Why do some clinicians object to the DPT degree?
• Physical therapy practice does not require doctoral-level professional (entry-level) education (ie, what physical therapists are “asked to do” does not require a DPT); • The professional (entry-level) DPT preparation will not improve the quality of patient care; • Professional (entry-level) DPT programs are likely to stretch clinical education resources beyond the “breaking point;” • Baccalaureate- and master’s-level graduates are fearful that DPT graduates will displace them in the workforce or diminish their relative value in the health care marketplace; • The generalized concerns that doctoral-level professional (entry-level) programs run counter to current trends in health care and that other health care providers, employers, and patients will resist, if not resent, the DPT practitioner.
