Take it from Bill Boissonnault, PT, DPT, DHSc, FAPTA, executive vice president of professional affairs at APTA – Physical Therapists could make a very strong career in primary care. See some of what he has to say below:

“That ‘primary care culture’ starts in DPT programs, where students are being trained to provide that necessary broad level of service,” he says. “Students get academic grounding in differential diagnosis and medical screening necessary for patient triaging responsibilities.” Boissonnault adds, however, that “the more exposure students can get to primary care models during their clinical rotations—as in the VA model—the better, so they can see this type of care delivery in action and be fully appreciative of the possibilities and opportunities that exist for PTs in primary care.”

The bottom line, Boissonnault says, is that primary care presents “a huge opportunity for physical therapists, the profession, and the health system in terms of producing better care outcomes, ensuring optimal utilization of resources, and decreasing costs. There’s a gap in the provision of primary care that PTs are the best-trained providers to fill.”

Check out the full story from the American Physical Therapy Association’s PT in Motion.

APTA is an individual membership professional organization representing more than 100,000 member physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students.

Visit our website to learn more about the DPT program at The University of Scranton!