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ClimbPT

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Long time lurker, first time poster. I've been learning a lot by reading what everyone has posted, but thought I'd finally throw myself in here and see what everyone has to say about my situation: I've spent the last three years groveling in the environmental sector, putting of grad school because I wasn't interested in environmental work anymore. About a year ago I decided to make my hobby/passion my profession and went back to school to start ticking off prereq's for chiro or DPT programs. After volunteering with a chiro I decided on PT. I'll start volunteering at an inpatient PT facility starting next week. I plan on applying to a handful of programs (mostly in CA) next cycle. Here's my profile:

University: University of Colorado '10
Major: Ecology/Evolutionary Biology
Cum GPA: 3.10
Prereq GPA: 3.64
Post-bac GPA: 4.0 (~30 credits so far)
Last 60 GPA:3.9
GRE: will take this semester or summer - I'm a good standardized test taker, so I hope to use the GRE to bump me up a little.

Extra curricular: molecular/cellular biology TA, personal trainer, rock climbing instructor/coach at local rock gym, one of the founding members of CU Climbing Team, sports trainer at local CC

Volunteer hours: ~50 hrs at a chiro office. I'll be volunteering at least 10 hrs/wk inpatient/outpatient for the next year, and hopefully get a job as an aide so I can quit my day job and focus on gaining experience.

Applying: SFSU/UCSF, USC, CSU Long Beach, San Diego State, CSU Northridge, Chapman, Mt St Mary's, Samuel Merritt, CSU Sac, CSU Fresno, Western U, USA San Marcos, Regis, Univ. of Utah.


Wide net... I know. Also, should I bother applying to UCSF or USC?

My plan is to continue taking prereqs at my CC. I'll finish my Anat+Phys sequence this semester, then take my Chem sequence Spring/Summer, retake physics 1 (got a B-) next fall, and fill in the rest of my schedule with Psych+Abnormal Psych and the following Kinesiology classes: Sports Medicine, Exercise Physiology, Fitness Programs I +II, and a Sports Medicine Practicum. Maintaining my post-bac 4.0 shouldn't be a problem, but I can't stop kicking myself for my crap undergrad GPA... Oh well, water under the bridge. Any criticism is appreciated!

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Are you working toward a second degree? Have you shadowed a PT?

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Awesome, I'm also a climber! :)

You look like you have a solid plan so far. The only thing I would suggest is to shadow many different settings, instead of getting all your hours at only the one inpatient place. Your pre-req GPA is pretty competitive, so you might not have to retake the physics class, especially since you still have several other pre-req classes to take, which will hopefully already boost your GPA.

Is there any reason you're taking the kinesiology classes? I know exercise physio is a pre-req for some schools, but I haven't seen any of the others before.

I think you should worry about UCSF/USC when you plan on applying. I believe UCSF's stats are similar to the CSU's, and USC has super high tuition which may/may not make it easier to get accepted into.
 
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ask yourself why you want to go to USC or UCSF? do you think its worth going 150k in debt for tuition alone not including living expenses to make a 60-70K starting annual paycheck. Unless you have family money most graduates recommend going to a less costly program.
 
ask yourself why you want to go to USC or UCSF? do you think its worth going 150k in debt for tuition alone not including living expenses to make a 60-70K starting annual paycheck. Unless you have family money most graduates recommend going to a less costly program.
UCSF is under 100k if you're in state. Somewhere around 90k if I'm not mistaken
 
UCSF is under 100k if you're in state. Somewhere around 90k if I'm not mistaken
Which means apx $1100/mo payments just for the tuition portion of the loans (more if you have undergrad loans and take out more for living expenses, books, exam fees, transportation, conference fees, and so on) . That's about 25% of your income if your first gig pays 60k/yr.

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Are you working toward a second degree? Have you shadowed a PT?

No second degree, just taking down prereqs at my local CC. I could get an AA as a Fitness Specialist, but I'd rather custom tailor my coursework to what I find interesting.


