said.

Increasing demand for physical therapists
“There seems to be an ever-increasing demand for physical therapists, especially with the aging Baby Boomer population that wishes to remain fit and active, and more physical therapists being employed in private industry,” Dr. De Domenico said.

“We have no shortage of well-qualified applicants and our new graduates are consistently bringing in salaries between $50,000 and $80,000 or more depending on location,” he said.