Leave DPT Program for PA school?

[TravisDPT]

**Moderators: If posting this here as well as the PA forums is a no-no, I am sorry! Please feel free to move/delete.

Looking for advice/anyone who has been in a similar situation.

Currently in my first clinical rotation (inpatient acute care) after finishing my first year of my DPT (3-year program, class of 2018). Having second thoughts about wanting to be a PT, and am leaning towards applying to PA school (2 year program, would be class of 2019).

I could quite easily make this post a novel, but I will try to keep it short.
My thoughts:

Pros of PA: (as compared to PT)
- wider scope of practice/variety of settings
- (arguably) more autonomy (edit: I know very little about level of PA autonomy)
- able to perform many simple medical procedures
- more variety of work schedules (i.e. I would actually prefer working 3 12's vs. 4 8's, even overnight)
- more "medically driven" rather than rehab/therapy driven
- higher pay (this is important given my 6-figure student debt)
- possible career field outlook (I hear rumors of a physician shortage in the near future, PA's would fill gap = in-demand field)

Cons of leaving PT school for PA program:
- may apply and not get into PA program
- must take 2 undergrad courses to meet pre-reqs for 2 programs I would apply to
- need ~140 more hours with "direct patient care" for 1 of 2 programs I would apply to
- extra year total (finished 2018 for PT, finished 2019 for PA)
- wasted time/money/effort by attending DPT program and then leaving

Possible scenario:
Both PA programs I would apply to have deadlines of August 1, and classes would begin Summer 2017. Theoretically, I could apply (with "intent to complete" needed pre-req courses Spring semester), and continue attending my DPT program for Fall semester. Would find out if I get into either PA program sometime during fall. IF I do not get into either program, then I continue on track as a DPT. IF I do get accepted to one or both, time to make a big decision...

TL;DR: I have always been interested in being a PA, but ultimately chose to attend a DPT program. Now, after finishing my first year and getting some clinical experience, I am having second thoughts.

I would like to give this more time to think about, and to feel out other clinical experiences in PT school in other settings to see if I am just being impulsive or not, but time is not on my side unfortunately. I would have to wait an entire year for my next clinical to roll around, by which time I would have only 1 year of PT school left, which would make it really hard (not to mention borderline stupid) to leave PT school.

I appreciate any and all advice and/or comments! Sorry if I rambled.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Azimuthal]

Go PA.

 

[apta_pharaoh]

**Moderators: If posting this here as well as the PA forums is a no-no, I am sorry! Please feel free to move/delete.

Looking for advice/anyone who has been in a similar situation.

Currently in my first clinical rotation (inpatient acute care) after finishing my first year of my DPT (3-year program, class of 2018). Having second thoughts about wanting to be a PT, and am leaning towards applying to PA school (2 year program, would be class of 2019).

I could quite easily make this post a novel, but I will try to keep it short.
My thoughts:

Pros of PA: (as compared to PT)
- wider scope of practice/variety of settings
- (arguably) more autonomy
- able to perform many simple medical procedures
- more variety of work schedules (i.e. I would actually prefer working 3 12's vs. 4 8's, even overnight)
- more "medically driven" rather than rehab/therapy driven
- higher pay (this is important given my 6-figure student debt)
- possible career field outlook (I hear rumors of a physician shortage in the near future, PA's would fill gap = in-demand field)

Cons of leaving PT school for PA program:
- may apply and not get into PA program
- must take 2 undergrad courses to meet pre-reqs for 2 programs I would apply to
- need ~140 more hours with "direct patient care" for 1 of 2 programs I would apply to
- extra year total (finished 2018 for PT, finished 2019 for PA)
- wasted time/money/effort by attending DPT program and then leaving

Possible scenario:
Both PA programs I would apply to have deadlines of August 1, and classes would begin Summer 2017. Theoretically, I could apply (with "intent to complete" needed pre-req courses Spring semester), and continue attending my DPT program for Fall semester. Would find out if I get into either PA program sometime during fall. IF I do not get into either program, then I continue on track as a DPT. IF I do get accepted to one or both, time to make a big decision...

