Current difficulties of finding a physical therapist to shadow

[situational]

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Hey everyone,

Applied during this current application cycle with decently poor results, ended up waitlisted for Arcadia University and rejected for all the others. Really hoping for someone to eventually decline so I can sneak my way in, because if there's one thing that I really would not do over again in my life, it would be the application cycle for DPT programs.

I had around 155 observation hours at an outpatient clinic, and 300+ hours volunteering at a hospital (wasn't directly under a PT so I didn't really count it) when I applied. I stopped volunteering both early of last year for one reason or another - the PT clinic I volunteered at had less patients, so I would be showing up for a 4-5 hour shift with maybe 2-3 patients total - just a lot of sitting around, so I ended up stopping.

Ever since February, I saw the writing on the wall for this application cycle's results, so I had begun looking for another PT / clinic to volunteer with, preferably that of a different setting or even a specialty so it wouldn't just be general outpatient again. However, it's now mid-April and no one has really wanted to take me in, whether it due to them knowing that I'd be perhaps looking for another letter of recommendation, or scared of liability issues, etc.

I would email, call, or even walk into clinics, asking if they were willing to take in a pre-PT student to observe/volunteer, but most just referred me to sending them a CV/resume through email and them getting back to me, and I've heard nothing. I'm getting a little worried that I won't have more PT-related experiences to show for the next application cycle if I end up needing to do one. Was wondering if anyone had tips on how to deal with this kind of situation, or could advise me if this could potentially hurt me if I didnt have PT-related activities but had other activities instead (currently have an internship at a completely unrelated job, taking a couple more classes so I can apply to different programs).

Thanks,

-situ

 

[Azimuthal]

Have you tried hospitals or SNFs?

 

[nicolej5]

All you can do is keep trying and asking. Pester them to death until they respond. I had to do that with one of my observations and they weren't ignoring because they had some vendetta, it was just because they were insanely busy and figured I wouldn't follow up. Also, hospitals are arguably more difficult to get into than outpatient facilities. Additionally, many hospital require you "pay your dues" and volunteer in uninteresting departments like Admitting, etc. before you get to the goods. Not always true, just my experience. Be persistent and don't take no for an answer.

 

[situational]

Certain hospitals around me that have PT-shadowing programs have long waitlists to get in at the moment. After you get in, you have to go through some training, which isn't bad, to make sure you don't do something horribly wrong on their floors, and then you have to volunteer with them for a minimum of 3-4 months. I'm on the waiting list for one of them, but I don't know how long it's going to take for me; I may potentially finally get my turn in the middle of summer.

I have not tried SNFs yet. I should give those a try, it doesn't hurt.

Another note, this is in SoCal; I am not sure how many pre-PT students there are in SoCal, but I get the suspicion that I am being cold shouldered because there's just an enormous amount of people trying to get observation hours in as well, especially seeing how this past cycle was the most competitive in terms of the number of applicants. It's only going to increase from here on out, meaning I won't be the only one trying to find shadowing hours.

 

[situational]

All you can do is keep trying and asking. Pester them to death until they respond. I had to do that with one of my observations and they weren't ignoring because they had some vendetta, it was just because they were insanely busy and figured I wouldn't follow up. Also, hospitals are arguably more difficult to get into than outpatient facilities. Additionally, many hospital require you "pay your dues" and volunteer in uninteresting departments like Admitting, etc. before you get to the goods. Not always true, just my experience. Be persistent and don't take no for an answer.

Yeah, that's actually how I got interested in PT in the first place!

I was volunteering at a hospital (for those 300 hours I had) to actually try to get into surgery departments, because I had initially wanted to try for medical school. I was placed on the rehab floor (where no one else wanted to be since all premed and pre-nursing students), and that's where I really had the time to enjoy what PTs do. Unfortunately I was under the supervision of the nurses, not the PTs, so the hours don't count.

 

[NewTestament]

Send them your CV/resume and then follow up in one or two weeks. Don't call the next day because you don't want to pester them. Call or e-mail them until you arrange an interview or until they say they're not interested in taking on any more volunteers.

Hospitals are tricky. Go to volunteer services directly, get the contact information of the person in charge, and then call back within a week to see what the situation is. Best time to apply? August or September when all the high school and college students go back to school. I applied the first week of August and I started one month later. That's why it's important to look for inpatient/acute opportunities early.

You might have a better chance in a SNF, because they're not as popular, and many applicants don't know what a SNF is, but again you have to follow up.

Kevin

 

[Azimuthal]

What part of SoCal? Is there a VA near you?

 

[nicolej5]

Send them your CV/resume and then follow up in one or two weeks. Don't call the next day because you don't want to pester them.



Kevin

I have to disagree. In one or two weeks, they won't even remember you. It isn't a job application/interview. They should be able to tell you within a few days whether or not they can take you. If you wait and sit on your thumbs for them to get back to you, good luck. Someone more persistent will swoop in and take your place. There's places that I emailed my information to almost a year ago and still never had a response.

 

[kingsandmen]

Talk to the PT departments directly at a hospital. A lot of hospital systems actually don't even allow shadowing so going through volunteer services is a waste. I emailed the departments directly and was able to get one single 8 hr day visit for inpatient neuro/peds/ortho when I shadowed. I worked for the hospital system at that time but another pre-pt student did not nor was he a volunteer and was able to get the same arrangements. Worth a shot.

 

[19081307]

Have you tried reaching out to your local AHEC (Area Health Education Center)? They are all over the US depending on where you are located they may be able to set you up for shadowing. Their whole mission is to help develop and maintain health care professionals that will one day serve their community. I've reached out to local chapters twice (in two different cities within my state because I moved) and wrote an intro letter asking if they could help place me. I was always given lots of advice and contacts for PTs willing to allow students to shadow.

Also the hospitals are tricky. I've heard a lot of different things on how to get placed within a hospital. I'd call the PT department and ask do they allow students to observe their therapists. My local hospital allowed me but the only way they could allow me to do it was as a "volunteer." So I went through volunteer services and attended their orientation as a volunteer. Then I was placed as a "volunteer" with the PT department. I helped grab equipment, bedding, and night gowns when visiting the rooms. Otherwise I was shadowing the PT as she interacted with the patients.

 

[easb]

I just google all kinds of PT facilities in my area and called them. The first time, I was planning to call them again to be persistent but did not enev need to do that because 3 or 4 out of maybe 15 or 20 agreed to take me as a volunteer right away without any complicated paperwork process. The second time I called to 3 SNFs and one of them also told me that I could volunteer there. It has been pretty easy for me so far. It may be different in smaller towns though.

 

[parasurfore]

I called 24 different clinics in my area and getting their contact info to send my resume to them when I was searching for a pt tech position. It took me a month but I finally got one. It's all about persistence! Getting into someplace to shadow takes a lot less work

 

[captainterrific]

second to Azimuthal's post. I got the run-around / cold shoulder from all of my local hospitals and larger clinics, and then found a wide open door at the VA. It took them a long long time to do my background check & such, but there was never a waiting list or any of that type of thing.