Time allocations as a 1st year student

[UFballerinaDPT]

I have been thinking lately about what the first year experience of PT school is like after attending some interviews, and have come up with some questions pertaining to student life during the first year. I am looking to reach out for some advice/responses to these questions as I prepare myself for entering school.



How much time is spent studying on a daily basis?

Do you always reserve some time each day for "free time" (gym, reading, relaxing)?

Is it possible to have relationships outside of school ( keeping up with friends, going out to dinner, etc.)?

Out of all the textbooks that you are required to purchase, do you actually have to read them or are they there for reinforcement assistance (supplemental to professor lectures)?

Do students usually stay in school from 8am-5pm monday through friday?

Do you ever get the chance to leave school for a weekend to visit home, or does the program usually discourage leaving for the weekend ( i know cadavers are important study tools for the first year)?

Do students frequently use study groups to help split up the workload (reading/taking notes, etc) to maximize their time?

When I went on an interview, the school kept emphasizing stress. How stressful is PT school, or is it really manageable?

Was there any fear during your first year about being "cut" from the program due to failing (I have heard, many programs require B's or better to stay in the program)?



I know there are a lot of questions, but I am hoping for some responses to ease my mind about how difficult the first year might be/ going through the adjustment period from undergrad to grad.

Thanks!

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[NewTestament]

As a first-year PT student, I can give you some insight.

Expect to be in class from 8am-5pm every day. Yes it's true. On Fridays I get out a little early. I'm at school between 10-12 hours a day. On some nights I'm in the lab practicing skills. In PT school you can't some things learn just by studying the notes. You have to practice skills, since the profession is hands-on. Even on weekends, I study for 5-6 hours each day. It's a job that follows you everywhere.

I study in groups but not to divide the work. It helps to study in groups because each person in the group knows something that the other members don't know. It's also a good idea to express ideas aloud. Teaching is a good way to study. I do recommend you find one or two classmates that you can study with. Obviously you can't study in groups all the time. You need to study alone and then study in a group.

You can have relationships. These days it's not hard to stay in contact: SMS, Skype, Facebook, etc. If you're not in an intimate relationship when you start PT school, wait until you finish. You won't see your SO very much. A couple of my classmates got married during the trimester, which I highly discourage. You can see your family on three-day weekends or on holidays, but I don't recommend you see them every weekend if they live more than an hour from you.

During the week, I have about two or three hours a day at a maximum for myself. I have time to read the news, workout for 30-45 minutes, and write messages on these forums, On the weekends, I have a little more free time, but I'm studying a lot.

Don't let the commitment deter you from PT school. I'm busier than I've ever been, but I'm enjoying every minute. I'm studying what I want to study and becoming a PT. Do I miss the free time? Of course, but my life is far more gratifying now than it ever was as an undergraduate.

Do I worry about being cut? Every student in PT school is capable of failing a major course, and thus being cut from the program. It happens rarely. Some students fail one course, retake it, pass it, and then move on. I think most classes lose one or two students at a maximum. If you invest the time and effort, and you have a good attitude, you should be fine.

I only buy some textbooks. I would buy a book for each of the following: anatomy, physiology, orthopedics, therapeutic exercise, and maybe pathology.

If you have more questions, PM me.

Kevin

 

[Jarrodmac10]

I have been thinking lately about what the first year experience of PT school is like after attending some interviews, and have come up with some questions pertaining to student life during the first year. I am looking to reach out for some advice/responses to these questions as I prepare myself for entering school.







How much time is spent studying on a daily basis?

I've recently completed my first semester at the University of Puget Sound, and escaped with a great GPA. Throughout the week I spent most of my time in the classroom, and on average, 2-3 hours after class reading or in the cadaver lab. When it came time for midterms and finals, I only stopped to eat and sleep (hardly).

Do you always reserve some time each day for "free time" (gym, reading, relaxing)?

To my surprise there was free time, but of course you have to make free time by completing everything early. Everyone in my class went to the gym at least 2x a week. We also went to many happy hours ha.


