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Abstract

Purpose: The U.S. physical therapy workforce lacks diversity, largely influenced by healthcare program admission procedures that affect student diversity and, in turn, the profession itself. This study aimed to characterize applicants' demographic and educational profiles applying to a single accredited Doctor of Physical Therapy program and examine factors associated with admission outcomes when considering race.

Methods: This retrospective descriptive study analyzed data from 1,409 applicants to the U.S. Doctor of Physical Therapy program from 2017 to 2022. Data from pre-admission applications encompassed demographic details, overall grade point average (GPA), prerequisite GPA, graduate record examination (GRE) scores, average professional reference scores, and admission outcomes. Descriptive statistics included median, standard deviations, and frequency counts. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test showed the data was not normal, leading to a Mann-Whitney Test for comparison between minority and White applicants. Binary logistic regression assessed the link between racial status and admission outcome, with odds ratios significant at p<0.5.

Results: Pre-admission factors varied significantly between White and minority applicants. Among admitted students, minorities tended to have lower GRE scores (297 [285-300] versus 301 [296-307], p=0.04) but higher prerequisite GPA scores (3.73 [3.59-3.88] versus 3.61 [3.48-3.77], p=0.023) than White students, with no significant difference in overall GPA. Overall GPA (OR 0.092 [0.03, 0.30], P

Conclusion: The findings revealed significant variations in applicant profiles based on racial demographics, highlighting key factors that influenced admission decisions. These insights allow the program to evaluate its admissions strategies in alignment with its goals for promoting diversity and make informed adjustments to enhance representation among accepted candidates.

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