TL;DR: I have always been interested in being a PA, but ultimately chose to attend a DPT program. Now, after finishing my first year and getting some clinical experience, I am having second thoughts.

I would like to give this more time to think about, and to feel out other clinical experiences in PT school in other settings to see if I am just being impulsive or not, but time is not on my side unfortunately. I would have to wait an entire year for my next clinical to roll around, by which time I would have only 1 year of PT school left, which would make it really hard (not to mention borderline stupid) to leave PT school.

I appreciate any and all advice and/or comments! Sorry if I rambled.

It thought about this. Take your prereqs at night at a CC this summer. Stay in school however. At least you can choose to leave if you get in but if you don't get accepted you really don't lose much. Only con is you're paying for another year of PT school. I would finish it out out unless you really learned things that turned you off PT. If you did please share.

 

[DesertPT]

Not sure why you think a profession that has to practice under direct medical supervision has more autonomy than one that does not. Im aware of insurance policies and such...but from a legal standpoint, PT has greater autonomy.

Not that this is the deal breaker in your decision...just pointing it out


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

 

[DesertPT]

also not sure why PT and PA get compared so much...they really have very little in common with each other. both are great professions, but make sure you somehow get some solid exposure to what being a PA is like...not sure how feasible this is while in PT school...but just remember you are comparing apples to oranges here (or at the very least grapefruits to oranges, or something like that)...so the grass may or may not be greener on the other side


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

 

[TravisDPT]

Not sure why you think a profession that has to practice under direct medical supervision has more autonomy than one that does not. Im aware of insurance policies and such...but from a legal standpoint, PT has greater autonomy.

Not that this is the deal breaker in your decision...just pointing it out


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

I suppose I am misinformed on just how much PAs can do without input from an MD (I was just going off what I've read online - not the most reliable). Hopefully I will get a better idea by shadowing in the coming weeks.
I agree that the two professions are very different. I just happen to be interested in both, hence my comparisons.

 

[TravisDPT]

Also, would it be unprofessional to ask my current clinical site if it would be possible for me to shadow PA after my rotation is done? Or would this come off as insincere?

 

[jblil]

That'd be like asking your fiancee if you could date another girl before the actual wedding. Expect it to go over like a lead balloon.

 

[TravisDPT]

That'd be like asking your fiancee if you could date another girl before the actual wedding. Expect it to go over like a lead balloon.

That's what I was assuming. Thank you for the great analogy.
How would I go about finding shadowing? Just call around to different hospitals/clinics and see if they'd let me?

 

[TravisDPT]

Go PA.

Can you elaborate some on why you think so?

 

[TravisDPT]

It thought about this. Take your prereqs at night at a CC this summer. Stay in school however. At least you can choose to leave if you get in but if you don't get accepted you really don't lose much. Only con is you're paying for another year of PT school. I would finish it out out unless you really learned things that turned you off PT. If you did please share.

Unfortunately I cannot give a specific reason/thing I have learned that has" turned me off" PT. I still believe it is a great profession with many merits.
At this time, I just feel I am starting to lose interest in Rehab, and gaining interest in Medicine. More of a change of heart.

 

[Azimuthal]

Can you elaborate some on why you think so?

I find that many recent grads have had second thoughts about PT, but stuck with it in school because of how much time and effort invested. Most still find the world of PT challenging enough to continue, but many regret not going MD/DO/PA/RN. And in a few instances, it halts their drive and gives them a negative outlook on the PT profession, having to work next to the other professions they had interests in before. A new grad I know is now in an accelerated BSN program, another is starting PA this fall. It's expensive to endure and not find your true passion.

 

[Bones26]

None of us can gave you great advice because we don't know you. I would encourage you to find a few PAs to shadow. What about PT interested you? PA and PT are very different like other posters have mentioned.

