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April 23, 2002
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Contact: |
Mike Andrei
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Daemen is First Small College in
New York State to Offer Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree
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Adapting to changes occurring in
the physical therapy profession, Daemen College will now offer a Doctor
of Physical Therapy degree (DPT), becoming the first small, private
college in New York State to offer the advanced level program. The
DPT degree replaces Daemen's current BS/MS physical therapy degree. "Changes are affecting every aspect of the health care field, and Daemen College is moving forward to offer the newest degree program for practitioners of physical therapy," said Daemen President Dr. Martin J. Anisman. "Those who graduate with this degree will acquire considerable breadth and depth in their educational preparation. They will meet societal expectations that an autonomous healthcare practitioner be a clinical doctor, while also fulfilling the recently endorsed professional position of the American Physical Therapy Association." Michael S. Brogan PT, associate professor of physical therapy and chair of the Daemen College Physical Therapy Department added, "The Doctor of Physical Therapy degree realizes many of the profession's goals in the coming decades, including: direct access, elevated status for reimbursement purposes, and clinical competence consistent with evidence-based practice, such as in the professions of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, veterinary, optometry, and podiatry. This represents an important piece of the future of the physical therapy profession. "The professional (entry-level) DPT programs more accurately reflect the scope, depth, and rigor associated with the preparation required for current and future practice, and the program offers a sound educational background that should better prepare the graduate to enter clinical practice with proficiency in examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention competencies. The DPT degree will also better facilitate the consumer's recognition of the physical therapist as a fully autonomous health care practitioner. Finally, the DPT degree will better facilitate interactions with medical colleagues on an equal basis, while offering greater knowledge, skills, and behaviors related to the administration and business components of physical therapy practice; the DPT positions the physical therapist to advocate and negotiate more successfully on behalf of high-quality health care, the consumer, and the profession." During the Physical Therapy National Conference in Indianapolis, 2000, the American Physical Therapy Association House of Delegates endorsed a professional position "APTA Vision Statement for Physical Therapy 2020," which views the profession of physical therapy, twenty years in the future, provided by physical therapists who are doctors of physical therapy – DPT. Additional information about the Daemen College Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree Program can be obtained on the Daemen web site, www.daemen.edu, or through contacting the Daemen Office of Admissions. |