Is a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree Worth It? If you’re dreaming about helping patients restore their mobility and quality of life, and you’re exploring what it would take to become a physical therapist, you may be wondering, “Is a degree in physical therapy worth it?” The answer to this question depends, of course, on your personal career goals. Some people choose to become physical therapist assistants because only a two-year associate degree is required. It’s true that pursuing a doctorate takes time and effort; however, there are countless advantages to earning a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. To that end, let’s look at some of the factors that make a Doctor in Physical Therapy (DPT) degree the best first step on an exceptional career Read more
Curriculum
USA’s Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship is a demanding clinical and didactic learning experience designed to graduate physical therapists with advanced competency in manual physical therapy.
Clinical Requirements
Applicants may choose to pursue their Fellowship in the clinic they currently work, or find a position within a qualified and approved clinic anywhere in the United States.
- A minimum of 850 patient care hours. Examination and treatment will cover the following body regions: Cervical Spine, Thoracic Spine, Lumbar Spine, Pelvis – SI, Craniomandibular, Hip, Knee, Ankle, Foot, Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist and Hand.
- 160 hours of one-on-one mentoring in the clinic with a qualified and approved mentor, over the duration of the Fellowship.
Didactic Requirements
The didactic portion of the Fellowship focuses on advanced training in examination, evaluation, clinical reasoning, orthopaedic manual physical therapy, and patient management, based upon the practice dimensions described in the Advanced Description of Specialty Practice for Orthopaedic Physical Therapy and the AAOMPT Education Standards of Practice.
Expected learning experiences will be developed at the beginning of the Fellowship during discussions between the participant and the clinical faculty.
Examples of potential courses:
- Evidence Based Research
- Medical Diagnostics
- Foundations of Clinical Orthopaedics
- Professional Communications
- Educational Theory
- Basic Craniofacial
- Pharmacology
- Imaging
- Clinical Instructor Credentialing
- E1: Extremity Evaluation and Manipulation, E2: Extremity Integration
- S1: Intro to spinal evaluation and Manipulation, S2: Advanced Evaluation and Manipulation of Lumbar Thoracic Spine, S3:
- Advanced Evaluation and Manipulation of CranioFacial, Cervical and Upper Thoracic Spine, S4: Functional Analysis and
- Management of Lumbo-Pelvic-Hip Complex
- MF1: Myofascial Manipulation
- Manual Therapy Certification or Review
- Thrust
- Imaging Seminar
- Craniofacial I
- Spinal Instability
- APTA CI course
Additional Requirements
- Participate in 12 Journal Clubs, lead 3 (online or in the clinic)
- Participate and lead 12 Case Rounds (online or in the clinic)
- Present 3 formal Case Presentations
- Attend 1 AAOMPT conference
- Complete Healthcare Observations, Mentored Clinical Exams, and Clinical Skills Checklists
- Complete a Professional Communications project
- Produce a scholarly product which is disseminated to the professional community, e.g poster and/or platform presentation, publication in peer reviewed journal
- Opportunity to teach and mentor entry level DPT students, depending on location and if desired
