RE: Use of Doctor to introduce self

[Guest guest]

Dear List Serve,

I have had several requests for the title or link to the study I

cited in the post below. It is " Clinical Diagnostic Accuracy and

MRI of patients referred by PT, Orthopedic Surgeons and non

Orthopaedic Providers " et al, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther;

Volume 35, #2, February 2005. The study was the recipient of the

Sports Physical Therapy Section Excellence in Research Award.

E. s, PT, DPT

Orthopedic Clinical Specialist

Fellow American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists

www.douglasspt.com

-- In PTManager , " s " wrote:

>

> ,

> you are confusing the use of the title Dr. with your understanding

of

> what a doctor is. It is apparent that you feel that only

physicians

> should use the title Dr.. When you say our residency programs are

> nowhere near adequate I assume you are talking about the PT

student

> on clinical internship, and I would agree with you on this point.

I

> do think that the profession needs to evolve to the point that

> graduating students need to serve a clinical internship as a paid,

> working, liscensed PT under the guidance and instruction of a

> clinical resident in the specialty of his or her chosing, much

like

> an MD is required to do following graduation. This is happening

> right now all around the country by people who chose to do so but

at

> some point I hope it becomes mandatory, maybe as a requirement for

> Board Certification, again following the MD model. As for the

idea

> that we as PT's are not advanced enough to determine medical

> necessity i would strongly disagree and argument would be greatly

> strengthened by a recent article published that looked at the

> diagnostic abilities of residency trained PT's vs. Orthos vs

internal

> med docs in which the PT's far outscored the im guys and were

right

> on par with the orthos (google baylor us army PT residency and i

am

> sure you can find the link). Finally, you state that " we dont get

> paid without the order " and here again, I would disagree, there

are

> several insurance companies who will pay without referral if you

are

> in a direct acess state. Patients will also pay, if they feel

they

> are recieving a service of value, this has been demonstrated over

and

> over again in our clinic. Medicare will soon pay as well, thanks

to

> the hard work and dedication of those in the APTA, and the

> advancement to the clinical doctorate was the first step towards

that

> reality.

> There are several great programs around the country that will

> teach you how to " know and defend our treatment techniques from a

> physiological and medical standpoint " . I suggest you take one of

> these, and then you can decide whether or not to call

> yourself " doctor " instead of being critical of those of us who

have

> already done the work.

>

> E. s, PT, DPT

> Orthopedic Clinical Specialist

> Fellow American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists

> www.douglasspt.com

>

>

>

>

>

>

> >

> > =============

> > Hi, -

> >

> > " Good afternoon. I'm Dr. Dick Hillyer, and I'm your physical

> therapist. "

> > (...or " consultant " , when that's the relationship.)

Absolutely.

> At almost

> > 63 yrs of age, I'm not much on being obsequious in hopes of

> appeasing

> > potential referral sources. That's not what a new OB/GYN in

town

> would do,

> > either.

> >

> > I don't prescribe drugs. I don't follow " orders. " I am

> responsible for my

> > own judgements, decisions, and actions. I am not

an " ancillary. "

> My

> > doctorate was awarded by the Faculty and Board of Trustees and

was

> conferred

> > by the Dean of the School Studies of a fully accredited, 109

year

> old

> > college with over 50 academic majors.

> >

> > We are real. In my State (Florida) you may come to me directly

for

> 21 days.

> > If your knee, or whatever, was *ever* attended to by an MD, DO,

or

> PA, that

> > restriction does not apply.

> >

> > Payment for that direct access by third parties is still a

> problem. We're

> > working on that everywhere. If we don't get it, little of the

rest

> matters.

> >

> > Since therapists everywhere are upgrading their knowledge and

being

> > recognized with appropriate doctorates, physical therapists are

> taking their

> > rightful places in society alongside Doctors of Podiatry,

Clinical

> > Psychiatrists, Pharmacists, Dentists, Veterinarians, Ph.D. Speech

> > Pathologists and Audiologists, or Doctors of Ministry, and

Lawyers

> with

> > J.D.s. We also look forward to doctorally prepared Advanced

Nurse

> > Practitioners.

