Why PT Education Must Meet Students Where They Are

Celia Zamora has been a West Point cadet, an English teacher, a Spanish teacher, a linguist, and an association executive. Today she leads the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT), the organization that supports DPT programs across the country. Sarina Richard asks whether DPT programs are preparing clinicians for the reality of practice. Celia starts with the learner: Gen Alpha thinks and processes differently, and incoming students arrive with fewer study skills, soft skills, and face-to-face conversation practice than the faculty teaching them. Celia questions what a single licensure exam can measure and describes a triangulated alternative that pairs testing with observations, portfolios, and residency. She also explains why DPT tuition can run from $65,000 to $200,000, why students need loan education before they sign, and why a part-time DPT path could open access. Celia's rule for AI is to be the human in the room: use AI to free up time for patients, check what a scribe writes, and keep the underlying skills sharp. She also sees new graduates arrive afraid of AI because their education treated it as taboo. With demand for PT outpacing supply, Celia argues this is not the time to lower the bar. She points to outreach in high schools and undergraduate programs, a culture that encourages students to fail fast, and the question ACAPT's new strategic plan puts on the table: what does excellence in PT education actually mean? Hear Celia’s clear view of what tomorrow's clinicians need from their education, and what your practice can do to help close the gap. Chapters 00:00 Welcome and a quick pre-interview chat 02:57 From West Point to leading ACAPT 06:41 What drew Celia to PT education 08:23 Are DPT programs preparing clinicians for practice? 11:38 Declining test scores and rethinking how we test 16:27 Closing the gap between school and the clinic 19:11 Tuition, student loans, and salary reality 23:01 Redesigning the student experience 26:33 What AI changes in PT education 30:05 AI scribes and student documentation 32:03 Data, bias, and AI governance 34:10 Keeping standards high during a workforce shortage 36:23 Structural change: part-time DPT programs 38:29 Why failing fast leads to innovation 39:22 What excellence in PT education means Celia Zamora Executive Director, American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT) Celia Zamora, PhD, CAE, is the executive director of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT), a role she has held since 2025. She holds a doctorate in applied linguistics from Georgetown and spent more than 15 years in education before moving into association leadership at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). She earned her Certified Association Executive credential along the way. Celia is a marathon runner who leads with authenticity and a habit of finding the connection in every room. Connect with Celia Zamora on LinkedIn:   / cchomon-zamora   Learn more about the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy: https://acapt.org/ Sarina Richard Chief Strategy Officer, Raintree Systems Sarina Richard has spent twenty years as a Healthcare Technology Executive across the healthcare continuum, from operator to service provider to financier. At Raintree, Sarina oversees corporate strategic planning and leads cross-departmental initiatives to build best-in-class teams, systems, and processes. Connect with Sarina Richard on LinkedIn:   / sarinarichard   About Raintree Raintree is the rehabilitation and physical therapy software of choice for enterprise and large therapy provider organizations. Discover why Raintree is the trusted EMR and practice management platform for the largest and most ambitious rehab therapy organizations in the U.S. Request a demo of Raintree: https://www.raintreeinc.com/request-a...