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More on the Clinical Doctorate

First, I want to express my gratitude to the Editor of our Journal for having the intestinal fortitude to invite all fellow physical therapists (especially clinicians) to participate in an open forum regarding the subject of a clinical doctorate. I hope both Dr Rothstein and the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Board of Directors will demonstrate their commitment to this initiative by publishing and responding to the appropriate concerns of the body of clinicians who make professional contributions in patient care on a daily basis.

Next, I would like to qualify my comments by describing myself so that my perspective will be totally clear to those who choose to read my comments.

I have been a full-time physical therapist for 22 years. I had the opportunity and honor to attend a university that was a bastion of physical therapy mentors. Some of my academic and clinical instructors included individuals that have achieved our profession's highest honors, including clinical, academic, and political distinctions. I have been a clinical instructor/mentor for more than 100 students, have presented research at our national meetings, have been a guest speaker at other national organization meetings, and have published in the Journal. I am very grateful for and humbled by all these opportunities; no one could ask for a more enriching and motivating professional experience.

Yet, I have serious concerns about the opportunities for future physical therapists. Although I agree that we must continuously examine and change our standards for education and clinical practice, I feel these changes must be made in the context of reality. They must be fiscally responsible, and the profession of physical therapy must be an accessible goal for all who qualify. Schools must not proliferate as mere investment potentials. The patients, physicians, and administrators we serve and work with must not be misled into thinking that a professional (entry-level) clinical doctorate is more desirable than a master's degree with clinical experience. The APTA has to exert its influence on the development and revision of more stringent accreditation criteria. Our elected leaders should lead for the common good; they should not have their own agendas. It is unreasonable to suggest a moratorium on accreditation and proliferation of schools and at the same time propose larger class sizes with longer and more expensive academic programs, especially in the face of the current supply-and-demand imbalance. We have already received enough bad press in The Wall Street Journal regarding supply and demand. I would suggest that the officials in APTA enlist the assistance of all practicing clinicians before an "enlightened few" make a serious mistake regarding professional qualifications. Physical therapy will survive the pendulum swing of cost-driven-only health care. Let's hope the next aspiring Mary McMillan will not change her or his occupational desires merely on the grounds of temporary fiscal incompatibility.

Michael W ThomasPT

Cary, NC

Editor's Response:

Jules M RothsteinPhD, PT, FAPTA, Editor in Chief

To the Editor:

In response to the article by Threlkeld et al in the same issue, I believe this will be another step to improve our credibility to the public. A title does not make us who we are, but should reflect our accomplishments. All those who have earned a degree of some sort should be proud of the accomplishments they have made and be able to show them off if they choose to do so. However, this does not demonstrate whether they can do the job. They may have all the paper qualifications in the world, but if they are unable to perform the task at hand, then what good are they? I apologize for being blunt, but the reality in our society is, if you cannot perform, then you're gone. Now, you can probably fool people for a period of time, but eventually it will catch up to you. I personally have seen this happen. This last point is probably what drives me to keep up with what is going on. I want to be able to provide the services people expect of us and continue to improve, modify, or implement programs and techniques to deliver these services.

So does a title ensure that? In my opinion, no. My hope is that we will focus on other issues that will continue to allow our profession to grow versus how our names look. As a true clinician, I am more interested in function versus appearance. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to our profession. I appreciate your contributions and have actually benefited from them.

Johnny Galver

Salem, Ore

This Article Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Rapid Responses are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Thomas, M. W Articles by Galver, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Thomas, M. W Articles by Galver, J.