Awesome, I'm also a climber! :)

You look like you have a solid plan so far. The only thing I would suggest is to shadow many different settings, instead of getting all your hours at only the one inpatient place. Your pre-req GPA is pretty competitive, so you might not have to retake the physics class, especially since you still have several other pre-req classes to take, which will hopefully already boost your GPA.

Is there any reason you're taking the kinesiology classes? I know exercise physio is a pre-req for some schools, but I haven't seen any of the others before.

I think you should worry about UCSF/USC when you plan on applying. I believe UCSF's stats are similar to the CSU's, and USC has super high tuition which may/may not make it easier to get accepted into.

Yeah climbers! Did climbing bring you to PT? Have you been able to keep climbing while in school? I'll definitely try to get a few different volunteer settings under my belt; inpatient, outpatient, acute care, anything I'm missing? Also, whats the best way to get into these setting? I have a neurosurgeon friend who's getting me in touch with PTs in her hospitals, but how should I go about volunteering at an outpatient sports-rehab facility? Cold call them?
As for the Kines classes, I'm taking them because I'm interested in them and they pad my cGPA. As a personal trainer/coach, I've taught myself a lot of the info thats being presented in these classes so getting an A isn't all that tricky. I'd like to get as many A's onto my transcript as possible before I apply. Are there any non-kines classes you'd recommend?
 
ask yourself why you want to go to USC or UCSF? do you think its worth going 150k in debt for tuition alone not including living expenses to make a 60-70K starting annual paycheck. Unless you have family money most graduates recommend going to a less costly program.

Solid advice, thank you. I think I'd rather go to an affordable CSU program than to USC and since I'm in-state, UCSF isn't all that expensive. A friend of mine (and LOR writer) is personal friends with the director of UCSF Medical School, will that help? Also, do you think that graduating into the tight-knit USC network would make your starting salary a little higher? Realistically, I probably don't have the stats for most of the CSU schools, so graduating with lots of debt is highly likely. It seems like I'd have better chances getting into a program like Samuel Merritt or Mt. St. Mary's. If I get into Chapman, I could live at home and save some money that way... but then I'd have to deal with my parents.

UCSF is under 100k if you're in state. Somewhere around 90k if I'm not mistaken

Yup, ~30k/yr, http://ptrehab.ucsf.edu/education/dpt/dpt-fees, not including the ridiculous cost of living in SF. However, its a good program in an awesome city.. I'd go if I got in.

Which means apx $1100/mo payments just for the tuition portion of the loans (more if you have undergrad loans and take out more for living expenses, books, exam fees, transportation, conference fees, and so on). That's about 25% of your income if your first gig pays 60k/yr.

How did you come up with this figure? I've paid off undergrad, but would likely be paying for living expenses, etc. while in school. From what I've read, it seems like this is just the way it is; graduate with massive debt and try to find a job that'll let you pay it off asap. I had a friend mention that if you volunteer at a non-profit for 10 years, your loans are forgiven. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything to back up her claim online (the only loan forgiveness plan for healthcare providers is for RNs).
 
How did you come up with this figure? I've paid off undergrad, but would likely be paying for living expenses, etc. while in school. From what I've read, it seems like this is just the way it is; graduate with massive debt and try to find a job that'll let you pay it off asap. I had a friend mention that if you volunteer at a non-profit for 10 years, your loans are forgiven. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything to back up her claim online (the only loan forgiveness plan for healthcare providers is for RNs).

Hello ClimbPT! Your friend is talking about Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Information can be found at this link:

http://www.apta.org/DebtManagement/FederalOpportunities/

There are several other Federal student loan forgiveness opportunities also listed on this webpage.

When you have time, I would explore the APTA website for more information concerning the field of physical therapy.

You can use the financial aid calculator found at this link to come up with the figure that OneDay81 stated in their post:

http://www.finaid.org/calculators/loanpayments.phtml

Based on your original post, it sounds like you have a solid plan in place. Best of luck to you!
 
