The Physical Therapy Learning Institute is proud to host the
2026 Disruptive Innovation in Physical Therapist Education Virtual Summit:
​“Rethinking Return on Investment, Access, Affordability,
and Abundance in DPT Education"
hosted on April 10-11, 2026
Summit Description:
The 2026 Disruptive Innovation in PT Education Summit convenes academic leaders, private practice owners, educators, and clinicians to confront one of the most urgent issues facing physical therapy today: How do we ensure the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) remains a high-value, financially sustainable degree in the face of rising tuition, capped federal loans, and widening equity gaps?
With new national data on student debt, demographic disparities, and workforce needs, this summit challenges institutions to rethink the economic model of physical therapist education. While many DPT graduates continue to realize a positive return on investment (ROI), the tipping point appears to be narrowing—particularly for students taking on debt exceeding $150,000, a threshold above which the economic power of the degree declines. For learners from minoritized racial and ethnic backgrounds, the debt burden is often greater, and their experiences within educational programs more tenuous.
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Learn more about the Summit.
Early Interest Sign-Up:
If you are interested in attending, please sign up using the link below share your contact information. We will share additional details and registration information as it becomes available. Cost of attendance is $100 for full conference attendance and participation.
Please note that registration is limited to 200 participants. Registered participants will receive access to the recordings of the presentations and the presenters’ slides after the event.
Keynote Presentations:
Michael D. Smith, PhD
The first of our two keynote speakers is Michael D. Smith, PhD. Dr. Smith is the J. Erik Jonsson Professor of Information Technology and Marketing at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College of Public Policy and Management and the author of The Abundant University. Dr. Smith believes our current system of higher education is financially and morally unsustainable and proposes the creative implementation of digital technologies for enrollment, instruction, and credentialing of students as the solution. While acknowledging the understandable self-preservation instinct of our current system of residential education, Smith makes a case for how technology can engender greater educational opportunity and create changes that will benefit students, employers, and society as a whole.
The second of our keynote speakers is Todd Telemeco, PT, DPT, PhD. Dr. Telemeco was recently installed as the
president of Mary Baldwin University. Dr. Telemeco most recently served as the Vice President for the Murphy
Deming College of Health Sciences and has 20+ years of professional higher education experience including
extensive experience as a clinician, private practice owner, faculty member, founding program director, dean, and
vice president prior to his installation as president. Dr. Telemeco will discuss both the challenges facing health
professions education and university leadership as well as how he leverages the listening, analysis, and diagnosis he honed as a physical therapist and clinician in problem solving, decision making, and strategic planning.
Todd Telemeco,
PT, DPT, PhD
Key Themes & Topics:
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Abundance in Action
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Access and Equity in the Current Political Climate
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The True Cost and Value of a DPT Degree
Summit Format:
This virtual, online summit will occur April 10-11, 2026 (see detailed agenda below). Attendance is limited to 200 attendees representing a wide variety of interested parties in physical therapist education including educators from entry-level education programs, clinical educators, and educators from residency/fellowship programs. Over the course of the summit, there will be 2 keynote addresses and three sessions which will include a presentation followed by small group and general conversation around the application of the theme of the Summit across the continuum of physical therapist education (i.e.,entry-level/didactic education, clinical education, and residency/fellowship/continuing professional development). This will be followed by a general summary session to create action plans for innovation in our own environments.
Summit Agenda:.
The agenda below outlines the sessions that took place during the Summit. To learn more about the speakers, click on their name below:
Friday, April 10, 2026 (all times are Eastern Time Zone):
4:00p-6:30p:
Keynote Speaker Presentations and Q &A, featuring
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Michael Smith, PhD
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Todd Telemeco, PT, DPT, PhD
Saturday, April 11, 2026 (all times are Eastern Time Zone):
11:00a-1:00p:
Topic 1: Abundance in Action
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1:30p-3:00p:
Topic 2: Access and Equity in the Current Political Climate
3:15p-4:20p:
Topic 3: The True Cost and Value of a DPT Degree
4:30p-5:15p:
Group Comments/Reflection Closing Remarks, and Program Evaluation
Questions?
Please contact Summit Organizers Karen Abraham at kabraham@su.edu.
