WVU Doctor of Physical Therapy Program boasts impressive pass rate scores

All 44 graduates of the 2019 West Virginia University Doctor of Physical Therapy program have passed the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) on the first attempt.

The NPTE is the final step in the journey to become a licensed physical therapist. In the previous year, only 20% of all programs had a 100% first-time pass rate – putting WVU in an elite category, according to Ralph Utzman, PT, Ph.D., director of clinical education and professor of Physical Therapy.

“I am proud of our alumni in our DPT Class of 2019. This achievement is the culmination of three years and 120 credit hours of intensive doctoral-level graduate coursework,” he said. “Patients, communities and the profession are lucky to have this group of dedicated, hard-working physical therapists entering practice.”

All states require students to complete a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and pass the NPTE to obtain licensure. The standardized 5-hour, 250-question examination is designed to test students’ competence in the breadth and depth of contemporary physical therapist practice.

For more information on the WVU Physical Therapy program, visit https://medicine.hsc.wvu.edu/pt/.