Dpt & Pa-c

[DPTnotMD]

I'm currently in my second year of Physical Therapy School. I will graduate May 09. I was seriously thinking about getting my Physician Assisstant Certification once I finish.

I really want to open up my own clinic one day and believe this will benefit me and my patients more. It will take 2 additional years of school, but I was going back to get my MBA anyway. I just will get this instead!


Please tell me what you think about this?!?

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[deleted6669]

as a p.a. you would still need a supervising md of record. supervision requirements vary by state. some require md presence X # of hrs/week, others require review of a certain % of charts every month. some (like n. carolina) only require a discussion with an md every 6 mo to discuss the practice.
links for more pa info:
www.aapa.org
www.physicianassistant.net

 

[DPTnotMD]

If I want to really practice direct access, do you guys think this will be expand my knowledge as a clinician. Especially since they follow the medical model. Would this benefit the working relationship with PTs and physicians as well.

 

[freddydpt]

If I want to really practice direct access, do you guys think this will be expand my knowledge as a clinician. Especially since they follow the medical model. Would this benefit the working relationship with PTs and physicians as well.

I'm a DPT who went to medical school. If you become a PA after DPT you will be a very strong clinician, there is no doubt. However, you'll find that you'll make a TON of money as an ortho or PM&R PA rather than a DPT. As a PA/DPT you could administrate a co-owned PT practice with a physician. As far as direct access is concerned, I'm a firm believer that becoming a PA is the minimum education needed to do primary care with supervision... in other words, I don't think the DPT itself as an educational program/entity/structure is nearly medically intensive enough to educate PT's on when to refer. In school, I had an advocacy project where we had to meet with our congressman and lobby for PT direct access. Ignorance is bliss, because I had no idea how little education I received, how little my instructors knew when it came to medical screening.

In summary, if you can maintain the stamina of going from PT school to PA school then by all means, it'll make you very marketable from a PT hiring perspective, a physician hiring perspective, and you'll be able to provide better care to your patients. With that said, the stamina issue is not a false one. At least at my school, PT burned me out so much that I never even considered practicing for one year before going to medical school.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[PT2MD]

Although if you are fairly young, you could consider PM&R as a physician as well. It is a few more years of schooling, but you would have more options at the end of the road. This is the route I would like to take coming from my background in PT.

 

[joseppi]

Although if you are fairly young, you could consider PM&R as a physician as well. It is a few more years of schooling, but you would have more options at the end of the road. This is the route I would like to take coming from my background in PT.

or you could consider going the osteopathic route (DO) to PM&R ... having a PT background should serve you well. In my class there were serval ex-PT's but ofcourse the road is a bit longer than PA. Honestly more gratifying however you have to be willing to commit- 4 years med scool + 4 years residency.

 

[kpants]

I am a DPT but in my last clinical I found I loved the ER. I was thinking of going for my PA but don't know how. Does anyone know of a school that might transition physical therapists to physician assistants? Any information would be helpful. Someone mentioned a school in Texas.

 

[Rgvmed]

you need to apply to PA school in order to be a PA, there is no bridge route for PTs. Actually, none of your courses would transfer as programs move as cohorts. physicianassistantforum.com is a great resource for PA applicants. If your GRE score is recent (<5 years) and you have substantial PT clinical experience, you'll be a shoe in for PA school.

 

[Azimuthal]

2007...seriously...

 

[kpants]

I am a DPT but in my last clinical I found I loved the ER. I was thinking of going for my PA but don't know how. Does anyone know of a school that might transition physical therapists to physician assistants? Any information would be helpful. Someone mentioned a school in Texas.

Thank you so much. I have done four clinicals in various areas at three months each. My GRE is three years old and I have a DPT degree. How does one know they if they are a shoe in. It is so competitive and I don't have hours following a PA?

 

[kpants]

Thank you so much. I have done four clinicals in various areas at three months each. My GRE is three years old and I have a DPT degree. How does one know they if they are a shoe in. It is so competitive and I don't have hours following a PA?

Also would you know if there are jobs with hands on for a PT if the PA route does not work. Thanks