I am wondering if some current DPT students can give me feel as to what DPT school is like? What is your average day like? How often are you in class? How much do you study each day? How stressed out are you on average? Is it a lot harder than undergrad (if you majored in science)/ a lot more stressful than undergrad? Do you have time for other things outside of school like running, working out, etc? I appreciate all the feedback.
Current DPT Students: What is DPT school like?
- Thread starter leon24
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All programs are different, some go to school year round, some don't.
I am currently in my last month of school (yay) and will give you an honest take on DPT school.
1. You will be in class much, much longer than your '19 credit hours' that you registered for. Guaranteed. I was in class anywhere from 24-27 hours a week I think.
2. You will also be responsible for making 'open (mandatory) labs' even though 'open' implies the lab being optional.
3. You will absolutely be stressed out daily. And when you try to go out and let loose you will still worry about school. When you are at the gym you will feel guilty you aren't studying.
4. You will dream about COMPS, tests, and cadavers coming to life while alone in the anatomy lab.
5. You MUST study! Undergrad is like cake compared to DPT school (and any grad program for that matter)
6. You absolutely need to learn how to prioritize your life and set goals for yourself, getting behind is dangerous.
7. Your classmates will make you nuts at times.
8. You need to learn how to set boundaries for yourself. It is very easy to fall behind, but it is just as easy to burn yourself out from the anxiety, and allowing school to take over your entire world. When you learn to set boundaries for yourself, schedule time for fun, friends, family, and significant others you will feel a lot better and the burn out doesn't come as soon.
9. You will burn out at some point each semester, but focus on taking time for yourself and getting some physical activity will definitely help with that
10. You will build great relationships with your professors and classmates. Even though my lab classmates drove me crazy we are like this awesome dysfunctional family and I miss them over breaks!
11. Be ready to ask questions, feel dumb at times, but also to look back over time and be proud of how much you have learned. My first semester of DPT I couldn't believe how smart and knowledgable the students 2 years ahead of me were. And here I am now and I can't believe how much I really know!
PT school honestly sucks at times, I won't kid.. but if you build a good study group and a good group of friends, prioritize, and recognize that you have limits (there are only 24 hours in a day) you will be just fine. Any questions feel free to ask .
I am currently in my last month of school (yay) and will give you an honest take on DPT school.
1. You will be in class much, much longer than your '19 credit hours' that you registered for. Guaranteed. I was in class anywhere from 24-27 hours a week I think.
2. You will also be responsible for making 'open (mandatory) labs' even though 'open' implies the lab being optional.
3. You will absolutely be stressed out daily. And when you try to go out and let loose you will still worry about school. When you are at the gym you will feel guilty you aren't studying.
4. You will dream about COMPS, tests, and cadavers coming to life while alone in the anatomy lab.
5. You MUST study! Undergrad is like cake compared to DPT school (and any grad program for that matter)
6. You absolutely need to learn how to prioritize your life and set goals for yourself, getting behind is dangerous.
7. Your classmates will make you nuts at times.
8. You need to learn how to set boundaries for yourself. It is very easy to fall behind, but it is just as easy to burn yourself out from the anxiety, and allowing school to take over your entire world. When you learn to set boundaries for yourself, schedule time for fun, friends, family, and significant others you will feel a lot better and the burn out doesn't come as soon.
9. You will burn out at some point each semester, but focus on taking time for yourself and getting some physical activity will definitely help with that
10. You will build great relationships with your professors and classmates. Even though my lab classmates drove me crazy we are like this awesome dysfunctional family and I miss them over breaks!
11. Be ready to ask questions, feel dumb at times, but also to look back over time and be proud of how much you have learned. My first semester of DPT I couldn't believe how smart and knowledgable the students 2 years ahead of me were. And here I am now and I can't believe how much I really know!
PT school honestly sucks at times, I won't kid.. but if you build a good study group and a good group of friends, prioritize, and recognize that you have limits (there are only 24 hours in a day) you will be just fine. Any questions feel free to ask .
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Love this type of thread! I appreciate hearing "A Day in The Life", especially since I have no clue about what PT school is "really" going to be like for me. I hope more current student chime in!!