I will say that I think attempting to take prereqs this summer is a horrible idea. Your grades in both your PT courses and the prereqs will most likely suffer, unless you are absolutely brilliant with indefinite energy reserves and no family responsibilities. I think that you would benefit most from spending this time to think about what YOU want. Maybe you could make a decision by the fall semester?

 

[DesertPT]

That'd be like asking your fiancee if you could date another girl before the actual wedding. Expect it to go over like a lead balloon.

Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

 

[starrsgirl]

Your post strikes close to home for me. I'm in my first clinical as well, but after 2 years of school. It would have taken me another year of pre reqs to apply to PA school, and at the time, that was too much for me so I stayed the PT route. I'm a non trad student, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt....different things matter more to me than to a newer grad. The job market seems a lot better in my area for PA than PT. The starting salary is significantly higher. You can work as an ortho PA or PM&R PA and do very similar work. I personally love the evaluation and discharge portion of PT (and less so the day to day treatment) and I see those parts as aligning more closely to what PAs do. Sure, the PAs in the hospital setting I'm in practice under a doctor, but they are by no means following a doctor around. They see their own patients, they seem to be the "go to" when we need something from the doctor. I wonder if you feel the same as I do....it's very difficult for me in the inpatient setting to see how a DPT level of education is important to what I do. We have amazing techs and PTAs who essentially do the same thing as me with much less education. Sure, maybe that 1 time I will be able to put that 1 thing together because of my further education, but generally, it takes a caring person and a reasonably educated person to keep people safe and help them recover in the acute setting. I certainly would have been comfortable doing all of this after my bachelors.

As for autonomy....at least in my current inpatient setting, I feel like we don't have much. The doctors sometimes order PT for patients who don't need it or don't order it for people who do. They dictate what the order is for, which limits what we can treat. We don't have much input in discharge, the doctors and nurses dictate much of the "when" and "how much" PT the patient will get, the nurses do a pretty good job of getting patients up and walking them, cardiac rehab takes care of the heart patients and respiratory therapy looks at oxygen needs. ICU nurses watch over us and the patient's vitals when we are mobilizing. It's a good job, and great example of team health care, don't get me wrong, but I'm sad by the reality of it....I literally could be any bachelors exercise science major and still do a good job here. PTAs do the same treatments as PTs, we just write up the evals and discharges which are fairly basic in the acute setting (increase strength, increase endurance, increase activity tolerance)

This sounds like a bitter post, but I don't mean it to be. I'm very happy at this clinical but at the same time very disappointed in seeing the "real" PT world. I get why we don't get paid that much. I'm the first to say I think much of what I see my CI do, or I do, or the other therapists do doesn't take any doctorate level skill. Does it take a smart person? Sure. Does it take great communication with the health care team? Absolutely. But I can't help but think we have way outpaced ourselves on education. I'm happy to know all the stuff in my head, but I don't get to use it in a way that is valuable to the pt (in other words, I think my patients definitely are happy with PT and get better, but not because of doctorate level stuff).

I regret not pursing med school or PA. I think your plan is smart. You aren't giving up your PT school slot if you don't get in. You can continued as normal if things don't work out. I have my eye on a distance/hybrid PA program down the line but I"m not sure it will work out for me. I'm old, and tired and being in school, haha.

 

[DesertPT]

I suppose I am misinformed on just how much PAs can do without input from an MD (I was just going off what I've read online - not the most reliable). Hopefully I will get a better idea by shadowing in the coming weeks.
I agree that the two professions are very different. I just happen to be interested in both, hence my comparisons.

PAs do a lot without MD input. I was just pointing out that from a state law perspective PT is the more autonomous profession. Medicare is a whole different story...scope of practice is quite different though, so once again its an apples to oranges comparison in my mind.


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

 

[starrsgirl]

(I think you could ask to shadow PAs without a problem. So far, we have watched surgery, cardiac rehab, speech, respiratory therapy, wound care all while on an acute clinical.) You could phrase it better to your CI of course, but you could probably pull off a day.