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Yeah climbers! Did climbing bring you to PT? Have you been able to keep climbing while in school? I'll definitely try to get a few different volunteer settings under my belt; inpatient, outpatient, acute care, anything I'm missing? Also, whats the best way to get into these setting? I have a neurosurgeon friend who's getting me in touch with PTs in her hospitals, but how should I go about volunteering at an outpatient sports-rehab facility? Cold call them?
As for the Kines classes, I'm taking them because I'm interested in them and they pad my cGPA. As a personal trainer/coach, I've taught myself a lot of the info thats being presented in these classes so getting an A isn't all that tricky. I'd like to get as many A's onto my transcript as possible before I apply. Are there any non-kines classes you'd recommend?

Weightlifting actually did, not climbing. :) I just really love the sport! When I first began last year, I didn't have a membership and only went once a week, if that. I took summer classes and had a membership, so I went several times a week. I then broke my ankle from a bad fall at the climbing gym, so I didn't climb too often after that. My gym now opens a bit earlier, so I'm planning on going before my classes instead of after, because there was always some reason that I couldn't go.

Look here under PT Settings to find other areas you can volunteer in: http://www.ptcas.org/PTHours/ . You can get different areas of inpatient care, like a SNF or hospital. I think you should be fine with three, but if you have time and are interested then you might as well look into different areas/different populations (as in, pediatrics/geriatrics/sports/etc.)

I've heard different opinions on cold calling versus walking into the clinic versus emailing, and I believe the general consensus was face-to-face>calling>email. Personally I called one, e-mailed one, and two had applications. I plan on calling places in the future, because most will give you a yes/no/call back later, and you can always go in if you don't get anywhere by calling.

That makes sense! I was just curious as to why you were taking them. I haven't applied yet, so I don't have any particular suggestions, but I've heard that Medical Terminology classes are useful to take, even if it's not required by any of your schools.
 
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There's a student loan payment calculator on finaid.org

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Solid advice, thank you. I think I'd rather go to an affordable CSU program than to USC and since I'm in-state, UCSF isn't all that expensive. A friend of mine (and LOR writer) is personal friends with the director of UCSF Medical School, will that help? Also, do you think that graduating into the tight-knit USC network would make your starting salary a little higher? Realistically, I probably don't have the stats for most of the CSU schools, so graduating with lots of debt is highly likely. It seems like I'd have better chances getting into a program like Samuel Merritt or Mt. St. Mary's. If I get into Chapman, I could live at home and save some money that way... but then I'd have to deal with my parents.

I don't think knowing someone will help you get into a school. You can search other threads for questions about starting salary, but nobody cares where you went to school. The only thing is that USC may help you network with potential employers, but that's the same for any school you go to. Have you looked at the stats for the CSU schools? You're right at the average for pre-req, if not slightly above, and you're still in the process of taking more classes. I wouldn't rule them out just yet.
 
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Your profile looks good. My only concern is do not count using the chiro hours as observation hours. Most schools only want hours of observation under a licensed PT . Maintaining the best GPA you can is critical. Many of the schools you are applying to do not do interviews, so GPA is heavily weighed. UCSF has high standards, my grades are good but my GRE writing sample was 4.0. UCSF wants a 4.5 and I was told to retake the GRE. You may have a good shot at USC. From applying and reading these forums, USC seems to be a very achievable school to get into. Many applicants shy away from USC because of the tuition and go to other schools. USC has also takes 90 students a year. These two factors lead to open spots in their program. I hope this helps. I applied to most of the California schools you are thinking about. I have been accepted to Chapman, USC, CSU Long Beach and I am #7 on the CSUN waitlist. I was invited to interview at SMU, Western, UNLV and Azusa. I hope this helps.
 
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Awesome, thank you all for your responses! I'll continue plugging away, trying to bump up my cGPA as much as possible. I'll start a 6 month/100hr volunteer stint at Kaiser in the next few weeks, does anybody have experience volunteering at Kaiser? I'd like to volunteer at a sports-specific clinic as well, but I don't know if I have enough time this semester to volunteer at two places, go to school, and work 25 hrs/wk... I might just wait 'til next semester.

