Is it normal not to be out of school until I'm almost 30?

[MaybeDPT]

I'm trying to get a plan together because I feel overwhelmed, but this is what I have so far.
I am graduating by 2017 with a bachelors in Exercise Science, with honors. I'm trying for a minimum GPA of 3.7, I have a 3.81 right now (I'm a sophomore)
However, once I get my bachelors, I'll still have many classes to take to fulfill pre-reqs for the physical therapy schools I am looking at. (So far it's University of Washington, Columbia, Regis, San Francisco, University of Minnesota, and Boston U)

I'll be graduating when I'm 22. Then I'm taking a year to build my hours more and I guess complete all my other classes.
For some reason I thought the Exercise Science program would cover all the prereqs, but it doesn't, and leaves no room to take other classes! So then I'm entering school when I'm 23 or probably 24, and then I'm done with school when I'm 27. And then, jesus when I'm 27 I'll finally be out of school and just beginning my work as a traveling physical therapist.

Is this normal?? Are there other degrees or paths I can take?
I am worried because my scholarship runs out the Fall of 2017, and I don't want to be paying any more than what I will in grad school, lord help me.

My University doesn't offer a pre-physical therapy anything.

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[tweaze]

First off, I don't really think there is a "normal" path to getting through whatever education you need to get started on your career path. If you want to take less time, you may want to look at changing your major to something that you can finish your prerequisites with, eliminating the gap year and keeping your prerequisites covered by scholarship. Are you planning to graduate in Spring 2017? If your scholarship runs through Fall 2017, you may be able to push graduation to then, especially if you change your major. Some universities offer DPT programs where you begin as a freshman, but I think it's probably too late for that.

27 doesn't seem old to me - I will be 32 or 33 when I finish a DPT program, and I know there are plenty of people starting in their 30's and older. I graduated with my undergrad when I was 22, and then spent the last 6 years working while my husband finished his undergrad, started his career, and then I started my prerequisites last year. I don't think it was wasted time - I've had professional and personal experiences that I wouldn't trade to finish at a younger age.

 

[markelmarcel]

I agree with tweaze... There is no "normal" path to PT school and beyond. I graduated with my BS in 2007 and went back to school for pre-reqs in 2009 and just graduated PT school in 2013. I was 28 when I graduated.

 

[aroszko]

I just started my DPT, i'll be 28 almost 29 when I graduate. majority of my classmates are a few years younger but I think the average will be 25-27 when they graduate. In the end it really dosnt matter.

 

[wrennywren]

I was 36 when I graduated.

 

[Bluecase]

I was 28- still have 37ish more years of work before I can retire probably so what is the difference of 2-3 years in the grand scheme?

 

[NewTestament]

Welcome to the new economy, where it takes 20+ years of schooling to be financially independent and to do meaningful work.

 

[starrsgirl]

Agree with above...if you are only a sophomore you should be able to do the pre PT classes while you are still within your 4 year undergrad. It will save you time and money. Promise. Change your major if needed and get them done. Also consider summer classes at a community college.

 

[Lolawashere]

Yea definitely do the pre-reqs while you're in undergrad. Don't waste extra time and money graduating first and then completing the pre-reqs. I majored in athletic training in undergrad and still managed to take all the required PT school pre-reqs.

 

[jesspt]

I'm trying to get a plan together because I feel overwhelmed, but this is what I have so far.
I am graduating by 2017 with a bachelors in Exercise Science, with honors. I'm trying for a minimum GPA of 3.7, I have a 3.81 right now (I'm a sophomore)
However, once I get my bachelors, I'll still have many classes to take to fulfill pre-reqs for the physical therapy schools I am looking at. (So far it's University of Washington, Columbia, Regis, San Francisco, University of Minnesota, and Boston U)

I'll be graduating when I'm 22. Then I'm taking a year to build my hours more and I guess complete all my other classes.
For some reason I thought the Exercise Science program would cover all the prereqs, but it doesn't, and leaves no room to take other classes! So then I'm entering school when I'm 23 or probably 24, and then I'm done with school when I'm 27. And then, jesus when I'm 27 I'll finally be out of school and just beginning my work as a traveling physical therapist.

Is this normal?? Are there other degrees or paths I can take?
I am worried because my scholarship runs out the Fall of 2017, and I don't want to be paying any more than what I will in grad school, lord help me.

My University doesn't offer a pre-physical therapy anything.

If you're really concerned about finances/debt, why are you applying to so many VERY expensive graduate programs?

