Relationship Between Grit Scale Score and Academic Performance in a Doctor of Physical Therapy Program: A Case Study

Admission into Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs includes assessment of academic and non-academic metrics. Due to a lack of reliability of non-academic data, programs may base the admission decision solely on academic metrics. The Grit Scale score (GSs) has well-documented reliability associated with perseverance and passion in the context of long-term goals. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between the GSs and final cumulative DPT grade point average (GPA) and between the GSs and final DPT class rank, and thus determine if the GSs is a useful non-academic metric in the admission process.

This nonexperimental correlational cohort study examined data from 168 DPT students during the years of 2012-2016 from one eastern university. The 12-item Grit Scale was administered during the on-site DPT application interview as part of the overall application process. Final cumulative DPT GPA and final DPT class rank were obtained from the students' university records.

There was a moderate, positive, linear correlation between the students' GSs and class rank percentile (r=0.532, p<0.01) and a moderate, positive, linear correlation between the students' GSs and their final cumulative DPT GPA (r=0.553, p<0.01).

With this evidence, DPT admissions committees may choose to consider the GSs as a non-academic admission metric to aid the admission's process. Additional research is needed to discern the effectiveness of the GSs as a predictor of performance in the professional program and in other entry-level health care academic programs.