Baylor University Army DPT advice

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
M

monty232013

New Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2013
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Hi,

I am planning on applying to Baylor's DPT program and I was just wondering if my stats are decent or should I try to do more.

Stats:

School: East Carolina University
Major: Exercise Physiology
Overall GPA: 3.61
Pre req GPA: 3.4 - This is low due to me having to retake a class after missing the class drop period. I got a B in that class the second time around.

Observation hours:
480 in geriatrics, pediatrics, sports, and telemedicine
200 during an intership in Bolivia working with disabled children
100+ in a couple of other areas

Gre math: 157
Gre verbal: 145
Aw: 4


I would appreciate any help I can get. Do you at least think I can get an interview?
Members don't see this ad.
 
Every qualified applicant receives an interview. Start observing in an active duty military PT setting and at a VA medical center PT department (since you have a year). Get to know a military PT and ask for a letter of reference/ recommendation. From what I've heard, the GRE verbal score is important, and I would consider trying for a higher score. I know some people may disagree with me, but I don't believe retaking classes is really worth it unless it will SIGNIFICANTLY improve your GPA (or is was a terrible grade.) Try to find ways to set you apart from other people. Getting involved in multiple leadership positions is a good way to stand out. Find out who the medical recruiter is for your region and email him or her in a few months to find out what they suggest you do to make your application as attractive as possible.
 
I agree with everything NattyB said. The verbal score is weighted very heavily in the admissions decision (it is given as much weight at the overall GRE score, in fact). You should probably be shooting for no lower than a 159/160.

Also, even if there isn't an Army Medical Hospital/Military Medical Center close to where you live, driving a long way to volunteer there on a regular basis (if you have the time) is a good way of showing your dedication.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I would also agree with what has been previously suggested. If there is any way to do some observation hours at a military facility, preferably an active duty hospital it could tremendously help out your application. If you could snag a letter of recommendation from a military physical therapist that would be even better. The more you can immerse yourself in the world of military healthcare the better off you will be. Remember the type of program you are applying to and the types of obligations you will have upon completing school (i.e.. deployments, needs of the Army duty station, etc.) and be prepared to get asked your feelings on these obligations during the interview. I would also suggested including it in your essays.
 
I had a feeling that my verbal score was a little low, I am definitely going to aim for a higher score. There is actually a PT in my area that graduated from the Baylor program so I will be trying to get a letter of recommendation from her, I know that will look awesome
 
I'm applying to baylor this fall as well.

Stats.

6 year naval officer, stellar fitnes reports.
So far, 120 hours of observation (inpatient, ortho) ALL in military treatment facility. I'll easily have 150-160 hours by show time.
GRE: 170-verbal, 167 quant, 5.5 writing.

Here's the bad part.

QPA 2.92 (originally a 2.7 undergrad, brought it up by acing A&P I&II, BIO I&II, Cell Bio, Evolution, two psych classes. Trying to take a Cadaver class and a combined Chem 1&2 class this fall. My grades were mainly hurt by garbage grades in organic chemistry, calculus, and programming in college. Went to a top school but it a way my first two years being a jack ass.

Anyway, I wish you all the best, most probably have a better shot that me with the garbage grades, but hopefully the GRE's will give me something of shot - I studied my arse off for them.
 
Typed hastily, you'd never suspect a good gre score with all those typos.

Mean that I 'screwed" it away my first two years, and "than" me with the garbage grades.
 
NavyToDPT said:
Typed hastily, you'd never suspect a good gre score with all those typos.

Mean that I 'screwed" it away my first two years, and "than" me with the garbage grades.
Click to expand...

You're Navy. Don't ever apologize for grammar/ spelling. We can speak pirate tongue. That's all they need to know.
 
Well played Azimuthal.

In school now? were you active duty?
 
Does anyone know where Baylor grads usually end up? Do they get deployed, work at the VA, etc... ? Do most get civilian jobs after their commitment is up?
 
Deployments are certainly far less common than for infantry or combat ratings.

Speaking for Navy ...
After Baylor (or after direct accession into the Navy from a civilian school) you'd go to a 3 year shore duty, which could very well be in Japan or Germany or Hawaii, but most likely Norfolk or San Diego.

After this, you are in the runnings to go onto a Carrier, which is the main way Navy PT's get deployed. You'd be running a stand alone clinic on the carrier, within the medical department (which is large - hundreds of hospital beds - they do some surgery on board). Other options for second tours are to try to do a residency/fellowship. Then, throughout your career, you bounce between running clinics, working between clinics, or perhaps focusing on special warfare detachments (most seal teams, for example, have a PT at their main site to provide constant direct access care - you can order MRIs and have lots of autonomy). It's never cut and dry - i.e. lieutenants do this job, but lieutenant commanders (i.e. Majors) do this job. This is because there are only about 100 navy PTs, and so they trade jobs quite frequently between ranks.

Eventually you'll promote to CDR/Captain, at which point you'll be managing other PTS, teaching, getting your PhD, or even doing mainly research for the Navy.