Also, a coworker suggested looking for a PT Aide job. Did anybody work as an Aide in order to get observation hours? Any advice on getting a job as an Aide?
 
As for getting a PT Aide job, if you already have enough observation hours and have a job that pays more, then take the job that will allow you to save up as much as possible before PT school. I'm going to look for an aide job because I'm really interested in getting one, and I don't think any other job I qualify for will pay me much more anyways. I'd definitely search the forums for "pt aide" to find other opinions, though.
 
I work as an aide and get $12/hour so I will probably stay until I leave for PT school, but I know most other aide jobs, especially in other states (I'm from CA) don't pay as well. Honestly you could probably make more tutoring a bunch of kids each week haha. But I enjoy the work I do and knowing that I'll have some money saved away for housing next year.
 
UCSF has high standards, my grades are good but my GRE writing sample was 4.0. UCSF wants a 4.5 and I was told to retake the GRE.

Ask what the dismissal policy is at some of these high-achieving schools. Some schools require you to get B or better in every class. One C+ or even B- is grounds for dismissal. I would not have survived one of those programs.
 
I work as an aide and get $12/hour so I will probably stay until I leave for PT school, but I know most other aide jobs, especially in other states (I'm from CA) don't pay as well. Honestly you could probably make more tutoring a bunch of kids each week haha. But I enjoy the work I do and knowing that I'll have some money saved away for housing next year.

How much volunteering had you done before you became an aide? I'm in CA aswell, and 12/hr is more than I make right now! I already have a tutoring gig, as well as a few clients that I train intermittently. I'd rather make money while I get my observation hours than have to volunteer.
 
University: University of Colorado '10
Major: Ecology/Evolutionary Biology
Cum GPA: 3.10
Prereq GPA: 3.64
Post-bac GPA: 4.0 (~30 credits so far)
Last 60 GPA:3.9
GRE: will take this semester or summer - I'm a good standardized test taker, so I hope to use the GRE to bump me up a little.

Extra curricular: molecular/cellular biology TA, personal trainer, rock climbing instructor/coach at local rock gym, one of the founding members of CU Climbing Team, sports trainer at local CC

Volunteer hours: ~50 hrs at a chiro office. I'll be volunteering at least 10 hrs/wk inpatient/outpatient for the next year, and hopefully get a job as an aide so I can quit my day job and focus on gaining experience.

Applying: SFSU/UCSF, USC, CSU Long Beach, San Diego State, CSU Northridge, Chapman, Mt St Mary's, Samuel Merritt, CSU Sac, CSU Fresno, Western U, USA San Marcos, Regis, Univ. of Utah.


Wide net... I know. Also, should I bother applying to UCSF or USC?

My plan is to continue taking prereqs at my CC. I'll finish my Anat+Phys sequence this semester, then take my Chem sequence Spring/Summer, retake physics 1 (got a B-) next fall, and fill in the rest of my schedule with Psych+Abnormal Psych and the following Kinesiology classes: Sports Medicine, Exercise Physiology, Fitness Programs I +II, and a Sports Medicine Practicum. Maintaining my post-bac 4.0 shouldn't be a problem, but I can't stop kicking myself for my crap undergrad GPA... Oh well, water under the bridge. Any criticism is appreciated!

Keep in mind that GRE is weighed heavily at many schools. Your pre-req GPA looks pretty good, but cumulative is a bit low right now. Rock the GRE to counteract that. The advice I was given was "The GRE isn't a measure of how much you learned in college or how smart you are...the GRE is a measure of how much you studied for the GRE." Buy a prep book (usually $20-$30) and study as much as you can before the exam. I studied for about a month and did pretty well.
 
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How much volunteering had you done before you became an aide? I'm in CA aswell, and 12/hr is more than I make right now! I already have a tutoring gig, as well as a few clients that I train intermittently. I'd rather make money while I get my observation hours than have to volunteer.

I had worked at a different location for 3 years (but only once a week during that time). I didn't have too much prior experience, I was just in the right place at the right time I guess haha
 
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