 

[DesertPT]

I'll be 27 when I graduate PT school too. The earliest anybody could theoretically graduate PT school would be 23, if you did a rare 3+3 program and graduated high school when you were 17 and had no delays. The average age of admitted applicants at most PT programs is around 24 or 25. So I'm not quite sure why you think being 27 when you graduate PT school is a big deal, most people are!

I would be extremely cautious about changing majors. If you are already two years in to your ex. sci. degree then there is a very good chance you will hose yourself and end up with a lot of the classes you've taken becoming free electives when you change your degree. Unless you're just starting your sophomore year and you still have time to withdraw from any ex. sci. classes you are in, and you just did GE classes your freshman year, and even then there's probably not a huge advantage to switching.

9 times out of 10 it is cheaper/faster/better to just pick a degree and stick with it than to change majors. Just gut it out for four years and get that degree and your PT pre-reqs done as fast as humanly possible. You're not there to become an exercise scientist, you're there to get a sheet of paper that says you graduated college so that you can move on to what you are really interested in. Just play the game. If you cooperate with the system and play the game long enough, eventually you'll be a PT and can start really learning how to be skilled at your craft. And you'll learn a heck of a lot along the way too.

Also, in my personal opinion, it is better to incur some undergrad debt than delay your progress toward being a PT (eg stop and start being in school full time in order to work, etc). But others will differ from me on that one.

Also, there is sometimes annoying complications associated with being a post-bac student, so it would probably be better to just be a super senior and delay your graduation by a year if it truly was not possible for you to get all the pre-reqs done in your normal graduation time frame (which I suspect it actually is).

I've had to take a year of physics (one semester elementary physics from community college didn't help) , a year of psychology and a year of A&P on top of my degree, as none of those classes help me towards my bachelors. And this is a biology degree, the all-time classic pre-anything-healthcare-related degree. Stats, gen chem and gen bio (which isn't even needed at all schools), those are the only pre-reqs I got done as part of my degree. It works out alright, but you can't take 12 credits a semester like your Communication major friends do. Taking 14-18 credits/semester all four years has worked out fine for me and still allowed me to work ~20hrs/wk during the semster (throwing an online class and/or a summer class in where possible helps with scheduling problems). I'll graduate with like 138 credits or something like that instead of the required 120. Most people do. Ya it's a pain, but kinesiology is the only degree that has all the core PT pre-reqs included in it at my school, and I never got interested in that as a degree.

 

[MaybeDPT]

If you're really concerned about finances/debt, why are you applying to so many VERY expensive graduate programs?

I asked my parents about this, my concern isn't paying for graduate school. I plan to join a traveling program where my housing is paid for and I travel and work, and what I make will be used to paying back loans and not have to support myself for a while. I want to travel my whole life, so it works out sort of well. They said I should apply to schools I love, and I will pay off loans either way.

I think it's worth the education and experience to live somewhere beautiful for a while

 

[BlueBlue8]

Is this normal?? Are there other degrees or paths I can take?
I am worried because my scholarship runs out the Fall of 2017, and I don't want to be paying any more than what I will in grad school, lord help me.

My University doesn't offer a pre-physical therapy anything.[/QUOTE]

Lol. I graduated when I was a month shy of 28. There were a few people in their thirties in my class. I'm one year out and still get asked if I am a student at the local university. Was even asked by a nurse if I was on internship at my job after being there for three months. Don't worry about age!

 

[SGSAMIRENEE246]

I really love your plan, I think you could possibly get a job to help out with the expenses after your scholarship runs out, and No I do believe that it is perfectly normal to graduate when your almost or at least 30, I know some people who have graduated older, it is fine. Also best wishes you sound really smart and GoodLuck to you in the future.

 

[jesspt]

I asked my parents about this, my concern isn't paying for graduate school. I plan to join a traveling program where my housing is paid for and I travel and work, and what I make will be used to paying back loans and not have to support myself for a while. I want to travel my whole life, so it works out sort of well. They said I should apply to schools I love, and I will pay off loans either way.

I think it's worth the education and experience to live somewhere beautiful for a while

I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but I think that is really bad advice. No employer cares where you graduate from, and there are plenty of less expensive schools that are in scenic locales if that is an absolute must for you. However, keep in mind that the time you have to enjoy those locales is going to be far less than what you currently have.

Remember, graduation from PT school is a long way off, and what you want to do now may change signifacantly then. A lot of my classmates came to school dating the person they knew they were going to marry and are now currently married to someone else. Why shackle yourself to extra debt that can effect your quality of life later if you decide you don't want to travel?

 

[DesertPT]

Agreed. Read long enough on SDN and you will see that essentially everyone agrees that cheaper is always better if you have the option.