Hope that helps. Army PT is MUCH larger and is very different. probably more likely to do a deployment or overseas tour, especially if you want to be competitive for promotion boards.
 
NavyToDPT,

Thank you for all the information even though I wasn't the one who asked for it. I don't live anywhere near an Army or Navy installment so I've been shadowing Air Force PTs, so it's really helpful to learn about how they're different. Are you able to elaborate at all on Army PT? Since if I get into Baylor, that would most likely be where I'd end up.
 
Thanks NavyToDPT for some awesome information! Very insightful. Like Hope4Baylor, I would love to hear about graduates of the Army program if anyone knows anything.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
This is what I've heard thus far after talking to Baylor grads and practicing (Army) PTs:

1. After the year-long clinical and graduation, most students are kept in the US for at least a year to hone their clinical skills before being deployed (if that occurs). During that year they practice as a "staff" physical therapist in a multi-PT clinic and learn the ropes.

2. After one year practicing, a PT is in a position to take on more leadership (and in fact should do so to continue making good career/promotion progress). The PT often has the opportunity to be head physical therapist at a location or be the only practicing PT at a smaller Army location.

3. At some point after making the grade of CPT, attending a captain's career course is recommended to further develop your leadership abilities (but your ability to attend is highly dependent on when you can take the time and if there are spots available for you).

4. If, later, a company commander position is ever offered to you, don't hesitate to take it as it demonstrates an overarching commitment to Army leadership. In this vein, the Army is keen to see that you are taking on opportunities that don't exclusively lie within your area of specialty; the fastest way to avoid getting promotions is to simply do your job or to only attend continuing education for your job.

5. If you decide to make a career of being an Army PT, progression to LT COL and COL will most likely require an advanced degree (in addition to your DPT and specialist certifications).

6. A quick Google search shows a large number of Baylor grads who decided to work in the civilian world after either their commitment ended or they retired (several work for Evidence in Motion).

That's all the info I have, and keep in mind that what I do know is very limited given that I have not yet started the program. The input of a practicing Army PT would likely be much more helpful.
 
Thanks for all the info, Nailey. I'm working on getting in contact with an Armt PT somehow even just to pick their brain. I love what see at the AFB near me so if Army PT is similar at all I will be pleased!

PS I have read all your posts on the Baylor threads and I'm super appreciative for all the information you've made available, our stats are very similar so I can only hope I get in next year! Please keep us updated on the process and good luck at start time.
 
No problem, hope4baylor. I wish you the best of luck this admissions cycle and maybe I'll meet you in the spring of 2015!
 
I've learned something interesting about the Baylor process.

Baylor is unique first in that in your pre-req GPA, they don't just count the required courses, but also EVERY biology, chemistry, anatomy, or physiology course you ever took.

Thus, if you did what I did, slacked in college, and bombed Ochem 1 and 2, you are really hurt by this. One of the admissions people told me she didn't think this was true, but the regional medical recruiter assured me it is.

On the other hand, pre-reqs MUST be taken within 10 years of Matriculation. Thus, for those like me, any course taken prior to fall 2004 is too old. This actually helps me, and here's why: I was planning on retaking physics 1 (C) and Chem 2 (D). I still will, but because those grades are too hold to help me, they are also too old to hurt me. Any science class older than 10 years doesn't get counted in your pre-req GPA at all, regardless of whether it hurts or helps.

So this jumps my pre-req GPA up a bit. What's more, if I don't get in this year, but get in next year, my prereq GPA will jump automatically to about a 3.85 since my ochem grades will then be excluded. My overall is still just under a 3.0, and thus will require a waver, but it's still something.

Anyway, I thought I'd share for any older folks out there (close to 30), who might be helped by this technicality. It seems crazy that Ochem can count against me since it's not a requirement, but at least this technicality might give me a break next year.
 
What kind of extracurriculars will make someone competitive or even stand out from the rest?
 
@atorres At least in my opinion (and I definitely don't want to be the only one giving advice in this thread) extracurriculars don't count for a whole lot for any PT school, and Army-Baylor is no exception. As Baylor is becoming more competitive each year, all of the "other" elements of your application have to be there first: high GRE (particularly verbal), high overall/prereq GPA, military observation hours and several detailed and glowing recommendations letters that speak to your potential to be a leader in the military. After this, conveying a sense of humility and having an ability to articulate your passion for PT (and strong interest in military PT) during your phone interview will go the furthest to getting you a spot. I would highly recommend prepping extensively for the interview (I did). Have a general outline of topics you'd like to cover (no canned remarks though) and if possible, practice a few times with family/friends. Try to anticipate how you would answer some of the more difficult questions about your application (should they come up).

The one final thing I'll say is that Baylor favors a very well-organized and driven applicant. The application process itself will test your resolve multiple times, but if you want it badly enough and are a qualified applicant, you'll be successful.
 