 

[DesertPT]

@starrsgirl Do you think your opinion of your education will change once you rotate through other settings? Rehab, outpatient, etc is much different than acute care.

Sent from my SM-N910V using SDN mobile

 

[jblil]

As for autonomy....at least in my current inpatient setting, I feel like we don't have much.

I suggest you request a home-health clinical, for one of your upcoming rotations. I am currently working a HH gig and love the autonomy. Doctors typically say "Pls evaluate and treat", and you get to do what you want - within limits, of course.

 

[starrsgirl]

I suggest you request a home-health clinical, for one of your upcoming rotations. I am currently working a HH gig and love the autonomy. Doctors typically say "Pls evaluate and treat", and you get to do what you want - within limits, of course.

I do see quite a bit of home health on this clinical which I also enjoy! I know you can really make a difference for patients which I love. But in reality, the work I've done so far in home health is VERY similar to working as a personal trainer (I did personal training for many clients with medical conditions). So, good news is I liked that and will like this. I will have a more consistent paycheck with PT. But did I need a doctorate to do it? hmmmmm......

 

[TravisDPT]

I find that many recent grads have had second thoughts about PT, but stuck with it in school because of how much time and effort invested. Most still find the world of PT challenging enough to continue, but many regret not going MD/DO/PA/RN. And in a few instances, it halts their drive and gives them a negative outlook on the PT profession, having to work next to the other professions they had interests in before. A new grad I know is now in an accelerated BSN program, another is starting PA this fall. It's expensive to endure and not find your true passion.

This is exactly how I feel.

 

[jesspt]

We have amazing techs and PTAs who essentially do the same thing as me with much less education. Sure, maybe that 1 time I will be able to put that 1 thing together because of my further education, but generally, it takes a caring person and a reasonably educated person to keep people safe and help them recover in the acute setting. I certainly would have been comfortable doing all of this after my bachelors.

You could do a review of systems prior to going to PT school? And, are you doing a review of systems with your current patients at their initial evaluation?

The advantage of the acute care setting is that you often get to see patients with a LOT of comorbidities. Use this to your advantage. Make sure you can do a nuero screen on your patients with neuro diagnosis or PMH. Make sure you can check for upper motor neuron lesions. Can you do a cranial nerve screen smoothly? Make sure you can. Do research on diagnosis you are less familiar with. Use relevant screening tools/risks assessments like the Berg Balance scale. Sit in on some wound care if possible.

Leverage the setting for your benefit.

 

[vm26]

I regret not pursing med school or PA. I think your plan is smart. You aren't giving up your PT school slot if you don't get in. You can continued as normal if things don't work out. I have my eye on a distance/hybrid PA program down the line but I"m not sure it will work out for me. I'm old, and tired and being in school, haha.

Graduated with a BS in PT in the late 90's (at age 26, it was my 2nd bachelors degree)...competition to get into PT school was fierce and the coursework was super intense, market was very tight when I came out and I found the actual day to day work fairly monotonous particularly given how intense school was, also found the income potential to be somewhat limited (to be fair though I was living in one of the more expensive areas in the US)...ended up applying/getting into med school at age 30, 1st 3 years of med school were super intense as well (intensity for PT school: 6-7/10, Med school: 10/10), intern year was hell (36 hour shifts without sleep every 4th day for a month-don't think happens anymore due to new laws/regulations), radiology residency was def tough at times, 80 hour night float weeks, tons of studying out of work for physics boards, oral boards etc...now as an attending, working much harder than I ever did as a trainee, hours are long and intense with high volume/productivity expected but in return get paid well and have more than ample time off...my point of this long winded post is to follow your gut. I often felt old, tired, and defeated (occasionally still do! haha) but have no regrets about my decision. I would recommend PA/NPA over med school given the current state of healthcare. Physical therapy is also a great field as long as one has realistic expectations, based on my experiences there was a big disconnect between the intensity of the coursework and the actual day to day demands (though this may have changed from the late 90s)...

