Another 1st year DPT student open to answering questions...

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Hi thanks for taking the time to answer questions for us. Are you going to school in a state you currently live in? Also I was wondering when did you applied for loans? and were they disperse before school started or after?
 
Would you study or prepare prior to start of the first year of PT school differently if you got to go back? (Say anatomy for instance)?
 
Would you suggest we bring anything with us for interviews, such as a purse or notepad?
 
Dj2PT said:
Hi thanks for taking the time to answer questions for us. Are you going to school in a state you currently live in? Also I was wondering when did you applied for loans? and were they disperse before school started or after?
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No, I go to school in NY and am originally from CA. Since my school is private vs. public, it was necessary for me to take out loans. There are people in the financial aid department who work with me to create the right plan for me. For instance, my semester tuition was 17k. I had some money in savings so I borrowed about 10k and paid 7k outof pocket. For this next semester, I am doing the same thing. If you are like me and only take out a small amount in loans, it will go directly towards tuition (i.e. you don't have to have it sent then in addition pay...) For classmates, the loan amount was distributed right at the beginning of the semester but I believe if you NEED it (if your rent can't wait, or you need a plane ticket to get there), there are ways to get it out sooner... Hope this helps! For now, I would say if you are not in PT school yet, don't worry about obtaining loans. Look at the pros and cons of each school, apply, see where you get in and then contact the financial aid department for more personalized help!
 
PT_Student_123 said:
Would you study or prepare prior to start of the first year of PT school differently if you got to go back? (Say anatomy for instance)?
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Oo, great question! This is dependent on the program. Some are lecture based, some are faster or slower, some are problem based. My school has a problem based learning philosophy. I really have come to love it. Some say to learn origin/insertion/action/innervation before school, but personally, I would say don't. I didn't and it worked out just fine.

For anatomy specifically, before exams, a FEW (like me and 2 others MAX) would go down to the cadaver lab (school dependent) and quiz each other. If your school does clinical work along with anatomy, if you are having issues looking at it on a live body, take a trip to the lab and really LOOK! In addition to this, most times anatomy is divided into units. Ours were lower extremity, upper extremity and spine/thorax/back. To keep track, I had a running excel sheet with origins, insertions, actions and innervations. Clarify with your instructor on what resource they want you to base them on (some can be a bit picky). For each unit, I made a new sheet within the large excel sheet. START THIS EARLY (when you first begin the semester).

Note taking: I use two platforms 1) google drive and 2) skylab.io Both are great and I like having both for backup. My note taking methods were a bit different for each class.
For problem based learning, we learn through hypothetical case work. I would organize my notes as follows, files within folders within folder:

PT507-> Case 5: Adhesive Capsulitis -> Adhesive Capsulitis 11/24/17 5:1 (1 or 2 depending on the day)
WITHIN that document I had a pre-written format
NOCALM (1st semester anatomy): Nerves, Bones, circulation, arthrology, ligaments, muscles w/ tendons
SPENDER: Signs/Symptoms. Pathology, Epidemiology, Natural History, Diagnosis methods, Etiology, Rx
Physiology
Histology
ICF
Case information
Any additional topics

Lastly for lectures, I used power points/google slide. Hand writing was my main method in undergrad, but there is just too much information and the professors talk a lot faster. Most people in my class take notes on their computer (I type faster than I can hand write). Everyone has their own opinion on this, but I type in the speaker notes section. It may be unorganized initially, so go through it the night or day after and polish it. If something is confusing, go ask you professor for clarification. That is what they are there for.

How I organized my ppts:
PT505-> Exam 1 information -> Muscle Spindles 10/30/17

Thanks for the question!
 
CPHorseGirl said:
No, I go to school in NY and am originally from CA. Since my school is private vs. public, it was necessary for me to take out loans. There are people in the financial aid department who work with me to create the right plan for me. For instance, my semester tuition was 17k. I had some money in savings so I borrowed about 10k and paid 7k outof pocket. For this next semester, I am doing the same thing. If you are like me and only take out a small amount in loans, it will go directly towards tuition (i.e. you don't have to have it sent then in addition pay...) For classmates, the loan amount was distributed right at the beginning of the semester but I believe if you NEED it (if your rent can't wait, or you need a plane ticket to get there), there are ways to get it out sooner... Hope this helps! For now, I would say if you are not in PT school yet, don't worry about obtaining loans. Look at the pros and cons of each school, apply, see where you get in and then contact the financial aid department for more personalized help!
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Thank you! Your response was awesome!
I have one more question.
Since your out of state. Did you choose to live with roommates or are you living on your own. If you are with roommates how did you go about that?
 
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Great question. I chose to live with roommates for a few reasons. First, I did not bring a car across country and thought it might be better if I had roommates who had cars. In PT school almost all of us are on the same schedule (with slight variability). Second, it was cheaper to live with roommates or more correctly housemates in my case. We each have our own pre-furnished room as well as our own BATHROOM! It is really nice.