Hope I don't scare anyone away with my commentary!! PT school is awesome in a lot of ways. Three hours clinical labs fly by because you are up, moving around, practicing skills, doing group work, doing cases and the like. Practicing hands on skills like mobilization and goniometry are done with a partner and it also constitutes studying. If you have a significant other or friend who wouldn't mind being your guinea pig I would highly recommend practicing skills on them... because practicing on your classmates is always easier since they know what you are doing and even if they are not supposed to they help. I would never going into a clinical competency or a clinical affiliation without having practiced a skill on a non PT student before.
If you do a program with summers off get your books for next semester and start reading ahead of time. I know this sounds NUTS but trust me, it will help when you start neuroanatomy.
Heres another bit: MAKE FRIENDS! FIND A STUDY GROUP! I cannot stress this enough. I didn't really try to make friends until well into my second semester of DPT school and honestly, I became a bit lonely. When I was having a hard time I would talk to my boyfriend and family and get the usual 'you are doing just fine, don't worry." But as we know there are times you just don't want to hear that, and the best thing to do is talk to your classmates because it is likely they are going through the same thing. Especially when you just want to complain!
If you do a program with summers off get your books for next semester and start reading ahead of time. I know this sounds NUTS but trust me, it will help when you start neuroanatomy.
Heres another bit: MAKE FRIENDS! FIND A STUDY GROUP! I cannot stress this enough. I didn't really try to make friends until well into my second semester of DPT school and honestly, I became a bit lonely. When I was having a hard time I would talk to my boyfriend and family and get the usual 'you are doing just fine, don't worry." But as we know there are times you just don't want to hear that, and the best thing to do is talk to your classmates because it is likely they are going through the same thing. Especially when you just want to complain!
Honestly, it's not as bad as I had anticipated. I'm just a first year, but I can tell you a little bit about how this last year has been for me.
Our program starts in the summer. It was very laid back (anatomy, pathophysiology, and a seminar). We only had class Tue-Th. It gave us a lot of time to focus in on anatomy and get a STRONG knowledge base. It's a part of every class, so it's really essential.
The laid back atmosphere was short lived lol. Fall and Spring have been insanely busy. We never have class on Fridays though, which is nice. They leave it open for people who want to do part-time internships. There's typically 2 major classes that require your attention daily. But honestly, if you stay on top of your material (meaning study/review every day...don't just study to prepare for an exam) it's really not too bad. You also have to keep in mind that pretty much everything is "comprehensive" in each class, and throughout the years as well. When you study, you have to study in a way that is going to make you retain the information. You will be very sorry the next semester if you don't! There's also a lot of group projects, labs, research stuff on top of your regular studying.
Although I still have time to work out/hang out with friends/etc, you have to be prepared for the fact that you don't have freedom anymore lol. Your "class schedule" is never what it seems. You will be required to go to lab sections that you aren't enrolled in, review sessions, extra class times. This is a big reason as to why most students are not able to hold down a regular job outside of school (main one being that you obviously need study time haha).
Like the previous poster said, get close with your classmates and form study groups. 1) You're going to be around each other most every day for the next 3 years and 2) the PT program is very hands on, and as I previously mentioned, lots of group projects. It's crucial that you form good relationships and you get comfortable with each other. My class gets along really well, to the point where we regularly hang out outside of school
We then have 4 full time internships. I will do my first one this summer. 2nd in the summer of 2012. And 3rd + 4th in spring of 2013. You can also do part time ones during the other semesters if you choose.
It's stressful at times, but also really great. If you love the content and the field, the studying isn't going to be as burdensome. Again, just gotta make sure you are reviewing everyday if possible!
Our program starts in the summer. It was very laid back (anatomy, pathophysiology, and a seminar). We only had class Tue-Th. It gave us a lot of time to focus in on anatomy and get a STRONG knowledge base. It's a part of every class, so it's really essential.
The laid back atmosphere was short lived lol. Fall and Spring have been insanely busy. We never have class on Fridays though, which is nice. They leave it open for people who want to do part-time internships. There's typically 2 major classes that require your attention daily. But honestly, if you stay on top of your material (meaning study/review every day...don't just study to prepare for an exam) it's really not too bad. You also have to keep in mind that pretty much everything is "comprehensive" in each class, and throughout the years as well. When you study, you have to study in a way that is going to make you retain the information. You will be very sorry the next semester if you don't! There's also a lot of group projects, labs, research stuff on top of your regular studying.
