Is a Physical Therapist a Doctor? Facts you need to know
Is a Physical Therapist a Doctor? Facts you need to know. Not all Physical Therapists (PTs) have a Doctorate degree (DPT). Some PTs only have a Bachelor’s degree, while others have a Master’s of Science in Physical Therapy (MSPT).
Meaning if you want to become a Physical Therapist, you must complete a doctoral program approved by The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, or CAPTE.
Is a Physical Therapist a Doctor? or better still Are Physical Therapists Doctors?
Are Physical Therapists Doctors?
What are physical therapists? Are they their own branch of physicians? Can they even be called doctors? Are they something else entirely?
We can start off by saying physical therapists are not discount doctors. They are specially trained in the science of physical therapy, recovery, and preventative precautions to protect the physical body. They understand pain, and they understand recovery. They understand the fear of surgery and seek to avoid that at all costs.
Is a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) considered a doctor?
Technically, yes. Completing a 3-year Doctor of Physical Therapy program qualifies you to use the title “Dr.” in front of your name. And while a DPT could be considered a “Doctor,” so can many other healthcare professionals: for instance, chiropractors who complete 3 years of graduate studies, or audiologists who earn a doctorate within a 3-4 year AUD program. Heck, earning your Ph.D in Nursing makes you a Doctor of Nursing, though I don’t know how that would work for introductions: “Hi, I’m Tim the Nurse doctor” – or is it Dr. Nurse? Talk about confusing.
What’s important is not to assume a healthcare provider with the title “Dr.” is a medical physician with a medical degree (MD). My 3-year DPT degree does not equal a 4-year medical degree (MD), requiring a minimum of 3 years in additional residency training.
What is the difference between a physical therapist and a doctor of physical therapy?
As much as Physical therapists are not Doctors, they have a lot of similar practices. Well, it’s expected because both of them are health practitioners. Physical therapists encourage and create physical and mental exercises for their patients.
These exercises help restore their physical and mental health. Meanwhile on the other hand, Doctors diagnose the patients and offer them chemical treatment – usually drugs. Funnily enough, Doctors still refer patients to physical therapists.
Doctor of Physical Therapy Salary
Now that you know there are some PTs with a doctorate, but others with a master’s of bachelor’s, you may assume the different degrees fetch different salaries. This assumption is generally false. In the world of physical therapy, degree does not dictate salary, and a DPT does not necessarily make more money than an MSPT does.
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