 

[TravisDPT]

Graduated with a BS in PT in the late 90's (at age 26, it was my 2nd bachelors degree)...competition to get into PT school was fierce and the coursework was super intense, market was very tight when I came out and I found the actual day to day work fairly monotonous particularly given how intense school was, also found the income potential to be somewhat limited (to be fair though I was living in one of the more expensive areas in the US)...ended up applying/getting into med school at age 30, 1st 3 years of med school were super intense as well (intensity for PT school: 6-7/10, Med school: 10/10), intern year was hell (36 hour shifts without sleep every 4th day for a month-don't think happens anymore due to new laws/regulations), radiology residency was def tough at times, 80 hour night float weeks, tons of studying out of work for physics boards, oral boards etc...now as an attending, working much harder than I ever did as a trainee, hours are long and intense with high volume/productivity expected but in return get paid well and have more than ample time off...my point of this long winded post is to follow your gut. I often felt old, tired, and defeated (occasionally still do! haha) but have no regrets about my decision. I would recommend PA/NPA over med school given the current state of healthcare. Physical therapy is also a great field as long as one has realistic expectations, based on my experiences there was a big disconnect between the intensity of the coursework and the actual day to day demands (though this may have changed from the late 90s)...

What do you mean by disconnect between the intensity of the PT coursework and practicing?

Do you mean that the coursework is much more demanding than the demands of daily practice?

 

[vm26]

What do you mean by disconnect between the intensity of the PT coursework and practicing?

Do you mean that the coursework is much more demanding than the demands of daily practice?

Yes but again this was based on my experiences in the late 90's/early 2000's, hard for me to comment on the current state of the field

 

[jblil]

Personally, I also think that the coursework is more difficult than the job itself. But that's ok, more education is always useful.

 

[Bones26]

OP, your clinical rotation was in acute care? That setting can definitely be boring and turn your brain to mush if you are literally just "walking patients". Like jess said, it's what you make of it. Get involved with early mobilization in the ICU. That requires problem solving and critical thinking. When I'm there, I'm definitely using a DPT/MPT level of education. It becomes apparent when folks aren't...they're unsafe and/or ineffective.

Agreed with the above posters re: the disconnect and having realistic expectations. I don't know if/how much it's changed since the late 90s/early 2000s, but the disconnect is there for me...I've been out of school for a few years now. There is always a percentage of my patients who challenge me intellectually and physically, and that's what makes it fun. The rest of my patients just...aren't. And, I'm OK with that. My job is a means to an end. It's a comfortable salary (esp. if you have a spouse), allows a pretty great work-life balance, and I enjoy my co-workers and interesting patients. For me, that's enough.

 

[DesertPT]

Yes but again this was based on my experiences in the late 90's/early 2000's, hard for me to comment on the current state of the field

The science of rehabilitation has definitely expanded a lot in the last 15-20 years, but there are plenty of people who haven't implemented any of it in their practice (and there are plenty who have). The same could be said for all healthcare professions.

Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

 

[epicpt89]

Thanks guys for all your input in this thread! This thread has opened up my eyes in terms of the crossroads between PT school and PA school. I would still have another year of prereqs regardless of what path I take so this would be the perfect time to think about and decide what I want to do next. Im 26 so this would be from a non trad point of view.

 

[TravisDPT]

Update: Spoke with one of the programs I planned on applying to. Turns out, they only allow 1 outstanding pre-req in "to be completed" status at the application deadline of August 1. Problem is, I must take O-Chem and Micro to meet pre-req requirements.

This is my last week of my clinical rotation, and my PT program's classes begin Aug 8. So, I would have to find summer programs that offer those classes (with labs), enroll, and complete them in roughly 6 weeks.