Although I still have time to work out/hang out with friends/etc, you have to be prepared for the fact that you don't have freedom anymore lol. Your "class schedule" is never what it seems. You will be required to go to lab sections that you aren't enrolled in, review sessions, extra class times. This is a big reason as to why most students are not able to hold down a regular job outside of school (main one being that you obviously need study time haha).
Like the previous poster said, get close with your classmates and form study groups. 1) You're going to be around each other most every day for the next 3 years and 2) the PT program is very hands on, and as I previously mentioned, lots of group projects. It's crucial that you form good relationships and you get comfortable with each other. My class gets along really well, to the point where we regularly hang out outside of school
We then have 4 full time internships. I will do my first one this summer. 2nd in the summer of 2012. And 3rd + 4th in spring of 2013. You can also do part time ones during the other semesters if you choose.
It's stressful at times, but also really great. If you love the content and the field, the studying isn't going to be as burdensome. Again, just gotta make sure you are reviewing everyday if possible!
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DPT Grad,
Everything you have stated is what I have been hearing since I started this process. Our program told us to expect to be in class/lab/clinic for 40 hrs a week. That is not including individual study time and research responsibilities. I know it is going to be pretty rugged, but I hope it only serves to continue to make strides in the profession. Exciting stuff!
Everything you have stated is what I have been hearing since I started this process. Our program told us to expect to be in class/lab/clinic for 40 hrs a week. That is not including individual study time and research responsibilities. I know it is going to be pretty rugged, but I hope it only serves to continue to make strides in the profession. Exciting stuff!
I am a 2nd year DPT student. I'll chime in as well.
First of all, PT school is MUCH harder than undergrad. We started out so well, with foundational classes like gross anatomy, biomechanics etc..., but then it picked up when we started to take ortho, cardio, neurorehab, peds etc... We take like what? 15-17 credits? Credits are just numbers in PT school that determines how much they are going to charge you for tuition. You are basically at school whole day trying to learn as much as you can in labs, open labs, lectures, and field trips to clinics. After all, this is what we are going to be practicing for the rest of our lives.
After a while, you start calling your professors ruthless a**h**es, because you now have 2 case studies (due same week) that you have to worry about on top of 2 lab practicals, 2 lab check-outs, 3 quizzes, and a written exam all in one week. You are swamped with work. On the other hand, there's your PS3 looking at you with Black ops standing right next to it, and you take your revenge in the game.
Typical day as a PT student? Here it is...
Monday:
Pretty good day overall. Professional development starts at 8am and goes till 9:50am. Content is pretty boring so surfing the internet on my ipod is inevitable. Then comes the clinical orientation where we talk about the clinical sites and pick our sites. We are done at 11am unless we have neuro field trip to a local outpatient neuro rehab clinic. These field trips were really annoying at first (outside the scheduled class time), but eventually you gain invaluable experience examining the patient, asking them questions, performing tone, coordination and balance assessments on them. This has been an amazing experience for me and classmates. We all got better in terms of clinical skills. That takes about 3 hours. Then I usually head back to the library and study till around 5pm.
Tuesday:
Ortho lecture and lab that run from 11am till 3:30pm. I use this day to usually work on my research project. Research project is required by the dept. Ortho labs are pretty fun. PRof usually goes through several assessments and then he lets us practice while he walks around the room and observes us students. We have lab check-outs every other week. You basically pick a card that tells you to perform a certain mobilization technique or a special test (e.g. Anterior drawer test)
Wednesdays: Peds lecture in the morning (have a quiz every week) and neuro rehab in the evening. Both are 3 hour long lectures. I usually stay at school in between and study.
Thursday: Same as Tuesdays, but also have a morning peds lab. Peds lab is very very fun. I love it even though I don't think I will work with the kiddos. This is a long day for us.
Fridays: Neuro Rehab lab. Lasts 3 hours. Pretty fun, but also challenging.
