Questions about life of a PT student

[kscool911]

I am interested in becoming a Physical therapist and I have a few questions about what it's like to be a PT student. I am gonna be applying to schools in California this summer, preferably CSULB.
1) How many hours does an average student spend per week for going to classes, studying, etc. 2) I currently work part-time at home. Would it be possible to work part-time ~ 25 hours a week while attending school?

3) I heard that University of St Augustine offers a part-time program where a student takes online courses and go to labs on the weekends. How much is that workload compared to a regular curriculum? Does any other schools in California have this kind of part-time program?
Thanks!

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[Akiramay]

Depending on whether there are any exams, during the week I study anywhere between 15-30 hours a week. I'm in class about 30 hours a week. I wouldn't recommend working part time if it's more than 10-15 hours. You need all the time you can to focus on PT school, and when you have free time, you're going to want it for yourself to relax and do fun things.

 

[MJHUSKERS]

15-30 hours a week of studying isn't bad...I already do that as an undergrad. Especially when it's studying something you love, I could handle that. 30 hours of classroom stuff will be a big change however!

 

[Akiramay]

Yah, that's exactly what makes it hard! I miss the days my senior year when all I had was one class on Thursdays and no class on Friday. T.T When you're in class from 8-4, workout 4-5, commute home 5-6, eat dinner 6-6:30, chores 6:30-7, then studying is the last thing you wanna do! You're tired and worn out from the long day, but you gotta beast! You learn to work with it.

 

[MinnDasota]

I recommend not working right away. Get a feel for school, the work load, free time, etc. After that, if you think you can handle working part-time, do it. Each school is different. Each person studies differently. Each person spends their out-of-classroom time differently. I understand making money is important, but so is passing your classes to protect your investment.

Also, you have to remember, in PT school, you are not just studying book work (like in undergrad), you have to spend a lot of out of class time honing your clinical skills on the plinths, dissecting in anatomy lab, doing research/stats/biomech/peds projects, etc. There is enough time for a life and a part-time job. However, not everyone can handle it.

 

[MJHUSKERS]

BEAST MODE! Sounds like a good day to me...I like staying busy. I only have a 15 minute commute and I would skip the chores haha.

So there's a lot more "hands on homework/practicle" compared to undergrad where it's all bookwork and theory?

 

[Akiramay]

Ha ha, that's good for you then! Yah, there's more hands on work especially for the practical exams. You spend time practicing palpation, goniometry, manual muscle testing, transfers, etc. with each other. Of course there's also all the book studying for anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, etc. But it's nice to have the practical classes that break up that monotony of just sitting down and studying.