Back on track with PT

[NATO]

Hi! So for those "regulars" on here that remember, I use to be a regular poster last year and was planning to finish my pre-reqs and apply to PT school for the 2011-2012 year. Unfortunately, my father fell deathly ill and I had to postpone my studies to be there for my family. The great news is that he has recovered (thank goodness for modern medicine) and I'm getting back to completing my pre-reqs. I'm planning to apply to the 2012-2013 cycle.

Since last posting here, I've moved to the west coat. The community college that I'll be finishing my classes in consist of quarterly semesters. I've taken Chemisty I and Human Ant & Phy I on the east coast had regular semesters (i.e. 16 weeks). Does 2 quarters = 1 semester? Of course I"ll ask the community college administrator, but registration doesn't begin until November. I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask you guys in the mean time.

Also, thanks to Steve Job's speech in 2005 to a graduating class, I'm more determined than ever to quit my well paying job that I absolutely hate and do something that I enjoy even though it pays a lot less. I'm not getting any support with family and some close friends....they all think I'm crazy for leaving the IT field where I'm making 100K/yr (btw, not bragging at all, just stating a fact) and going to PT where I'll be lucky to get 75K starting out....realistically 60K to 65K.

There is a part of me that still uneasy and scared about it. AM I insane for doing this? I need all your second career folks to chime in. I REALLY hate my IT career. I tried to find some sort of transition between IT and patient care without having to go back to square 1 and return to school, but I couldn't find anything to transition my technical skill set.

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[jblil]

Welcome to the club... No, you're not crazy at all for doing what you love. The crazy ones are those who stay at a job they hate, not realizing that they're squandering away every day, every minute, every second of their lives something that is even more precious than all the gold in the world: their time.

I am sure you have realized how valuable time is (esp. time with your loved ones), after your father's illness. Time is the big equalizer: Bill Gates, despite all his billions, only has 24 hours in a day just like you and me and the most humble homeless man sleeping on a bench park out there. It's up to each of us to make the most out of those 24 hours we have.

Re salary - I understand what you mean, as I was in IT too and made well into six-fig. But don't think of PT as "just PT": there are devices to be invented, software to be written, processes to be designed, to integrate PT with other technologies. Computing power has become so ridiculously cheap and handheld devices so convenient that I can already envision a bunch of tablet applications for PTs. Go to PT school to obtain your PT license, get a thorough understanding of both the business and the technical sides of the profession, then come up with a few good apps, license them and you can make a bunch of money and enjoy job satisfaction at the same time.

As for quarter-credits: 1 qtr-credit= 0.66 semester-credit. I had a bunch of classes in the qtr-credit system too.
Scroll to the bottom of this page: http://www.ptcas.org/Coursework.html

 

[leon24]

Welcome back NATO! I agree with Jbill, time is priceless. I hear you on the salary issue as well, I am in a similar position too, but have also decided PT is where my passion is. Being able to love your job and enjoy getting up everyday to it will more than make up for the money you could have made else where, not to mention the satisfaction you gain helping someone else. Keep knockin out those prereqs!

 

[lastnerve]

"the only way to do something great, is to do something you love"

 

[markelmarcel]

Welcome back, NATO! Glad to hear your Dad is doing much better and you are back on track for school!

I think the idea of integrating PT with technology is a really great suggestion; you'll have really good ideas on how to make things easier with the know-how of if it's possible!!

 

[TheOx777]

I am glad to hear that your father is doing well, NATO. I can totally relate. I wish you the best with your application and school choices in the future. I agree with markel. Technology will continually become a huge aspect of healthcare. It has already infiltrated so many facets of medicine and health science. One of my professors was discussing this very thing a few weeks ago. Apparently there is this "think tank" that has been developed in the rehabilitation community. Fields like bioengineering, physics, robotics may play an integral role in rehab in the future. This professor was discussing how we(the current generation of DPT students) need to be open to educating ourselves on these matters as a part of taking this field to the next level. Actually got me pretty excited. I will try to post the link.

 

[PTgt]

Hey, I was exactly in the same boat - switching from a solid IT career at the age of 40 to pursue my PT dream. (My parents were even going to fly out and have an 'intervention' to try to persuade me to stay in the IT field...they were worried it wouldn't pan out and I would be unemployed for a long time.) I basically went to zero income for two years while I took pre-req classes full-time at a local community college.
It was a long struggle, but I found out that even just from taking the classes and doing well, I really enjoyed learning new stuff again and my self-esteem went up as a result. Now, I have been accepted to PT school for next year and it all seems worth it.
I started working as a rehab aide/tech at an outpatient clinic and I feel happy and excited each day when I start working with patients, seeing them get better and trying to encourage them to keep up the rehab process. I never felt this kind of personal involvement in IT as a computer programmer - I think this is my calling. I just wish I would have had this idea a long time ago...
Good luck and hang in there - life is too short to keep doing something you don't truly love. Most people do not get the chance to pursue what they think their destiny is - so go all in and don't look back!
(If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.)