The purpose of the post series is to create some discussion on a pretty hot topic in PT, high tuition.  More than anything I want to hear from others in the field and some students on some ideas.

This is a pretty hot topic among all professional students, especially us current DPT students. WARNING: I tend to be on the optimist side of the future of DPT discussion, theres a lot of negativity and confusion about the future of reimbursement, tuition, blah blah, the world is ending… That’s not what I’m about, I think the cream rises to the top, and the cream in health care is the best and most efficient (cheapest) patient care. PT is in a very unique position to deliver both of those things, as well as offer preventative care. The problem with the cost of DPT school has a massive trickling effect that eventually lands on the health care system as a whole.  For example, Joe Shmoe, DPT gets out of school with $100,000 of debt, he is going to have to do everything he can to make his $50,000 starting salary work.  In many outpatient settings I know there are productivity bonuses, so the more patients Joe Shmoe sees the more he makes.  He sees 2 or 3 patients and hour in order to make more to pay off his debt.  Its a vicious cycle for the PT and the patient.

I know there are some bright thinkers out there testing models on how we can lighten the financial burden and make our education better by casting some of that burden onto technology.  These are the people we need to look toward, these are the ideas that are going to change our profession.

If you are interested in this there is a twitter discussion March 27th at 9est about it at #DPTStudent