Not looking good for that program. Problem is, it was my number 1 option. The PA program is actually within the same university as my current DPT program (big medical campus), and is a state school, which makes things relatively cheap with in-state (my DPT will only cost ~$54k total). The other program I would apply to is the only other reputable PA program in my state. Price? $41,500/year...

So in summary, I am considering two main options at this point. Either continue with my DPT this fall (and never turn back...), or take a year off, work, take those pre-reqs, and give it some extra time and thought. The latter could be the best option if my program would be willing to grant me a 1 year leave of absence (with guaranteed return - they allow for this, but must be approved).

Today, I'm feeling a little like the universe is telling me to stick with DPT. Decisions, decisions...

 

[NewTestament]

Update: Spoke with one of the programs...

How much have you already invested in PA school, including undergraduate school? If you take one more year off, that's one more year you won't be in the work force, and then three more years of PT school, which will cost $60k at a state school + $90k in lost opportunity cost. DO NOT underestimate the opportunity cost of your decision.

 

[TravisDPT]

How much have you already invested in PA school, including undergraduate school? If you take one more year off, that's one more year you won't be in the work force, and then three more years of PT school, which will cost $60k at a state school + $90k in lost opportunity cost. DO NOT underestimate the opportunity cost of your decision.

I'm not sure if I'm 100% following you on what you said, but I think I see your point.

I need to weigh the cost of undergrad + PT investment thus far vs. cost of PA program and losing out on 1 year of pay. Is that what you're saying?

 

[NewTestament]

I'm not sure if I'm 100% following you on what you said, but I think I see your point.

I need to weigh the cost of undergrad + PT investment thus far vs. cost of PA program and losing out on 1 year of pay. Is that what you're saying?

What I'm saying is, you need to consider how many extra years you would sacrifice. If you're going to go to school for 4 more years, and you could make $30k a year, the opportunity cost is $120k.

 

[DesertPT]

Unless you are truly, truly miserable in PT school, I personally would stick it out and become a PT. There are a million different career options in this field and you haven't even been exposed to most of them yet. You may very well like being a PA better, but you may very well not. For me, the opportunity cost involved with the switch would be too high relative to the risk of the grass not being greener on the other side.

The lifetime earnings of a median salary PT and a median salary PA who both work full-time for 40 years favors the PA by approximately half a million. And you are probably going to lose at least half of that in the direct school costs, loan interest accumulation and the opportunity cost that comes with being out of the workforce for several additional years. So the lifetime earning potential difference realistically would average out for you to be probably about $500-600 a month over the course of your working career. Everyone would like to make another $500 a month no doubt, but it's not as big a difference as you might think.

Just trying to present an objective view point here. But with all that said, if you really feel strongly that you will make a crappy PT and a great PA, please make the switch. And if you really don't like working as a PT, chances are good you will be a crappy PT. And we've already got more than enough crappy PTs to go around.


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

 

[TravisDPT]

FINAL UPDATE:

Since I had so many helpful replies on this thread (thank you all!), I feel obliged to update everyone on my decision!

I have ultimately decided to continue with PT. It is partly because pursuing PA would be an additional 2 years in school, partly because I have already accomplished so much in PT, and partly because I have become more re-aligned with my original desire to be a PT. My first clinical was great, but it had it's good and bad. In retrospect, and after a few weeks of a fun and relaxing summer break, I realized that I was concentrating too much on the bad experiences, and not enough on the good. There was actually much more good than bad.

I am glad that I decided to take a few weeks to think about it, and also am glad that I am sticking with PT. If I should ever want to, I could always pursue PA later in my career. But after a few weeks rest (and a couple more to go!), I am excited once again for PT classes to start up!

Thank you again for the advice and comments from everyone! You guys rock.

 

[Doc-PT]

Hey TravisDPT, just wondering how you're feeling now a year after this post. Are you still happy you stuck it out with PT?