^ My typical week in PT school. Yes, everyone is stressed out, but that doesn't stop us from grabbing a couple of beer at the bar with friends on the weekends. You definitely have time to work out, but you need to manage your time pretty well... Don't work if you don't have to. You will make really good friends along the way. When you hear current 3rd years getting job offers 4 months from graduation with decent salaries, your motivation will double fold.
No matter how stressed out I am, I can't imagine myself doing something else. I am where I wanna be.
First of all, PT school is MUCH harder than undergrad. We started out so well, with foundational classes like gross anatomy, biomechanics etc..., but then it picked up when we started to take ortho, cardio, neurorehab, peds etc... We take like what? 15-17 credits? Credits are just numbers in PT school that determines how much they are going to charge you for tuition. You are basically at school whole day trying to learn as much as you can in labs, open labs, lectures, and field trips to clinics. After all, this is what we are going to be practicing for the rest of our lives.
After a while, you start calling your professors ruthless a**h**es, because you now have 2 case studies (due same week) that you have to worry about on top of 2 lab practicals, 2 lab check-outs, 3 quizzes, and a written exam all in one week. You are swamped with work. On the other hand, there's your PS3 looking at you with Black ops standing right next to it, and you take your revenge in the game.
Typical day as a PT student? Here it is...
Monday:
Pretty good day overall. Professional development starts at 8am and goes till 9:50am. Content is pretty boring so surfing the internet on my ipod is inevitable. Then comes the clinical orientation where we talk about the clinical sites and pick our sites. We are done at 11am unless we have neuro field trip to a local outpatient neuro rehab clinic. These field trips were really annoying at first (outside the scheduled class time), but eventually you gain invaluable experience examining the patient, asking them questions, performing tone, coordination and balance assessments on them. This has been an amazing experience for me and classmates. We all got better in terms of clinical skills. That takes about 3 hours. Then I usually head back to the library and study till around 5pm.
Tuesday:
Ortho lecture and lab that run from 11am till 3:30pm. I use this day to usually work on my research project. Research project is required by the dept. Ortho labs are pretty fun. PRof usually goes through several assessments and then he lets us practice while he walks around the room and observes us students. We have lab check-outs every other week. You basically pick a card that tells you to perform a certain mobilization technique or a special test (e.g. Anterior drawer test)
Wednesdays: Peds lecture in the morning (have a quiz every week) and neuro rehab in the evening. Both are 3 hour long lectures. I usually stay at school in between and study.
Thursday: Same as Tuesdays, but also have a morning peds lab. Peds lab is very very fun. I love it even though I don't think I will work with the kiddos.
This is a long day for us. Fridays: Neuro Rehab lab. Lasts 3 hours. Pretty fun, but also challenging.
^ My typical week in PT school. Yes, everyone is stressed out, but that doesn't stop us from grabbing a couple of beer at the bar with friends on the weekends.
You definitely have time to work out, but you need to manage your time pretty well... Don't work if you don't have to. You will make really good friends along the way. When you hear current 3rd years getting job offers 4 months from graduation with decent salaries, your motivation will double fold. No matter how stressed out I am, I can't imagine myself doing something else. I am where I wanna be.
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Haha, Im wondering if I should just sell mine or leave it unhooked. Wehn NCAA Football comes out this year it'll be tough.
These are great, would like to hear more.
I love this thread and comparing programs and experiences. Here are two of my favorite things (not really favorite, I just think its funny). Because I was on campus so much.. 8:00 am- 9:00pm at least I would pack a breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in my lunch box. And in the winter I took advantage of the cold by keeping a days worth of food in the car where it would stay cool. Sad, but true.
The other is how I looked like a bag lady when I left for school in the morning with a bookbag, purse, lunchbox, dufflebag for gym clothes, and my laptop case. I literally sometimes couldn't get through the door with all my stuff. All for one day. It was like packing for a weeks vacation. Even though I said I wouldn't miss being in school, I definitely do at times!
The other is how I looked like a bag lady when I left for school in the morning with a bookbag, purse, lunchbox, dufflebag for gym clothes, and my laptop case. I literally sometimes couldn't get through the door with all my stuff. All for one day. It was like packing for a weeks vacation. Even though I said I wouldn't miss being in school, I definitely do at times!
Did you sleep? Oh no, my cardiologist says I should get at least 8hrs of sleep a night because of my a fib issue that occurs like once a year.
