course material

1. Assignment: Differences between a PhD and a professional doctorate
Assignment: Differences between a PhD and a professional doctorateAssignment:
Differences between a PhD and a professional doctorateHM Response Guidelines Read the
discussion post below. In your response, explain why you decided to respond to this
particular post. Ask a question, propose possible gaps in understanding, or build upon the
foundational knowledge to continue the discussion thread for further conversation. Your
response must be a minimum of 150 words in length. If your response offers an alternative
viewpoint or refers to the ideas or work of others, it must be supported by citing an outside
scholarly source, using APA style. Provide your own scholarly assessment of the differences
between a PhD and professional doctorate. Academia has long considered the PhD as the
terminal degree for graduates. Much has changed in the past several years regarding the
PhD compared to the DNP or other doctorate degrees. This student’s scholarly assessment
of the differences between a PhD and a professional doctorate include the perspective the
PhD is original research based, the doctorate is evidence/results based. Although society
could not have made advances that it has made without the PhD, in today’s world, the
doctorate has a more “practical application” and can be used to solve existing problems and
provide tangible outcomes (Fink, 2006). Professionally, this student has observed an
opposite acceptance of the doctorate compared to the PhD. This is most likely a result of the
lack of education of the persons who do not recognize or know what a doctorate is, but do
know what a PhD is. It is often difficult to explain to the general public and even peers about
the differences between them and why you have earned the title “Doctor” as well as how
your degree benefits healthcare and the organization where you work. Express your
opinion about why professional doctorates may be gaining ground in the marketplace now.
I think today, organizations are hard pressed to produce positive results in both the science
part of healthcare and the service part of healthcare. PhDs take considerable time to
develop their theses and test the results. Most of these are research or pharmaceutical
based and can be applied to those arenas. Organizations are looking for “real time” solutions
to assist with increasing their bottom line, increasing patient satisfaction and producing
positive outcomes. This requires a solution of an already identified problem or practice
issue. Doctorates fill a gap that has existed in the application of knowledge and
organizations. As healthcare organizations become educated in the benefits of doctorates
and how they can assist with strategic goals as well as obtain them, the need and demand
for doctorate prepared people will increase. Note your own current skill sets and how a
professional doctorate may help you meet your own career goals. Considering my

2. professional, current skill set, a professional doctorate may help me meet my own career
goals by showing prospective employers how the professional doctorate can be used to
solve their “real time” problems, provide improved outcomes, support and encourage
problem solving in the workplace and provide leading edge care and solutions. Heather
References Fink, D. (2006, January 1). The Professional doctorate: its relativity to the PhD
and relevance for knowledge economy. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 1, 35-44.
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