[Tono23]

Hello All,

I would like to share a thought of mine with you. Does anyone know or have you considered a career change from accounting/audit to physical therapy, and that individual incurred additional student loan debt? Average starting salary is 66k as a PT.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy lasts 33 months as a full-time student at various tuition rates.For example, a program in Illinois runs for $38,979 per semester, and all programs require pre-requisites i.e., Biology, chemistry, etc in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree.

Imagine having 53k from accounting degree then incurring the DPT debt on top of that.

Kindly opine on this matter.

[Missy]

People make drastic career changes all the time. I would never even consider adding that much education debt to over 50k of existing debt. Personally I'd recommend finding work in a health care related field for a while to determine if this is your PASSION or just a whim, and find something that will offer tuition reimbursement and work your way through that program. Even if you have to work Baylor shifts to accomodate your school schedule.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[atx15]

I went the other way. I went from a social sciences field (I have a Masters in Psychology) to accounting. Yes, I incurred the additional debt (I got an Associates in Accounting and then an MBA in Accounting in order to get the education and hours to sit for the CPA exam). Is it worth it? I decided to change careers when I was 28ish and I'm rounding out my third year in accounting. So far I enjoy it and I'm making more money than I was in my previous field (no money isn't everything, but it's helping to pay the bills and student loans). I feel more challenged everyday and I find that I learn new things all the time. I like math and accounting more than I like psychology. I've come to realize that psychology is more of a hobby, even though I was really good at my job. So, to me, the change was worth it. My husband and I live way below our means, so I'm paying extra on my student loans and I'm planning to pay those off in the next few years.

I think you have to ask yourself why you want to change careers. Is it the money, is it the field of physical therapy, are you just bored with accounting? Most DPT programs also require you to get a letter of recommendation from a physical therapist that you have done an internship with. Have you spoken with any physical therapists to get a feel for their day to day work? It would be a real bummer to go through all of this work just to realize that this isn't really something you enjoy doing everyday.

AUD - 72, 83
BEC - 71
REG - 74, 77
FAR - Aug 2016

[ultrarunner]

If you are young and have a passion, then you should go for it. I was in grad. school for a long time and eventually failed because I didn't have a passion. I switched my career to accounting when I was in 30's. I didn't have much loan because I took classes at CCs. Anyway, I was impressed with PT and the therapists when I took PT session for back pain. You should join PT forum and talk to the real PT person to learn what it is like to work in PT.

FAR 72,67,79 (Roger+Wiley test bank)11/15
AUD 80 (Roger)10/15
BEC 80 (Roger)4/16
REG 63,78 (Roger+Ninja MCQs)5/16

[aspencookie]

I can tell you one thing, KNOW YOUR ANATOMY. My sister decided to do the same thing and got into one of the best PT Schools in Texas. The program is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT and VERY VERY TEDIOUS. I am talking about a sister who was ranked No. 1 in 423 students of her graduating class and went to Cornell. Even she thought she would not make it at times. The classes for PT are almost the same as classes for Nursing and first year of Med School. You have to have experience to get into a PT school and once you get in, you are literally studying like a first year med student. It is A LOT OF WORK, I never saw my sister and we lived in the same house. She also had a lot of mental problems because of it, depression, anxiety, etc etc. Also it was not cheap, its expensive debt wise. A lot of people dont make it out the first year. If you fail gross anatomy you have one more chance to take it or you will be taken off the program. There are only a few people who survive it. Also it does involve dissection, so you cannot be scared of bodies. Also if you are a numbers person and have dealt with numbers your whole life, get ready to switch your mind to studying theory which is not easy for some people. Patients in PT can also be very demanding, i know this because i remember her coming home and telling me horror stories. If you can study like a first year med student for the next 2.5 years then yes go for it. I saw this whole thing play out with my own family member and no it was not easy. So i would say reallly really realllly think about it before you jump in. Also forget about math for a while once you start, you will be doing anatomy literally all day long. And they also look at what school you graduated from and that effects your pay, just the harsh reality of Science majors. I am not trying to scare you but Im telling you like it is from first hand witness experience.

Does anyone know or have you considered a career change from accounting/audit to physical therapy, and that individual incurred additional student loan debt?– expensive and yes you will incur debt.

SUPER IMPORTANT – Dont do it for the money, since I noticed you mentioned the salary in your question. Money depends on how many clients your clinic can get in at one time and what type of issues they have, Workers Comp, Medicaid, Medicare, Insurance etc etc. So nothing is guaranteed…hell…not even making it through PT school is guaranteed. Sorry. I am just being real.

[Author]

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