Should You Become a PTA Before Becoming a PT?

So, you want to become a DPT, but are worried that you won’t get into PT school. Should you become a PTA first instead?

This might sound like a good idea, but most people seem to agree that it’s not. If you want to become a PT, it’s probably best to go right for the DPT.

First, let’s talk about the difference between the two professions.

Physical therapists “diagnose and treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to people at the end of life. Many patients have injuries, disabilities, or other health conditions that need treatment. But PTs also care for people who simply want to become healthier and to prevent future problems.” Their median salary is $85,000. To become a PT in the US, you need to earn a doctor of physical therapy degree from an accredited program before passing the NPTE. Typically, this involves a three-year program after completing a bachelor’s degree, although there is some variation to this.

Meanwhile, “physical therapist assistants provide physical therapist services under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist. PTAs implement components of patient care, obtain data related to the treatments provided, and collaborate with the PT to modify care as necessary.” PTAs can follow a PT’s treatment plans, but cannot do initial evaluations, discharges, or make major changes to the plan of care. While it can differ by state, they typically need some degree of supervision from a PT to practice. Their median salary is $52,000. To become a PTA, you need to graduate from an accredited PTA program and pass a national licensing exam. Most PTA programs are two years and do not require a bachelor’s degree.

A PTA should not to be confused with a physical therapy aide or tech, who is an unaccredited support person who does not provide direct patient care.

To start off, even the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) acknowledges, “PTA programs are not considered to be a steppingstone to a PT education or career. The PTA curriculum differs from that of the physical therapist and does not provide the needed prerequisites required for physical therapist education. Fewer than 2% of enrolled DPT students were previously PTAs.”

In other words, a pre-PT applicant who is already a PTA won’t be able to skip any steps when applying to DPT programs compared to other applicants. They still need to complete a bachelor’s degree if they have not, any prerequisites that are outstanding, as well as the entire DPT curriculum.

During the 2021-22 application cycle, 2% of applicants to PT school were PTAs, and they actually had a slightly lower rate of acceptance compared to applicants as a whole.

This might not make sense given that they are already doing some of what a PT does clinically, but it is what it is.

A PTA might have a more impressive background compared to another pre-PT applicant, but again, they don’t get to skip any steps. They’ve already spent at least two years and lots in tuition money on becoming a PTA, and they still will have to spend several more years and thousands of dollars completing their journey towards the DPT.

The only exception to this rule are the three programs in the US that exist as PTA to PT bridge programs: The University of Findlay in Ohio, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and Concordia University Wisconsin.

The Findlay program requires that applicants have at least one year of work experience as a PTA and continue working as one for at least 40 hours per month during the three-year hybrid-like program. Like most other DPT schools, students still need to complete 30 weeks of clinicals. They also must have a bachelor’s degree and several pre-reqs, so again, this might not be saving so many steps. The positives are that you keep working and might not have to relocate.

UTMB’s program allows PTAs to continue working up to 20 hours a week, after they’ve already been a PTA for two years, completed a bachelor’s and taken the pre-reqs. It also involves a hybrid format that doesn’t necessitate relocating, although most of the 30 weeks of clinicals take place in Texas.

Overall, there are big differences between being a PTA and being a PT, and one doesn’t directly lead to the other. PTA’s have less autonomy than PT’s and earn less money, but also spend less time and money getting their degrees. There are benefits to both careers, but it seems that if your end goal is the DPT, it’s best to go directly for it.