Was anyone here a prior commissioned officer? In some programs (the PA program, for example) require officers to recommission. They earn constructive credit but generally lose rank. Just curious if the same was the case with PT school. I haven't been able to find a definitive answer in the reg. I may not be able to apply until the 2015 school year but I may apply for my commission regardless in the meantime.
 
Where can I get military observation hours? I have
 
A military medical center or (Army) community hospital would be your best bet. Keep in mind though that in order to volunteer at these locations, you'll need to become a Red Cross volunteer; this is a multi-week (sometimes over a month) process that requires two TB tests, background checks, safety protocol instruction (mine was over 3 hours) and multiple office visits over many days to get all of your paperwork filed and ID made. Obviously, if you're already in the military, many of these steps might not apply to you. Additionally, some have been accepted with VA volunteer hours, but I don't have any experience with this.

If you're applying for Baylor this fall, I would recommend starting the process immediately. Ideally, you should have an extended volunteer stint (not just several days over a couple of weeks) and the deadline to have all paperwork submitted is usually December (early January at the latest).
 
Fun fact, just heard the new minimum GPA and prereq GPA is a 3.25 Anything below needs a waiver (I'll need one).

Also, regarding commissioning, I'm applying to a Navy slot this year, and likely next year. For the Navy it was explained to me thus:

You lose 3 years of "commissioning date." I commissioned in 2007, and am a Lieutenant (equiv to Army Captain). If I'm accepted, I will be entering the program at my 7 year mark. I'll lose those three years of commissioning date, ******ing me to a 4 year Lieutenant. I'll still be paid as an O-3 with 7 years in, but my promotion to O-4 will be delayed by 3 years, and will likely come not at my 10 year mark, but at my 13 year mark. The idea is that the time in the Baylor program shouldn't count towards promotion for the likes of me.

Don't know if/how that helps Army types.
 
My recruiter told me last week that they got the stats for last entering class and the average GPA was a 3.72 and GRE was 314 total. I didn't ask whether that was overall or prerequisite GPA.
 
NavytoDPT, thanks for the info regarding old prereqs! I took most of them over (gulp) 17 years ago and am almost done retaking them all. Was concerned the old grades would affect prereq GPA, despite being too old to count as prereqs themselves. Now I'm very pleased to keep only my shiny new grades!

For you current or former Baylor students, my question is thus: I'm a Navy wife, mom of two, 34 years old. My goal has been to get into Army Baylor and I think I have competitive stats: 4.0 prereq GPA, 337 combined GRE score, will have about 200 observation hours, half at a big Navy hospital. Only problem is, if I get in, my husband can't be stationed in San Antonio with me for the didactic year. I'd be there alone, with two young kids (6 and 1). Do you know anyone who has done this as an effectively single parent? Is it totally crazy?

Thanks for your opinion/input.
 
Hi all, I'm interested in Baylor, and have a couple of questions, if anyone can help me with them. When do they let you know about the admission results? And anyone got accepted as non English native speakers? I'm an immigrant, army spouse. 38yo. GPA is high but I haven't taken GRE yet. Thank you very much!
 
joelle330 said:
Hi all, I'm interested in Baylor, and have a couple of questions, if anyone can help me with them. When do they let you know about the admission results? And anyone got accepted as non English native speakers? I'm an immigrant, army spouse. 38yo. GPA is high but I haven't taken GRE yet. Thank you very much!
Click to expand...
The board was in March I believe so the results have been out for a while now. I don't know it CAPTE has been updated yet but you can probably find the stats on here. There isn't going to be any data on non-native speakers. Per AR 600-20 the operational language of the Army is English. I'm not positive but you may have to take the TOEFL. Are you an US citizen? You can join on the enlisted side as a non-citizen, but I don't believe you can become an officer until you are naturalized. I'm pretty far removed from my day's as a recruiter so don't take my word on it. Your best bet is to contact your region's recruiter.
 
scrawnyguy said:
The board was in March I believe so the results have been out for a while now. I don't know it CAPTE has been updated yet but you can probably find the stats on here. There isn't going to be any data on non-native speakers. Per AR 600-20 the operational language of the Army is English. I'm not positive but you may have to take the TOEFL. Are you an US citizen? You can join on the enlisted side as a non-citizen, but I don't believe you can become an officer until you are naturalized. I'm pretty far removed from my day's as a recruiter so don't take my word on it. Your best bet is to contact your region's recruiter.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much for your reply. I obtained naturalization last month. Anyways..March is quite late :-(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Army-Baylor DPT Application 2023-2024
Replies
6
Views
3K
Baylor Picard
B
J
Army-Baylor DPT Application 2024-2025
Replies
32
Views
7K
elijxh3
E
D
Hybrid Baylor DPT Jan 2025
Replies
2
Views
2K
Ben Barfield
Ben Barfield
A
Northeastern DPT 2024-2025
Replies
0
Views
2K
amvamd27
A
T
Army-Baylor DPT Applicant Forum 2023-2024
Replies
4
Views
3K
Allan Drage
A
Top