Many of my classmates would stay up all night at and study. One of my friends was notorious for this. I honestly got at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night. I really can't go with less or I am miserable. You just have to prioritize your studying and hw/research/reading for whats most important that next day. Look a week out or two and decide how you are going to plan that week and be dilligent. If you develop good study and prioritizing skills there should be no reason you are losing sleep.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Well... That depends on how addicted you are to your PS3. I play an hour every day and quite frankly, it makes me feel better. If you sit and play for hours and hours, then just sell it... Leaving it unhooked won't work.
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Love this!
Also- I think that there should be some type of handout that we can give significant others/family/friends to prepare them for this!
Sometimes I swear my SO acts like going to PT school is equivalent to sitting on my rear eating cheesies all day!
Also- I think that there should be some type of handout that we can give significant others/family/friends to prepare them for this!
Sometimes I swear my SO acts like going to PT school is equivalent to sitting on my rear eating cheesies all day!
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Love this!
Also- I think that there should be some type of handout that we can give significant others/family/friends to prepare them for this!
Sometimes I swear my SO acts like going to PT school is equivalent to sitting on my rear eating cheesies all day!
Not to be too personal(and maybe you were joking), but why would your SO think PT school was a "cakewalk" like that?
Love this!
Also- I think that there should be some type of handout that we can give significant others/family/friends to prepare them for this!
Sometimes I swear my SO acts like going to PT school is equivalent to sitting on my rear eating cheesies all day!
THIS! My husband thinks PT school is going to be a walk in the park. We got into a fight the other day because if I get into Shenandoah he doesn't want to move which means I would be commuting over an hour each way every day He doesn't understand that I want to move to Winchester so I don't lose three hours of study time commuting every day. He says I'll be fine and I'm being selfish. I'm going to show him this thread...he just doesn't get it. Oye.
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I just understand how any person could think that PT school is going to be a walk in the park. You're taking 18-24 credits for the first two yrs. At least half of that is basic science material with adjoining labs. Most programs require at least one research component, while others may have as many as 2-4 individual/group research responsibilities. You also have part time clinical responsibilities before you are shipped off to do 30-60wks(program contingent) of clinical rotations. Obviously I could blather on and on about the sacrifices one makes in DPT school; however, I digress.
Love this!
Also- I think that there should be some type of handout that we can give significant others/family/friends to prepare them for this!
Sometimes I swear my SO acts like going to PT school is equivalent to sitting on my rear eating cheesies all day!
It seems PT school leaves most students with little to no time for socializing let alone some quality time with family! Is this a matter of time management, or is having free time really that scarce?
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Well, it is somewhat joking, but there is some truth to it (or else I wouldn't have said it!)
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I see. Well I guess when you can torture your SO by having them test you on Anatomy, Physiology, and Biomechanics all while practicing your clinical orthopedic exams/interventions on them . That'll show em
!I go to the University of Utah.
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Goyo,
I was thinking the same thing. Lol! It seems like 95% or more of the posts are made by pre-rehab candidates. Maybe the Rehab Science students are too worried about school to worry about SDN! Lol. Either way, it would be nice to get more feedback from more students who are currently going through the process.
I was thinking the same thing. Lol! It seems like 95% or more of the posts are made by pre-rehab candidates. Maybe the Rehab Science students are too worried about school to worry about SDN! Lol. Either way, it would be nice to get more feedback from more students who are currently going through the process.
I concur with several other posters. I'm a first year and this is much harder than undergrad and harder in some ways than my first grad degree. If you want to work out, be social, etc, I recommend scheduling it in your calendar. If I don't, it doesn't happen, LOL. You have to be on top of time management, otherwise, you can easily be up until 2am or later studying every night like I sometimes...well, usually...do, LOL. But then I pay for it... I highly recommend making sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep a night, if you can. You'll be more productive.
Our schedule varies with the semester, last semester we were in class 5 days a week and had 2-3 classes per day. We're in class right now 4 days a week from about 8am to 5pm four days a week. Meeting for group projects (you'll wind up hating group projects pretty quickly, lol) and open labs are in addition to that. Sometimes we're in class Fridays as well for extra classes and field trips. We have 3-4 classes per day, by the time you get home, your brain is fried and it's torture trying to sit down and study. Usually I spend my evenings and weekends studying, but try to stop by 8pm 1-2 nights a week to watch a movie or something with my SO. It is extremely stressful most of the time with a lot of tests and projects due at the same time.
