Entry Pathway and Student Success in a Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Area of Science:

• Physical Therapy Education
• Health Professions Admissions
• Student Success Metrics

Background:

• Declining applications challenge health professions programs, including Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT).
• Identifying students with high success potential in DPT programs and on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the academic and professional success of early assurance (EA) and post-baccalaureate (PB) students in DPT programs.
• To analyze differences in Grade Point Average (GPA), graduation rates, and NPTE performance between EA and PB students.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 216 DPT students (2017-19) from University of the Sciences/Saint Joseph's University.
• Comparison of P1 and P3 GPAs, graduation rates, and first-time (NPTE-1) and ultimate (NPTE-U) NPTE pass rates between EA and PB groups.
• Statistical analysis included independent t-tests, chi-square tests, and stepwise regression models.

Main Results:

• Post-baccalaureate (PB) students achieved higher P1 and P3 GPAs than early assurance (EA) students.
• EA students demonstrated higher graduation rates compared to PB students.
• No significant differences were observed in NPTE-1 or NPTE-U passing rates between the two groups.

Conclusions:

• Both early assurance (EA) and post-baccalaureate (PB) admission pathways yield students with distinct strengths.
• Students from both pathways demonstrate comparable success on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE).
• The early assurance pathway presents a viable alternative to traditional post-baccalaureate admissions for DPT programs.