Factors Influencing Entry-Level Physical Therapy Graduates' Decisions to Participate in Residency Education

All Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs in the United States prepare students to demonstrate entry-level clinical performance upon graduation. Clinical residency programs are an option for DPT graduates seeking to specialize in a practice area.

There is little research published on why DPT graduates decide to pursue residency education (RE) or not. This study aimed to determine factors influencing a Physical Therapist's (PT) decision-making process in choosing to pursue a postgraduate residency.

PTs within 3 years of graduation and third-year DPT program students were surveyed. Most respondents were from DPT programs in the northeastern United States.

A survey was created, piloted, and disseminated to various DPT programs. The survey asked participants their perceptions of motivating factors or barriers to pursuing a RE using multiple choice questions and Likert items. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were reported. One-way analysis of variances, chi-square analysis, and unpaired t tests were used.

Students who considered residency in their second year are 26.5× more likely to apply for a residency (P < .001). Participants strongly agreed with the statements that residency will increase confidence when practicing in their specialty area (1.39 ± 0.48), expand their knowledge as clinicians (1.39 ± 0.051), and expedite proficient practice (1.72 ± 0.057). Participants considered student burnout, the cost of residency, student loan debt, and geographical relocation as the top barriers to pursuing residency. Men were significantly more confident in their ability to apply to residency (F = 8.219, P = .005). Married individuals perceived loans or financial obligations (F = 3.607, P = .029), family obligations (F = 17.170, P < .001), and geographical limitations (F = 3.825, P = .024) as barriers more than single individuals.

There are many variables DPT students and recent graduates consider when deciding whether to pursue RE. RPs and entry-level DPT programs should consider these factors to promote increased participation in postprofessional RE.