Enjoy your free time now, while you have it. When your in school, make sure you manage your time well, find ways to relax (gym, yoga, wine, House, Wii, etc), make sure your SO understands what your next 3 years is going to be like (if they are not supportive or understanding, it will add to your stress levels), and know that all of your sacrifices will be worth it in the end (at least that is my mantra right now).
Our schedule varies with the semester, last semester we were in class 5 days a week and had 2-3 classes per day. We're in class right now 4 days a week from about 8am to 5pm four days a week. Meeting for group projects (you'll wind up hating group projects pretty quickly, lol) and open labs are in addition to that. Sometimes we're in class Fridays as well for extra classes and field trips. We have 3-4 classes per day, by the time you get home, your brain is fried and it's torture trying to sit down and study. Usually I spend my evenings and weekends studying, but try to stop by 8pm 1-2 nights a week to watch a movie or something with my SO. It is extremely stressful most of the time with a lot of tests and projects due at the same time.
Enjoy your free time now, while you have it. When your in school, make sure you manage your time well, find ways to relax (gym, yoga, wine, House, Wii, etc), make sure your SO understands what your next 3 years is going to be like (if they are not supportive or understanding, it will add to your stress levels), and know that all of your sacrifices will be worth it in the end (at least that is my mantra right now
).
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I'm in my 2nd year of school and agree with what all the other current students have said about school/time management/stress, etc.
I never learned the concept of reviewing material everyday or studying even if the exam wasn't coming up in undergrad. PT school gave me a rude awakening! I also learned to be a study buddy since it helps so much to talk things out with classmates, and of course you need them to practice on. I like practicing my musculoskeletal skills or talking through neuro concepts with more than just one classmate at once 'cause you get different perspectives and new insights into things.
It's important to find ways to save and manage your time since you will inevitably have some very busy weeks. For example, I'll purposefully miss a tv show and just download to my iPod the next day and either watch it while I workout or while I'm commuting. I have a 45-50 minute commute to school, so I take advantage of that by either catching up on sleep or studying. Usually I just close my eyes and listen to my iPod though...it's hard to bust out a neuro lecture at 7 am. ;P Another thing I do to keep myself sane is to exercise right after school. It refreshes me and then I'm ready to study for the rest of the night. Plus if I 'save it for later', I get tired and then don't go.
PT school IS very stressful, and definitely is the hardest thing I've ever done. It's good to vent out your frustrations sometimes, but I find that it's easy for people to constantly complain about all the work we have to do. Sometimes you just gotta suck it up. I think back to my first clinical over the summer and how great it felt to work with patients, and then I see that everything I have to endure in school is worth it.
I never learned the concept of reviewing material everyday or studying even if the exam wasn't coming up in undergrad. PT school gave me a rude awakening! I also learned to be a study buddy since it helps so much to talk things out with classmates, and of course you need them to practice on. I like practicing my musculoskeletal skills or talking through neuro concepts with more than just one classmate at once 'cause you get different perspectives and new insights into things.
It's important to find ways to save and manage your time since you will inevitably have some very busy weeks. For example, I'll purposefully miss a tv show and just download to my iPod the next day and either watch it while I workout or while I'm commuting. I have a 45-50 minute commute to school, so I take advantage of that by either catching up on sleep or studying. Usually I just close my eyes and listen to my iPod though...it's hard to bust out a neuro lecture at 7 am. ;P Another thing I do to keep myself sane is to exercise right after school. It refreshes me and then I'm ready to study for the rest of the night. Plus if I 'save it for later', I get tired and then don't go.
PT school IS very stressful, and definitely is the hardest thing I've ever done. It's good to vent out your frustrations sometimes, but I find that it's easy for people to constantly complain about all the work we have to do. Sometimes you just gotta suck it up. I think back to my first clinical over the summer and how great it felt to work with patients, and then I see that everything I have to endure in school is worth it.
