The 800 Mindset: NPTE Prep, Active Recall & Becoming a Better Clinician

Dillinger Carr didn’t approach the NPTE with the goal of simply getting through it. He decided to see how close he could get to the highest achievable score—and earned an 800.

But this conversation isn’t really about chasing a number.

It’s about what happens when students stop relying on passive studying and start building systems designed for retention, application, and long-term clinical growth.

Dillinger, a practicing PTA and student physical therapist, joins Katie Sutton to share how he used practice exams, active recall, flashcards, the 80/20 rule, and spaced review to prepare for the NPTE.

He explains why simply rereading a massive board-prep textbook wasn’t part of his strategy, and why every missed practice question became an opportunity to uncover multiple knowledge gaps.

The conversation then moves beyond board preparation.

Dillinger shares how he continues using the same system as a practicing clinician: recognizing something he doesn’t understand, researching it, turning it into something he can actively recall, and revisiting it over time.

Katie and Dillinger also explore the PTA-to-DPT decision, including one of the most important questions PTAs should consider before returning to school:

What do you actually want from the additional education?

They discuss tuition, lost income while attending school, scholarships, return on investment, professional responsibility, career goals, and why the DPT pathway may make sense for one PTA while being completely unnecessary for another.

And in the episode’s Plus Point, Dillinger makes the case that continued learning can do more than improve clinical skill—it may also help protect clinicians from burnout by keeping the work challenging, engaging, and meaningful.

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