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ATLANTA–Georgia State University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy 41-person Class of 2020 has earned a rare 100 percent first-time pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE).
The graduates, now licensed to practice, join an elite national group. According to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy which administer the exam, only eight physical therapy programs out of 247 nationwide had a 100 percent first-time pass rate in 2018-19. The national pass rates for 2019-20 will be published later in the year.
“It is not easy to get all 41 students in a class to pass the first time, and definitely not with all the anxieties of an ongoing pandemic,” said Sujay Galen, department chair and associate professor of physical therapy.
Two students in the 2020 class, Emma Davis and Luke Tidwell, earned an 800 out of 800 top score on the exam. Required by states to practice physical therapy, the national NPTE exam questions focus on all aspects of physical therapy practice at the entry-level. Tidwell is a double Panther who earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Georgia State before pursuing his doctor’s degree.