 

[NewTestament]

Why don't you enjoy those places after PT school when you're actually making an income? That makes much more sense. As the OP said, you're not going to have much time to enjoy the place where you live during PT school. I live 2 miles from the beach and I go there once or twice during the trimester. Keep expenses low, but I recommend you keep your commute to a minimum, even if that means paying more for housing.

 

[jdaniels360]

NewTestament, i couldn't agree with this more! I chose FL and i never have time for the beach. GO TO THE CHEAPEST PROGRAM POSSIBLE. I'd do it all over it i could. I wanted to pay for the experience and enjoy my free time when we do have it but its simply not worth it. I'm looking at 130k total from just PT school and it would have been sub 70k had i gone public.

 

[MaybeDPT]

I'm glad I'm hearing this now while I can still narrow down what schools to look at. I don't know if it's possible, but I have a ton of family in New York, and would it be cheaper at Columbia if I declare myself a resident?

So, does anyone have any recommendations where to get my DPT education? Sure, let's go cheap AND it's not that I think people will look at where I got my education, but I want it to be really really good (I chose all those schools from the top 50 in the US), I want to be the best DPT I can.

I know, I sound silly and naive that I'm SURE this is what I want to do, but it's the only thing I've come across that I feel I was born to do, you know? Just one of those things. I'm definitely sticking it out, and by the time I've paid for school if I don't want to do it, I go do something else. Exercise science at my school is under the College of Education, maybe I'll go teach in another country if I want.

I live in New Mexico, the PT school here is pretty good. I'm really desperate to get away, I've lived here 17 years. It might be cheap to be here, and I'm applying just in case!

But honestly, any recommendations of schools, I would absolutely love.

And any advice on how the hell I'm going to feed myself while I'm in school. :]

 

[jblil]

Please forgive me for saying this, but if you think you'll pay cheaper tuition at Columbia because you're a NY resident, you have a lot to learn.

 

[DesertPT]

Exercise science at my school is under the College of Education, maybe I'll go teach in another country if I want.

Lol, excercise science major = PE teacher for life? ha

 

[MaybeDPT]

Please forgive me for saying this, but if you think you'll pay cheaper tuition at Columbia because you're a NY resident, you have a lot to learn.

Well yeah I do, that's why I'm here learning as much as I can :]

 

[MaybeDPT]

Lol, excercise science major = PE teacher for life? ha

Haha, nothing wrong with people who are PE teachers and enjoy what they do, right?

 

[Bluecase]

Columbia is a private school. Can't get in state at private schools. Meaning it's worry learning about school and graduate school as a whole before asking about specific schools. Also it's impossible to answer

 

[MaybeDPT]

Those of you who are out of school- what school did you go to, how did you choose it (before it chose you) and would you recommend it?

I hope I'm not coming across as crazy trying to get this all in line, I just want to know exactly what classes I should be taking in the next couple years so I'm not missing a pre-req by the time I'm applying.

Thanks again to everyone replying and helping me out, I don't know the ins and outs of DPT school too well!

 

[SwampPT]

You're young so stop worrying. Age is just a number. I'm 41 and applying to PT school. You'll be a PT for around 40 years. That's more than enough time to pay off your loans. Enjoy the ride

 

[jaypac523]

One of the PTs I shadowed graduated from Columbia's DPT program years ago and she told me for the price including living expenses (she even commuted an hour each way just to save money) was not worth it.
"You're paying for name recognition when in the end you take the same licensing exam as every other school in the nation. It's not just the education that makes you a good PT, its who you are as a person, what you do with that education and how you interact with people that schools cant teach is what makes you a good PT," was the main thing she emphasized to me when I asked her about her DPT education. And the general consensus of all the other PTs I've observed as a student and patient have the same sentiment regarding their own education becoming a PT in the US and abroad.

I'll be starting PT school in January at the age of 34. Only recently completed my prereqs because I finished undergrad way back in 2002 with a music degree I never used with a low gpa from a very very expensive private school, while never had to take a science class.
Life happens, plans can change. And like everyone is saying, you're young you have your whole life to fulfill your plans of being a PT, live where you want to live and go where you want to go.

 

[MaybeDPT]

One of the PTs I shadowed graduated from Columbia's DPT program years ago and she told me for the price including living expenses (she even commuted an hour each way just to save money) was not worth it.
"You're paying for name recognition when in the end you take the same licensing exam as every other school in the nation. It's not just the education that makes you a good PT, its who you are as a person, what you do with that education and how you interact with people that schools cant teach is what makes you a good PT," was the main thing she emphasized to me when I asked her about her DPT education. .

This is great advice, thank you.