Nailey13, I definitely agree that we should all strive for more when possible. However, I understood the OP's question to be geared more toward gauging how well DPT classes meshed, and not a sign of lack of drive.
Some schools (undergraduate and graduate) have fierce competition between students for their place in the class Bell curve. You don't necessarily earn grades, you're instead given values in relation to others. There are numerous drawbacks to this approach. The OP is trying to avoid these types of situations.
This isn't a zero sum game. As you stated, striving to better ourselves does not come at the expense of the improvement of others. It sounds like you plan on driving yourself forward by using others as a benchmark. But don't let it alarm you that others have different motivations for improving their clinical skills -- namely improving care for our patients. We should get over this American crush-skulls-to-gain-influence-and-make-money attitude. Seeking out ubercompetitive learning environments will not necessarily make you a great PT, nor does seeking a more collaborative environment indicate a desire for minimal effort. Different strokes for different folks. Good luck!