As far as finding roommates goes, I posted in my class FB group before school started and asked if anyone wanted to share a townhouse. 2 girls volunteers and the rest is history 🙂
 
CPHorseGirl said:
Great question. I chose to live with roommates for a few reasons. First, I did not bring a car across country and thought it might be better if I had roommates who had cars. In PT school almost all of us are on the same schedule (with slight variability). Second, it was cheaper to live with roommates or more correctly housemates in my case. We each have our own pre-furnished room as well as our own BATHROOM! It is really nice.

As far as finding roommates goes, I posted in my class FB group before school started and asked if anyone wanted to share a townhouse. 2 girls volunteers and the rest is history 🙂
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Thank you again so much for your response, very insightful!!
 
What do you think the faculty conducting the interview want to see from students interviewing?
 
lillycat11 said:
What do you think the faculty conducting the interview want to see from students interviewing?
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Once you get the opportunity to interview, it becomes less about how you look numerically and how you present yourself as a human being and professional. Definitely be yourself - show them that you can be personable and relatable!! Pay exquisite attention to the interests of your researcher because some schools will place you with an interviewer that has similar interests to you. Play on what makes you unique - no matter what that may be, but it is definitely something because that is why you got an interview in the first place. Programs that you wouldn't dream of being accepted to sometimes accept you because of your passion, uniqueness, and personality. So again - do not pretend to be someone you are not, because you might be EXACTLY what they are looking for!

Remember that interviews are as much marketing of yourself to the Admissions Committee as they are Admissions trying to convince you to come be a part of their program. That is why you have to be yourself. Really relate to them and think of questions that you could ask them about research, or their interests that you may share with them, to make it seem like you are really trying to form a relationship with them. Sometimes the interviewers vary though - some are more strict, others more personal. I have experienced both. Play off of their disposition. If they are more professional and quiet (I am VERY outgoing and bubbly), tone it down but not at the expense of your passion.

BEST OF LUCK! Interviewers all look for different things, as do programs. Make sure your essays, be it the PTCAS one or the individual program ones, really highlight your uniqueness and passion. My writing skills and the stories I have told through my various essays have been highlighted in 4 interviews out of 5 that I have had. Really utilize the power of selling yourself in those essays. Numerical grades only vary so much - what sets you apart is your experiences and your ability to convince them that you belong at THEIR program with YOUR unique strengths and interests. Sometimes, your essays will really help you to stand out and put you at the top of the pile and are the sole things that make the Admissions Committee curious about you and will get you an interview - I know this from experience. You got this!!!
 
I have to agree with what DPT lover1 said. Before going in practice! There is nothing worse than for them to hear a cookie cutter answer. Tie in experience, passion, research etc. Also ask them about opportunities: research in particular! All schools are different in the way they organize and facilitate interviews as well as how many students are accepted off the interview list. I know for one school I interviewed at, 1000 applied, 400 were given interviews and 54 were accepted (with about 40 on the wait list).
 
destinedDPT said:
Hi! I also live in NY and if you do not mind out of curiosity, which school are you attending? I am planning on applying in the summer so which is very soon! Good luck 🙂
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That is soon! I go to Clarkson University 🙂 If you have any specific questions about the program, pm me.
 
One school that I have been accepted to said that if I accept their offer, I will be marked as "Accepted" on PTCAS. However, I am still waiting to hear back from other programs, but need to give an answer to this particular school by tomorrow. I don't want to lose their admission in case I do not get into any other schools. Any idea as to if having an "accepted" next to my PTCAS app, it will influence other school's decision?
Thanks for your help! 🙂
 
Hello,
I recently was accepted to Clarkson U. I am curious on how you debate some of the other opinions about the school having a bad program. Personally, I think Problem Based Learning is a very well gathered way of training but I am skeptical when hearing that the program leaves out a lot. For example, do other students show you how to cut a cadaver or do the teachers? I read earlier that your day starts at 8am and ends around 11pm...is that regarding classes or total studies + lunch +dinner, etc?
 
CPHorseGirl said:
That is soon! I go to Clarkson University 🙂 If you have any specific questions about the program, pm me.
Click to expand...
Hello,
I recently was accepted to Clarkson U. I am curious on how you debate some of the other opinions about the school having a bad program. Personally, I think Problem Based Learning is a very well gathered way of training but I am skeptical when hearing that the program leaves out a lot. For example, do other students show you how to cut a cadaver or do the teachers? I read earlier that your day starts at 8am and ends around 11pm...is that regarding classes or total studies + lunch +dinner, etc?
 
Clarkson's PBL model is not for everyone. You have to be willing to put the time in and work individually. I'm not sure where you saw or what you mean by "they leave out a lot." You are shown how to cut the cadaver and have an anatomist present. If you come prepared for what you are dissecting, it makes it a lot easier. It is very confusing if you come in not knowing what you will be looking at. The 8-11 is total studies and meals. Every day varies schedule wise. Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, let me know.
 
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