That's what I'm thinking, Jason. I still hear of, and encounter, far too
many physicians who think of us as some sort massage/modality/exercise
nurse, who doesn't really know him/herself what to do, but who has to be
told. As if they'd know!
And actually, that also counts for quite a lot of researchers: many times I
read that "physical therapy" does or does not work in a certain complaint.
The fact that they do not specify PT is a sign that they hardly know what
they're talking about. And those people are doing the research that we
depend on??
No, let's lift up the PT education to a real university level, world-wide.
R.,
Frank
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jason Steffe" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: zondag 12 augustus 2001 0:43
Subject: Re: DPT
Geoff,
No one is saying that a professional DPT new graduate will have better
skills than someone with a bachelor's who has 20 years of experience. What
the APTA is trying to do, as I understand it, is to simply draw a new
starting line. People in the current field can either choose to keep up
with the degree advancements or not. Why try to limit the growth of the
profession? Why should we voluntarily choose to only award ourselves
degrees other than a doctorate? No one but us are arguing that we stay at
the master's and bachelor's level. If the profession had listened to these
arguments, then we would still be at the bachelor's level, or even
certificates. Why don't we deserve doctorates when we come out of school?
What do you think is the percentage of PT's in the USA that actually do
specialize and obtain a board certification? I bet no more than 1-3%. I
don't think that it's reasonable to expect that enough of us will specialize
in order to advance the skill level and perception of our profession. I
myself believe in specialization and will go after OCS but most of us simply
aren't going to go that far. BTW OCS gets roundly criticized often for not
having a residency requirement, and the APTA recently lowered the minimum
hour requirement needed to sit for the exam. I can't speak towards NCS, but
OCS isn't a perfect product. However, that does not make it a meritless
pursuit.
Physician's come out of school with a Doctorate of Medicine. Their
professional title is Physician. Their professional title is not Doctor.
That is their degree level. Their body of knowledge has boundaries. They
are at the top because we and society as a whole, give them that status.
They are not omnipotent. Why are we fearful of having doctorates and
challenging the status quo? Is our "rightful place" always going to be
characterized by following their orders?
If we stay at the bachelor's and master's level, the playing field will
never be level. That much we already do know. With a Doctorate that could
change. I believe that treating by referral from a professional who has a
higher degree/status level can create an ethical dilemma. We will not be up
front with our professional opinions if our opinion is in conflict with our
referral source. We are afraid that our opinion will not be respected, be
deemed a loose cannon and subsequently loose referrals......i.e. mortgage
the future of the clinic for an opinion about a patient. If we level the
playing field and practice autonomously, then we have a greater chance of
our opinions about our body of knowledge being respected.
--------------------------------------------
Jason Steffe, PT, MS, MTC
Physiotherapy Associates
1901 Phoenix Blvd, Suite 205
College Park, GA. 30349
Ph: 770-907-1023
Fax:770-907-5608
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