Is it possible to have relationships outside of school ( keeping up with friends, going out to dinner, etc.)?

Yes. I will be working part time as a personal trainer this semester, but then again some programs are more demanding.

Out of all the textbooks that you are required to purchase, do you actually have to read them or are they there for reinforcement assistance (supplemental to professor lectures)?

Most classes had required readings that were due before class. This was big for classes like medical statistics, basic skills, and PT ethics.


Do students usually stay in school from 8am-5pm monday through friday?

As a commuter, I am at school from 8-5. The non commuters will go home for lunch and breaks longer than an hour. I only had one course on Wednesday, that was nice.


Do you ever get the chance to leave school for a weekend to visit home, or does the program usually discourage leaving for the weekend ( i know cadavers are important study tools for the first year)?

Nobody really went home for the weekends, especially the out of state students. Traveling just takes a lot of time out of studying



Do students frequently use study groups to help split up the workload (reading/taking notes, etc) to maximize their time?

Aside from group projects, I didn't really study with anyone unless I was struggling on a certain topic. My entire cohort was good at supplying notes to anyone who didn't understand the material or missed a class. But don't miss class, you'll get behind and it is frowned upon.


When I went on an interview, the school kept emphasizing stress. How stressful is PT school, or is it really manageable?

It's manageable, if you are persistent and are not a complete idiot. Like I mentioned earlier, I picked up a part time job this semester because Fall was so manageable. But once year #2 arrives I will be giving up my job, because the the 2nd year is very demanding.


Was there any fear during your first year about being "cut" from the program due to failing (I have heard, many programs require B's or better to stay in the program)?

I personally had no fear, but there were a few students who may have experienced some fear. My program allows two Cs, then you're done... I think lol






I know there are a lot of questions, but I am hoping for some responses to ease my mind about how difficult the first year might be/ going through the adjustment period from undergrad to grad.

I worked very hard to 4.0 my final two years of undergrad, and my persistence and diligence carried over into my DPT program. If you consider yourself smart, and work hard in everything you do, you can compete in any program (med school, dental, pharm, DPT ect..)

 

[dizzy88]

I'm a 3rd year student and have finished all my didactic work.

Studying will vary depending on exams. Obviously there are a ton of hrs spent when you're preparing for a test or have a project due. That amount of time is purely based on how you like to study and how well you've kept up on things since you've heard them in lecture. I made it a goal to review on weekends regardless of whether or not there was an exam coming so I wouldn't feel as stressed out when exam week came along.

When I first started the program, I was a stressed out mess. I didn't let myself have relaxation time and I learned my lesson. From there on out, I always made sure I had an hour for the gym and an hour before bed to completely separate myself from the books.

Relationships are totally doable. Will you see your friends every weekend? Probably not, but you aren't going to be buried in books and homework for the next 3 years either.

I only took the time to read 1 textbook in the past 3 years. I still bought all the books for reference purposes, but I can't say they were too helpful during the program itself.

My first 2 yrs we would have class 4 days a week. And my last year we had class 5 days a week. We start very early at 7 am and usually get out by 2-4 pm.

I'm sure you can go home on some weekends. Going along the lines of my response to your relationship question...it's probably not going to be a regular occurrence, but it's doable here and there.

Group studying is highly personal. For me, I can only do study groups after I have looked through the information and have a good enough understanding of it to discuss it with other people. Otherwise, it just isn't effective for me. For group projects, we would often split up the work. Just figure out the best way you learn. Sometimes group settings aren't for everyone.

Once again, stress is highly personal. It all depends on how you deal with it. There were definitely times where everyone is on edge, but we have some laid back weeks too. Just make sure you have good time management and nothing will be too bad.

I only had one class that really made me worried about failing. It all ended up okay though. If you are struggling, don't try and hide it. Go talk to your professors. They are more willing to work with you if you approach them from the start and not when grades are about to be posted.

Good luck and have fun!