post-professional doctorate of physical therapy: A survey of practicing physical therapists, The

ABSTRACT: The ends of this survey study were to assess whether practicing physical therapists desire a post-professional clinical doctorate of physical therapy (DPT) and to explore their expectations for of that kind a program and future benefits they may await from acquiring this degree. A simple random sample of 35% of all Nebraska and Iowa chapter members of the American Physical Therapy Association was picked This random selection resulted in 173 make subordinates from Nebraska and 223 subdues from Iowa, for a total of 396 bring under rules The survey instrument consisted of 6 demographic questions and 21 questions regarding the curriculum easy in mind and program implementation of a postprofessional DPT program, expectations of the DPT stage and personal views about the DPT stage Response frequencies for all of the observe questions were determined. The data were also examined for variation in the rejoinders across specific demographic groups based upon the type of physical therapy stage held, the desire to follow a DPT degree, the number of years of experience, and the horizontal of exposure to the DPT step A total of 280 observe instruments were returned, for a replication rate of 71%. One third of the respondent were interested in obtaining a post-professional DPT stage The two most common expectations cited for the DPT step were enhancement of professional capacity of a physical therapist and assistance in career advancement. Managed care, business management/administration issues, and professional communication were identified as

desired areas of curriculum emphasis. There is interest among practicing physical therapists who share public expectations for developing further professional capacity consistent with current practice demands in obtaining a postprofessional DPT stage

INTRODUCTION

Since 1918 when the Office of the Surgeon General of the Army disentangleed the first formalized training programs for physical therapy, there have been continuous changes in the horizontal of education available to physical therapists. 3 In 1928 the first guidelines for minimum course requirements of place of educations training physical therapists were established through the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). A Certificate in Physical Therapy was awarded for completion of this course of study1-3 In 1960 another change in the horizontal of physical therapy education occurr when APTA announced that the baccalaureate step would be the required stage offered by physical therapy educational institutions.l-3 During the 1970 there was a move by a few institutions toward preparing physical therapists with the master's step as the first professional (entrylevel) physical therapy stage By 1978, a master's step in physical therapy was tendered by five educational institutions.1,3 In 1979 a resolution was adopted through the House of Delegates of APTA that propos a postbaccalaureate step would be the first professional stage level for entry into physical therapy practice by dint of December 31, 1990.1,4,5 This proposal generated conflicting opinions and plane opposition among members of the physical therapy community. Arguments center upon resource issues such as take away from to the student and institution, lack of qualified faculty, and changes in the health care combination of parts to form a whole 1,6,7

There has been continued discussion and debate within the physical therapy professional community about the horizontal of degree for physical therapists. These discussions now center upon the clinical doctoral degree.l,6 12 In 1985 Dr Geneva Johnson said in the 20th Mary McMillan prelection "I expect us to unfold the professional doctorate in physical therapy as the standard for entry-level education within the nearest five years. ... I wait for us to be clear about who we are, if the physical therapist is to be recognized as a professional.8(pl694) In 1989 an APTA task force made the recommendation to the APTA Board of Directors that "...the appropriate entry-level stage based on the framework of practice and academic requirements, is the entry-level clinical doctorate degree""12

The intention of a clinical doctorate stage is to prepare professionals for clinical practice, clinical scholarship, and a professional career in a specific field. The curriculum of a program offering of the like kind a degree emphasizes clinical practice, and the step is usually awarded by professional gymnasiums The clinical doctorate differs from a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) step which is a research-based step focused more on preparation for the research field, and is usually awarded by dint of the graduate school.l3,14 The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) step is a clinical degree and, as like differs from the Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Therapy step which is more research oriented and has the prerequisite for program admission of an entry-level bachelor's or master's stage in physical therapy.l,l5 Many other health care professions, including medicine and dentistry, educate at the clinical doctorate horizontal (eg, Doctor of Medicine [MD] Doctor of Podiatric Medicine [DPM] Doctor of Osteopathy [DO], Doctor of Chiropractic [DC]) 13-17