 

[freddydpt]

Graduated with a BS in PT in the late 90's (at age 26, it was my 2nd bachelors degree)...competition to get into PT school was fierce and the coursework was super intense, market was very tight when I came out and I found the actual day to day work fairly monotonous particularly given how intense school was, also found the income potential to be somewhat limited (to be fair though I was living in one of the more expensive areas in the US)...ended up applying/getting into med school at age 30, 1st 3 years of med school were super intense as well (intensity for PT school: 6-7/10, Med school: 10/10), intern year was hell (36 hour shifts without sleep every 4th day for a month-don't think happens anymore due to new laws/regulations), radiology residency was def tough at times, 80 hour night float weeks, tons of studying out of work for physics boards, oral boards etc...now as an attending, working much harder than I ever did as a trainee, hours are long and intense with high volume/productivity expected but in return get paid well and have more than ample time off...my point of this long winded post is to follow your gut. I often felt old, tired, and defeated (occasionally still do! haha) but have no regrets about my decision. I would recommend PA/NPA over med school given the current state of healthcare. Physical therapy is also a great field as long as one has realistic expectations, based on my experiences there was a big disconnect between the intensity of the coursework and the actual day to day demands (though this may have changed from the late 90s)...

I agree with most of this. I had a reverse opinion of PT and med school intensity. PT was 10/10 and med school was more like 7/10. Intern year was hell. Rad residency was a 5/10 in terms of intensity but I finally loved what I was doing so who knows.

Definitely agree with going for PA over MD in this climate. PA is actually more lucrative and well shielded from malpractice issues much more so than MDs.

 

[jadedphysiotherapist]

I agree with most of this. I had a reverse opinion of PT and med school intensity. PT was 10/10 and med school was more like 7/10. Intern year was hell. Rad residency was a 5/10 in terms of intensity but I finally loved what I was doing so who knows.

Definitely agree with going for PA over MD in this climate. PA is actually more lucrative and well shielded from malpractice issues much more so than MDs.

Whats the rationale in doing an intern year for radiology? Do programs do that to mitigate supply and demand until cases increase?

There were interns where I went to school who couldn't provide a rationale on this so I was just curious.

 

[freddydpt]

Whats the rationale in doing an intern year for radiology? Do programs do that to mitigate supply and demand until cases increase?

There were interns where I went to school who couldn't provide a rationale on this so I was just curious.

Theoretically one learns patient management while in intern year so as to better at knowing what clinicians are looking for in their diagnostic exams.

I think this is only part of the story. I learned a ton as a clinical pain doctor after radiology, too. Things which were more relevant to patient care. It's all a matter of perspective. I think clinical management months throughout an entire residency is a much better model. For example at UNM.

 

[TravisDPT]

Hey TravisDPT, just wondering how you're feeling now a year after this post. Are you still happy you stuck it out with PT?

I am happy that I stuck with PT, but I still plan on going back for PA at some point. Most likely.

This was a huge and stressful decision for me, but my hands were pretty tied from the beginning. With loans from undergrad, plus loans for PT school, and the fact that I have been in school my entire life (and have yet to have worked a full-time job because of it) are the main forces that pushed me to continue and finish my DPT. I just have to get out there and start working a full-time job that I went to school for and start making money. Had I chose to leave PT cold turkey and pursue PA now, it would be 2021 at the earliest that I would begin working. That's just way too long for me to be in school and racking up debt (my undergrad was 2011-2015) for just a PA degree. I could have finished med school in that time.

I just think it really sucks that the current system pressures those that aren't sure what they want to do. I wish I could just take 6 months or a year to figure things out, but financial reasons and application deadlines prevent that from happening. Oh well, that's just the way things are. If/when I ever get bored with PT, or want to get into a more lucrative career (which is very likely), I can morph from a PT to PA in roughly 28 months. I hear I could possibly be highly marketable as a DPT/MPAS, especially in PM/R... hopefully I could use that to my advantage. $$$

 

[jadedphysiotherapist]

.