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Also, as far as your social life, you don't have to completely kill it. Most Friday nights I spend going out with friends or to the movies. Saturday nights are also pretty chill. You don't have to constantly study everyday, and if you want to survive, R&R is essential. =)
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totally agree with dptgrad's 1-11 in the first post. that's great.
I'm actually away from school now at my first internship and it is like a vacation! Only 8am-5pm mon-fri interning, then free evenings and weekends! So not used to that, it's wonderful.
I'm actually away from school now at my first internship and it is like a vacation! Only 8am-5pm mon-fri interning, then free evenings and weekends! So not used to that, it's wonderful.
That's nice. My first clinical starts in about 2 weeks and I cannot wait!
I am doing my first one in a sub acute setting, but I heard it is pretty boring after the first week. I think it's still a good start to get my hands on patients.
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To a certain extent, this depends on the type of program, whether it's a regular length or condensed program. My school was a condensed program, and did a full or overload semester's worth of credits every 9 weeks.
One of the first things the head of the program told us at orientation was that we should pretty much expect to be at school from 8 am til 9 pm. We did end up doing that over two terms. Most of the time, it was about 8-5, with a couple of terms only doing 3-4 days per week and/or getting out earlier, but most were 30-40 hours per week, plus study time outside of school.
My advice? Get to know the people at the local coffee shop. They'll start giving you free drinks eventually.
One of the first things the head of the program told us at orientation was that we should pretty much expect to be at school from 8 am til 9 pm. We did end up doing that over two terms. Most of the time, it was about 8-5, with a couple of terms only doing 3-4 days per week and/or getting out earlier, but most were 30-40 hours per week, plus study time outside of school.
My advice? Get to know the people at the local coffee shop. They'll start giving you free drinks eventually.
That's good to hear, PT Dad. lol
It's good to hear that some R&R is possible despite the craziness of it all.
The more I read this thread, the more appealing Adderall is, and I don't even have ADD!
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Man.. I'm getting worried about this. I love school and I love studying, but time management is going to be very hard for me. I am 33 years old and have 2 young children. My wife needs to work 30 or so hours a week, so combined with my school, it's gonna be rough. We want to minimize childcare as much as possible, but I don't know how it's gonna work out. If I were single, I wouldn't worry at all, as I love school and would stay there all day if needed. But, with a family, I'm nervous. Wish me luck!
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Good luck! I am in a condensed program & we do have 1 guy in our class who started PT school with a 13 mo. old son. His wife works a lot of hours as a nurse... somehow he's able to pull it off & get passing grades! will be tough, but you can do it!
I'm at the end of my 1st year and yes, it has been a lot of work, but I almost always have time for other things. I am a mom and a wife, which clearly is a balancing act, but I have never felt like it wasn't possible. Wrennywren, you will be fine. Especially being in Utah, you will have a lot of support. I could hardly see you being the only student with a family in the program. Having aunts/uncles/grandparents around when you have children is huge, too. I, unfortunately, am a significant distance from all of my and my husband's family, but we have made a lot of great friends who are always willing to help. I, admittedly, am a chronic procrastinator, but am able to focus when it's really crunch time . It is without a doubt significantly more work than undergrad, but you also have to take into account that you are learning information that's actually interesting and relevant to being a PT. Studying, even hours on end, is really not that bad. To be honest, I rarely study after class. I am burnt out and just want to be with my family. I usually study on the weekends or a bit before class if we don't start until later.
. It is without a doubt significantly more work than undergrad, but you also have to take into account that you are learning information that's actually interesting and relevant to being a PT. Studying, even hours on end, is really not that bad. To be honest, I rarely study after class. I am burnt out and just want to be with my family. I usually study on the weekends or a bit before class if we don't start until later.
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Also, realize that once you are months into the semester, you'll get burnt out. It may be hard to find motivation. All you want to do is be done with finals and finally get a spring break. Oh wait, that's just me.
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Also, realize that once you are months into the semester, you'll get burnt out. It may be hard to find motivation. All you want to do is be done with finals and finally get a spring break. Oh wait, that's just me.
haha true story. 9 days Akira
And at some schools, there are epic bar crawls after the last final. Or at least everyone will go get wasted at the bar next to the classroom building. Usually I go for the latter option, and pass out before the bar crawl even happens. (My bad).
