Baylor-Army DPT

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Daniel M. Pitta

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I had read about this program on this forum before. One of my classmates is enlisted in the USN and will be enrolling at Baylor once he finishes his prereq's next summer. He says that the Military pays for all of it. With a DPT being so expensive, this seems like the way to go, provided you don't mind serving for your country. Since I have always been interested in being in the military, this seems like the perfect situation. Are there any Baylor students or alums on here? Do you have to enlist prior to applying to the program, or can you do it afterwards? I realize I could probably google this, but would rather connect with colleagues on here.

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Short answer:
You enlist after you apply, not before.

Long answer:
Army-Baylor's application process is quite a bit different than other schools. They are choosing people not only to be physical therapists, but officers in the military. In addition to all of the normal admissions stuff you send to other schools, you also have to be screened for military service. This includes stuff such as a physical and criminal background check. This is their first year using PTCAS and the application process is different than previous years. The PTCAS application is due 1 NOV, after which time interviews are given. If you do well on the interview you move on to the military screening portion. I used to to be a recruiter and I can tell you from experience that this will weed quite a few people out. There are a whole slew issues that many consider minor that can preclude one from military service. If you make it through that step you move on to the selection board, which I believe is sometime in February. If you are selected for a position and you join your respective service the following fall when report to Ft Sam Houston for your medical officer training. From here on out you are actually in the military. The actual PT program will then have orientation in Dec and the coursework begins in Jan.
 
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I have considered applying here as well... My dad is a former lt. Col. In the marine corps and would love it if I joined the military... From what I understand though it seems to be difficult to be accepted if you do not have connections with current military persons... Is this not necessarily true?
 
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I have considered applying here as well... My dad is a former lt. Col. In the marine corps and would love it if I joined the military... From what I understand though it seems to be difficult to be accepted if you do not have connections with current military persons... Is this not necessarily true?

I think it can help in certain cases but it's by no means required. They really emphasize that they are training you to be an military officer, as well as a PT. Having some direct experience with the military shows that you have at least some understanding of how the military works. They like to see applicants with shadowing experience at either a military clinic or a VA, but it's not require either. About a third of those selected are also current or former military, but most are straight up civilians. I was in the Army for a little over 14 years and I was also fortunate enough to observe at both VA and military PT clinics. I was able to get LOR's from a military PT and my old supervisor in the Army. I don't think that alone will get me into Army-Baylor, but if it comes down to me and someone off the street with no military experience I bet I will get the spot.
 
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Short answer:
You enlist after you apply, not before.

Long answer:
Army-Baylor's application process is quite a bit different than other schools. They are choosing people not only to be physical therapists, but officers in the military. In addition to all of the normal admissions stuff you send to other schools, you also have to be screened for military service. This includes stuff such as a physical and criminal background check. This is their first year using PTCAS and the application process is different than previous years. The PTCAS application is due 1 NOV, after which time interviews are given. If you do well on the interview you move on to the military screening portion. I used to to be a recruiter and I can tell you from experience that this will weed quite a few people out. There are a whole slew issues that many consider minor that can preclude one from military service. If you make it through that step you move on to the selection board, which I believe is sometime in February. If you are selected for a position and you join your respective service the following fall when report to Ft Sam Houston for your medical officer training. From here on out you are actually in the military. The actual PT program will then have orientation in Dec and the coursework begins in Jan.

What would be an example of something a normal civilian would consider minor, but would be a deterrent when applying for the military?
 
unless you have an outstanding application, and by outstanding I mean you can basically go wherever you want...you might want to save your time applying to the Baylor program. Their average GRE was 314 in 2014 I believe, which is quite a bit higher than say 90% of civilian PT program. Also, if you have ANY sort of record just don't waste your time. I'm talking any sort of ticket while an undergrad and at a campus party or anything. You're out of luck, case closed. Keep these things in mind. That being said, contact your regional recruiter and get the process going now if interested. I was very interested but unfortunately I had a misdemeanor at the age of 18 (ten years old at the time of application) for underage drinking and that disqualified me from continuing on...even though my stats would have most likely gotten me an interview. Good luck!!
 
What would be an example of something a normal civilian would consider minor, but would be a deterrent when applying for the military?

As far as criminal offenses go there is a regulation that lists what is considered minor and what is considered major. I'm a few years removed from my recruiting days but I believe a major offense would disqualify you. Having several minor offenses could as well. By the Army's standards many misdemeanors are considered major, especially stuff including drugs or alcohol, as well as anything that could be considered domestic violence. As far as medical stuff goes there is a long list of things such as asthma or what we may think are minor surgeries that can disqualify people. I was recruiting at a time when the Army was involved in two wars and expanding rapidly. At that time we were able to get waivers for many things, but I doubt that would be the case here. For starters, waivers can take a LONG time to get approved and there isn't much time between the time you complete your military processing and the time the board meets. We're also talking about a highly selective program in a military that is currently downsizing. It's basically supply and demand. People are lining up to get into this program so they really don't need waiver anything to get quality applicants.
 
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