The relationship between physical therapy work experience, demographics, and DPT admissions

This retrospective study looked at the relationship between prior physical therapy related work experience, acceptance into a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, and demographic variables including race, annual family income, first generation college student status, and being raised in an urban, suburban, or rural environment. Data for all 17,862 applicants to the Physical Therapist Centralized Application System (PTCAS) in the 2021–2022 application cycle were included. Analysis of applicants included 32% with relevant work experience, 61% white, 21% first-generation college students, 22% with family income below the median, and 25% from rural backgrounds. Employment history was coded by the authors as being directly related to physical therapy or not. Admissions decisions were coded as being accepted or denied based on the most positive result. Chi-square was used to evaluate relationships between work experience and demographic variables. Applicants with paid work experience were found to be less likely to be accepted to a DPT program (p = .006). Weak but significant relationships were found between work experience and all demographic variables analyzed. White applicants (p = .001) and those from rural communities (p = .001) were significantly less likely to have physical therapy related work experience, while those whose family income was <$50,000 were more likely to have such experience (p = .021).