> >

> > We're almost halfway to 2020. This summer our local University

> starts its

> > first class of DPTs. Any organization, facility, or individual

> therapist

> > with a DPT should be communicating the difference --

> differentiating their

> > presence or service, to use a marketing term -- before every new

> graduate

> > has one.

> >

> > I hope that this is stimulating and positive. PTs are making

> progress

> > everywhere.

> >

> > Best regards,

> > Dick Hillyer

> >

> >

> >

> > Dr. W. Hillyer,PT,DPT,MBA,MSM

> > Hillyer Consulting

> > Cape Coral, FL

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > _____

> >

> > From: PTManager

[mailto:PTManager ]

> On Behalf

> > Of Zerr Summit Physical Therapy

> > Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 3:10 PM

> > To: PTManager

> > Subject: Use of " Doctor " to introduce self

> >

> >

> >

> > Hi Group,

> >

> > The other day I had a PT call me soliciting as a employment

> placement

> > company. He introduced his self as Doctor so and so to my staff.

I

> always

> > take calls from doctors so I did. Unfortunately this is a

technique

> to get

> > past the screening of my front office.

> >

> > So, I asked who he was and whom he worked for. I asked if he was

a

> doctor

> > and the answer was yes. I then asked what type of doctor. His

reply

> was

> > " physical therapy, so I don't need to explain my credentials. "

> >

> > I couldn't believe it. Since when do we call ourselves doctors.

We

> do not

> > have physician status and until then we aren't doctors. Until we

> have

> > physician status we are ancillary staff. That is how physicians

are

> able to

> > run POPTS.

> >

> > What are your thoughts on this one? Thank you!

> > -

> > Zerr,PT

> > Summit Physical Therapy

> > Tempe, Phoenix, Arizona

> > www.summitpt.com

> >

> > Fax

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

,

hey....I wasn't trying to offend you. I am sorry if I did. I just see so much

conversation about this topic, and I enjoy reading the comments, but by no means

do I feel that " portraying myself " takes the place of education. I think

education is of upmost importance in this profession, and have tried to keep up

with the " latest " in my area or practice that is scientifically proven to work.

I don't think I dismissed that " value of the DPT " at all. That said, I was

trying to just add to the conversation, and point being, it takes more than just

education to be good at this profession. Hard work, knowledge of business,

personal relation skills, and vision of the future, in addition to many other

things. I know a lot of therapists who are DPT and have the personality of a

fence post, so do they make a " good therapist " ? Not if they can't relate to a

patient. Sorry if I haven't had the time or money to get my DPT yet, but it is

in my future.

Matt Dvorak, PT

Yankton, SD

________________________________

From: PTManager on behalf of Dr. Ball, PT, DPT, PhD

Sent: Tue 5/20/2008 5:49 AM

To: PTManager

Subject: RE: Use of " Doctor " to introduce self

Folks,

I've been in the profession for 15 years and while I'm not an " oldie " per

se, I'm certainly seasoned. After 10 years of practice and after completion

of a PhD, I returned to earn a DPT. I was surprised to find that there was

considerable new knowledge to learn in imaging, differential medical

diagnostics, and updated pharmacology that while touched on in my MSPT

program . . . was not covered nearly as in depth as in my DPT program.

All of that is to say that when I hear a non-DPT dismiss the value of the

DPT by saying things like " it was not on option when I went to school "

(because a tDPT IS an option now) or " I guess it comes down to how be

portray ourselves " I find it a little offense, and I KNOW from conversation

with other novice DPT's and experienced tDPT's alike, that I'm not alone.

The general consensus among DPT's is this . . . If you choose not to return

to school for your DPT, that's fine. It's not for everyone. But to imply

that clinical experience is equal to the additional education gained through

a DPT, or that the experience of having a patient call an " oldie " PT

" doctor " justifies in the mind of a BSPT or MSPT that a DPT doesn't matter .

.. . well that's not only offensive, it's factually incorrect.

Finally, why are we even having a debate on the value of the new knowledge

gained via the DPT versus clinical experience? DON'T YOUR PATIENTS DESERVE

BOTH? Mine certainly do!

Dr. M. Ball, PT, DPT, PhD