<p>Hello, DD is a junior in HS and has expressed interest in a 5-year accelerated program which results in a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. I am having trouble locating schools which offer this type of program via the normal college search tools and Google. We are on the east coast and will be mostly be looking there. Any ideas?<br>
Many Thanks!</p>
<p>Not sure ours is a doctoral program, but Rockhurst has an accelerated PT program. A very good one. We are in Kansas City.</p>
<p>Northeastern has a six year program</p>
<p>Not sure you will find a 5 year doctorate, there are 5 year masters programs but I don’t think you can squeeze in a doctorate in 5 years. I am an RN and my husband is an OT and we are amazed at the change in PT to a doctorate level. I can understand masters prep, OT programs have switched to this and it makes sense. I think the PT association is doing a good job of looking out for their members but not so sure this is really in the best interest of consumers.</p>
<p>Wow, are degrees from these programs respected in the PT field? In most other fields the shortest doctorate that is taken seriously usually takes at least seven years past high school.</p>
<p>D1 is graduating from a six year DPT program; she received her BS at the end of the 4th year. The graduate program is a 12 semester (year-round) program which she was able to start in her fourth year post-highschool by completing all requirements for her major and distribution classes in her first 3 years. The credits from her first year of the graduate program essentially counted towards the doctorate in PT and also as elective credits to finish the BS requirements. Most programs that I know of that allow the student to begin the doctorate before the BS is earned are set up this way. I don’t know of any that are shorter than 6 years.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. 5 years seems very short to me too. Hoosiermom, can you please tell me where your daughter is going? Thanks!</p>
<p>She’s at University of Evansville. I just re-read my post above; it should be 9 semesters not 12.</p>
<p>One other thing to consider: For high school students who are sure that physical therapy is the career they want to pursue, acceptance into one of the direct admit programs takes much anxiety out of the process of getting accepted into PT school since admission is competitive.</p>