 

[freddydpt]

I am happy that I stuck with PT, but I still plan on going back for PA at some point. Most likely.

This was a huge and stressful decision for me, but my hands were pretty tied from the beginning. With loans from undergrad, plus loans for PT school, and the fact that I have been in school my entire life (and have yet to have worked a full-time job because of it) are the main forces that pushed me to continue and finish my DPT. I just have to get out there and start working a full-time job that I went to school for and start making money. Had I chose to leave PT cold turkey and pursue PA now, it would be 2021 at the earliest that I would begin working. That's just way too long for me to be in school and racking up debt (my undergrad was 2011-2015) for just a PA degree. I could have finished med school in that time.

I just think it really sucks that the current system pressures those that aren't sure what they want to do. I wish I could just take 6 months or a year to figure things out, but financial reasons and application deadlines prevent that from happening. Oh well, that's just the way things are. If/when I ever get bored with PT, or want to get into a more lucrative career (which is very likely), I can morph from a PT to PA in roughly 28 months. I hear I could possibly be highly marketable as a DPT/MPAS, especially in PM/R... hopefully I could use that to my advantage. $$$

Very marketable. I know everyone's financial situation is unique but do whatever you can to eliminate your loans so you don't feel as if those are a burden that is forcing you to practice PT. I went straight through with my education. Undergrad plus graduate plus med school loans. Plus interest during 7 years of residency and fellowship. It was a lot but worth it... Even financially. 28 months to a salary that is $40,000 more is a no brainer to switch when you do the math. Find an inexpensive PA School and you are even better off. Just be happy. That's the bottom line.

 

[Doc-PT]

I am happy that I stuck with PT, but I still plan on going back for PA at some point. Most likely.

This was a huge and stressful decision for me, but my hands were pretty tied from the beginning. With loans from undergrad, plus loans for PT school, and the fact that I have been in school my entire life (and have yet to have worked a full-time job because of it) are the main forces that pushed me to continue and finish my DPT. I just have to get out there and start working a full-time job that I went to school for and start making money. Had I chose to leave PT cold turkey and pursue PA now, it would be 2021 at the earliest that I would begin working. That's just way too long for me to be in school and racking up debt (my undergrad was 2011-2015) for just a PA degree. I could have finished med school in that time.

I just think it really sucks that the current system pressures those that aren't sure what they want to do. I wish I could just take 6 months or a year to figure things out, but financial reasons and application deadlines prevent that from happening. Oh well, that's just the way things are. If/when I ever get bored with PT, or want to get into a more lucrative career (which is very likely), I can morph from a PT to PA in roughly 28 months. I hear I could possibly be highly marketable as a DPT/MPAS, especially in PM/R... hopefully I could use that to my advantage. $$$

I'm glad you're happy with the decision. I also have decided to work for a while before pursuing my PA. Maybe I'll end up so happy in my career that I won't ever go back to school. Who knows.

I agree the system pressures you. If did eventually decide to go back to school I know for sure I'd have to retake the GRE. Not fun. Plus I got an awesome score so having redo it seems ridiculous. Unless a doctoral degree precludes me from the GRE requirement (which it should). It's little things like that that make a person feel like they are jumping through an endless sea of hoops.

 

[TravisDPT]

Very marketable. I know everyone's financial situation is unique but do whatever you can to eliminate your loans so you don't feel as if those are a burden that is forcing you to practice PT. I went straight through with my education. Undergrad plus graduate plus med school loans. Plus interest during 7 years of residency and fellowship. It was a lot but worth it... Even financially. 28 months to a salary that is $40,000 more is a no brainer to switch when you do the math. Find an inexpensive PA School and you are even better off. Just be happy. That's the bottom line.

Thanks for the anecdote and advice. It really is a no-brainer. Hopefully I will be able to find a cheap but reputable PA school and make the turn around as quickly as possible.

 

[freddydpt]

Absolutely no one cares about reputation of a PA School. Just letting you know.