| Members of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) have attempted to increase the professionalization of physical therapists by raising the educational requirements for entry into the field. Currently, graduates of both Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) degree programs and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree programs are qualified to sit for the state examinations that lead to licensure for physical therapy practice. There have been no data to determine how influential the DPT degree is among the various factors used by students to select a physical therapy program, or have there been data to determine if MPT and DPT students' perceptions of the professionalization of physical therapy differ.; Upon my request, faculty members at 34 physical therapy programs distributed questionnaires to 1,172 entry-level physical therapy students within the first 2 weeks of matriculation into the programs. Faculty members returned 919 questionnaires, generating a response rate of 78.4%. The data were statistically analyzed using chi-square analysis, independent t-tests, and logistic regression to determine differences in the importance of program selection factors and professional expectations based on gender, institutional control, and degree level.; Degree level was a more important program selection factor for men and DPT students than for women or MPT students. There were few differences in specific professional expectations for MPT versus DPT students. However, the patterns of program selection used by MPT and DPT students suggested differences between the two regarding their perceptions of the degree of professionalization of physical therapy. Compared to MPT students, DPT students exhibited a program selection pattern that emphasized long-term versus short-term gains which indicated a greater focus on deferred professional rewards. These patterns suggested that DPT students perceive physical therapy to be more professionalized than MPT students. |
