Why the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, and how is it different from the Masters degree?
In 1999 the American Physical Therapy Association House of Delegates created a strategic plan to transition the practice of physical therapy to a doctoring profession. This plan, “Vision 2020” cites six key elements, the first being the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) as the appropriate degree for the profession. In addition, physical therapists in many states now have direct access privileges which allow patients to seek medical advice from a physical therapist without a referral from a physician. The DPT allows for additional education and training in differential diagnosis, professionalism, and autonomous practice for direct access physical therapy.
