A Doctor of Physical Therapy or Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) degree is a qualifying degree in physical therapy. In the United States, it is considered a graduate-level first professional degree or doctorate degree for professional practice. In the United Kingdom, the training includes advanced professional training and doctoral-level research.
A Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree is available in the US for those who already hold a professional Bachelor or Master of Physical Therapy (BPT or MPT) degree; as of 2015, all accredited and developing physical therapist programs in the US are DPT programs. Master's degrees in physical therapy are no longer offered in the U.S., and physical therapists beginning their education now study towards the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.
History
In 1992, the University of Southern California initiated the first post-professional "transitional" (DPT) program in the United States. This "transitional" DPT takes into account a physical therapist's current level of knowledge and skill and purports to offer programs that upgrade clinical skills to meet the needs of the current health care environment. Creighton University followed by initiating the first entry-level DPT program in 1993.
The Doctor of Physiotherapy has since been adopted in other countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and Taiwan. In the United Kingdom and Australia, the PhD or Professional Doctorate in Physiotherapy is offered by a number of Universities. These programs are usually professional entry masters level programs, with the opportunity to undertake research to lead to a doctorate degree. Alternatively, these programs are masters pre-qualifying Physiotherapy courses with an enhanced research element in the final phase of the course that leads to undertaking a doctorate. The first full pre-qualifying Doctorate in Physiotherapy program in the United Kingdom was accredited in 2017 at Glasgow Caledonian University in Glasgow.
United States
The DPT degree prepares students to be eligible for the physical therapy license examination in all 50 US states. Along with the license examination, some states do require physical therapists to take a law exam and a criminal background check. As of March 2017, there are 222 accredited Doctor of Physical Therapy programs in the United States. After completing a DPT program, the doctor of physical therapy may continue training in a residency and then fellowship. As of December 2013, there are 178 credentialed physical therapy residencies and 34 fellowships in the US, and 63 additional developing residencies and fellowships. Credentialed residencies are between 9 and 36 months while credentialed fellowships are between 6 and 36 months.
In 2000, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) passed its Vision 2020 statement, which states (in part):
"By 2020, physical therapy will be provided by physical therapists who are doctors of physical therapy, recognized by consumers and other health care professionals as the practitioners of choice to whom consumers have direct access for the diagnosis of, interventions for, and prevention of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities related to movement, function, and health."
As this statement highlights, the DPT program is an integral part of the APTA's continued advocacy for legislation granting consumers (i.e. patients and clients) direct access to physical therapists, rather than requiring physician referral. Direct access is said to decrease wait times for access to care and even help reduce both cost to consumer and overall healthcare costs. As of January 1, 2015, all 50 states and the District of Columbia allow some form of direct access to physical therapists.
Time frame
The typical time frame for completion of a Doctor of Physical Therapy is 3 to 4 years after earning a bachelor's degree. Depending on residency and fellowship training, if undertaken, the doctor may have completed several years of additional training. Obtaining a DPT could also be done by accelerated programs offered by some universities that can be applied to by freshman. These programs give students the opportunity receive a bachelor's degree and DPT in 6 to 7 years. With these programs, there are various admission points over the course of their curriculum. Various programs allow students to apply directly out of high school and they will automatically matriculate into the professional phase of the program after completing the required undergraduate courses.