quote:which in most cases requires only a BS whereas, PT- in most states requires an MS.
Yep and you can be a PT with an art degree... Many PT programs have about the same amount of related education as an AT program; they just are that much more in debt!
Don't get me wrong; I work with some excellent PTs. At least one of them have only a bachelors degree. In fact states don't require a specific degree; the APTA has decided that the DPT is the new "standard" and everybody else is being grandfathered in.
That said, when it becomes time to begin throwing programs and such, the athletic trainer is the best bet in many cases. PTs do not have the time nor the experience typically to execute a throwing program or any other athletic functional progression. In our company, the athletic trainer takes over much more of the rehab process at the time functional activities are needed.
For me, much of my rehab gets referred to PT not because I don't have the skills or education to do it, but because I don't have the time to do it with my athletes.