The most dangerous words in physical therapy: “Im just a PT”
It begins so casually:
“Welcome to Specialized Physical Therapy Ms. Burton. Its great to have your here! Let me introduce you to your therapist!!” A peppy front office manager chirps from her post. Quickly springing up from her chair and into the recesses of the therapists office.
A few zippy steps and she skips back to the lobby – therapist in tow.
“Ms. Burton, this is Dr. Spencer! He will be your therapist today!!!”
“Doctor?! Oh wow! Dr. Spencer, Ive heard so much about you!” Ms. Burton exclaims.
Sheepishly the therapist replies, “Oh, thank you Ms. Burton. But Im just a PT. Just call me Shawn.”
Right there. It has already begun.
In a healthcare industry where credibility is king, every time we downgrade our degree, our skills, or professional license, we are surrendering our hard earned place as the experts that we are – in the eyes of our patients and in the eyes of the entire medical community.
What baffles me is that in no other profession where advanced degrees are required do we see this phenomenon. Even marginalized professions such as chiropractors and naturopaths insist that they are referred to as doctor – so why don’t we? We all know of a handful of PA’s that even lay claim to the title!
It is time we take pride in our training and abilities. The fact that prior generations of therapists were not required the same advanced level of formal education does not have any relevance on the use of the title afforded by our degrees. Last time I checked my degree states “Doctor of Physical Therapy,” and I did not spend nearly $200 Grand, only to deny myself the use of the title to sound more “approachable.”
Therapists self sabotaging their hard earned credibility in an effort to sound modest and humble must come to an end.
Most importantly, by refusing to take our position atop the rehab hierarchy as the movement specialists, our patients are unknowingly missing out. Having professional pride is a cornerstone in building effective patient confidence and buy-in. If we are unwilling to defend our expertise and advanced credentials then how much more difficult will it become to build patient confidence in complex exercise routines and challenging rehabilitation programs? What about defending treatment plans from other members of the medical community?
A recent client of mine was experiencing left sided posterior leg pain along with a laundry list of other comorbidities, (as do many of our home health clients) and I prescribed some simple lumbar extension exercises – which were symptom abolishing in the session. During the follow-up visit she reported that she had seen her pain management doctor who said that the particular exercise I had given her was bad and that she should avoid it! Surprise, surprise, pain returned!
Had I simply tucked my tail and surrendered the case to a physician who likely has not had an anatomy or biomechanics course since first year med school, this patient would still be in agony.
Now, Im not saying that we should all zealously shove credentials down the throats of our patients and fellow healthcare practitioners. We all have our speciality and we all have our place. But I do not adjust the medication regimen of my chronic pain patients, nor do I even progress the weight bearing status of a post-operative ortho patient without instruction – I do not know the intricate interactions between the different medications these patient are on and I was not the one to delicately pin fragments of bone into alignment. We must each firmly command respect in the realm of healthcare we occupy. Inappropriately deferring clinical decisions to another practitioner just because “MD” is in front of their name is professional negligence. Our clinical decisions must be able to stand alone in the medical record.
Should the thought of demanding this level of professional responsibility be daunting to you, go become a specialist. Entry level skills are quickly becoming insufficient both in terms of patient care as well as in job acquisition. Knowledge is truly power, and pushing yourself to obtain further education will only bolster your confidence in your ability to create accurate and effective care plans.
Therapists self sabotaging their hard earned credibility in an effort to sound modest and humble must come to an end. As a collective, we must step up to the professional and social standards expected of “doctors,” and take pride in doing so. Embracing the title while understanding its connotations. It is time we are ready to no longer be known as Just PT’s but as the Doctors of Physical Therapy that we are!
Written by: Dr. Stephen Stockhausen PT, OCS
Call for comments: We would love to get your take on this issue! Comment or email to let us know what you thought!
Pride and respect are a result of how you do your job, not what you insist on calling yourself. There is an ethical middle ground between “I’m just a PT”, and “Hi, I’m doctor Spencer”. If asked what I do while at my kid’s school, shall I also call myself a “teacher” since most of what I do is education? Much as I would not call myself “doctor” if identifying myself at a conference of philosophers, I would expect you not to call yourself “Dr. Stockhausen” while practicing in a medical environment.
Introducing yourself by your first name does not “downgrade your degree”. I do it every time I enter an exam room with a new patient. “Take our position atop the rehab hierarchy”? I respect the pride you have in your profession, but the tone of this article implies a hubris that I believe (and hope) you do not possess.
Chip Thanks for the comment!
I think you bring up some very good talking points and may in fact aid in illustrating the point I am trying to get across.
You are exactly right. In a mixed environment where medical practitioners are all in close interaction it may not be appropriate for therapist to insist on being referred to as “doctor.” Nor would it be appropriate for us introduce ourself as “doctor” without further clarifying “Physical Therapist” as well.
Given that this site is mainly perused by therapists I did not state that it is professional standard to ALWAYS clarify the “Physical Therapist” when using the prefix “doctor.”
Also, referring to ourselves by our first name is totally fine and even encouraged. The main emphasis of this post was in the self diminution of our title. Many times therapists come off almost as being embarrassed by the title, when in fact we should all be quite proud of the rigorous academic challenge we overcame.
The last bit of your comment actually serves to illustrate the exact misconception that our profession has been combating for some time. Despite clinical diagnostic skills rivaling that of Orthopedic Surgeons (http://www.jospt.org/doi/pdf/10.2519/jospt.2005.35.2.67) and spearheading much of the rehabilitative research – on a whole, we still get overlooked. (We could go into detail about the historical impression of our profession but for the sake of time and space lets save that for another post, or a beer when we get back home) In terms of the “rehab hierarchy” statement, I stand by the comment. Ask our mutual friend Brian (a fantastic orthopedic surgeon), beyond weight bearing restrictions and some surgery specific parameters, the majority of the rehab protocol is left up to his therapists. I was not the one to skillfully stitch tendons back together, I did not see how delicate the repair was or quality of the tissues – therefore it would be inappropriate for me to assume I could accurately progress that patient without his guidance. We all have our role in the treatment of our patients. Therapists need to OWN our role in the rehab and restorative movement realm.
I hope this cleared up any confusion. I only meant to encourage my fellow therapists to have confidence and pride in the skills that we posses. And to challenge ourselves to further improve the profession, within our area of the medical community.
Hope we can get together again soon!
Why do you think it isn’t standard practice in the UK or Australia for Physical Therapists with a DPT to adopt the title Dr?
Neil, D.Phty
I once had a consultation with a suregoen who scribbled out the ‘Dr’ box that I had ticked on my health history form when I told him I was Physio. He didn’t even look up.
http://pride.physio/trust-im-doctor/