P.S. way to be on SDN during class...or did you guys not start until 10 today? I have a late start tomorrow and it will be glorious. I can stay up later tonight studying for the physiology final on Friday at 8am. or not.
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haha true story. 9 days Akira
And at some schools, there are epic bar crawls after the last final. Or at least everyone will go get wasted at the bar next to the classroom building. Usually I go for the latter option, and pass out before the bar crawl even happens. (My bad).
P.S. way to be on SDN during class...or did you guys not start until 10 today? I have a late start tomorrow and it will be glorious. I can stay up later tonight studying for the physiology final on Friday at 8am. or not.
I can't wait to Doug E. Ha ha.
I had class 8:15 to 8:45 and then at 10, so I was being a good girl.
Oye, phys, at least you get it over with! Good luck!This thread is great. Lots of good info so far; pretty much agree with what other mentioned about time spent studying, etc. In a nutshell...PT school is awesome! Really the most fun that I have ever had, in school anyway. Spent 5 years working in industry after BS degree and I can say that school is way more fun. It really is not as bad as some make it out to be. I am at the end of my first year and I have a 6 week old daughter and a 6 year old daughter, plus my wife works 50+ hours a week. My typical day is:
1. Up at 6 am to drop kids off at school/daycare
2. At school by 8am for class that starts at 8:30
3. Class usually goes to about 2-4pm depending on day
4. Study or goof off till about 5-5:30
5. Pick everyone up from school/work/daycare
6. Dinner and play with kids, go to park, exercise, etc. then put kids to bed at about 8:30pm
7. Back to library to study for exams, write research papers, powerpoint presentations and the like until closing time at 11:30pm
8. In bed by about 12-12:30am
Repeat! I usually take Friday nights off and Sat. and Sun. morning/afternoon are reserved for family. I also volunteer at my daughters school one day a week for 1 hour and am starting a ~5 hour a week job soon.
It sounds busy, but I have a lot of fun. My classmates are great and my wife is supportive (very important). I have found that the professors are not trying to stress us out, they want us to enjoy school. Hope this helps.
1. Up at 6 am to drop kids off at school/daycare
2. At school by 8am for class that starts at 8:30
3. Class usually goes to about 2-4pm depending on day
4. Study or goof off till about 5-5:30
5. Pick everyone up from school/work/daycare
6. Dinner and play with kids, go to park, exercise, etc. then put kids to bed at about 8:30pm
7. Back to library to study for exams, write research papers, powerpoint presentations and the like until closing time at 11:30pm
8. In bed by about 12-12:30am
Repeat! I usually take Friday nights off and Sat. and Sun. morning/afternoon are reserved for family. I also volunteer at my daughters school one day a week for 1 hour and am starting a ~5 hour a week job soon.
It sounds busy, but I have a lot of fun. My classmates are great and my wife is supportive (very important). I have found that the professors are not trying to stress us out, they want us to enjoy school. Hope this helps.
I have it easy...try being pregnant all semester and actually giving birth over spring break and then coming back to school right after like one girl did. Several people in my program have kids and were all doing fine, i think
I have it easy...try being pregnant all semester and actually giving birth over spring break and then coming back to school right after like one girl did. Several people in my program have kids and were all doing fine, i think
Sounds like your program is wonderful. Do you think it is your attitude towards the program or are others (at your school) just as happy as you?
I think most people in our program have a pretty good attitude. Our director has told us several times that they want us to have fun and do well, don't worry about grades as long as you maintain 3.0, etc. Our program is not competitive, meaning that grades are not curved and there is no class ranking so everyone is trying to help each other. All that said, these two weeks are very, very tough with 4 exams, three presentations, and a research project due; when it rains it pours!
It would be just awesome if all programs were like this... where students were more apt to help each other rather than try and destroy each other for world domination. But again, where would the fun be?
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And I got laughed at on here when I said I was leaning towards the "friendlier" school.
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I remember being pretty overwhelmed during my 1st few terms because I was always anxious about passing tests and not wanting to be in danger of getting kicked out. You really just have to take things one week at a time to effectively handle your responsibilities without feeling discouraged and overrun. As your hard terms around, sometimes it can also become difficult to find motivation. That's when studying with someone can make the sheer volume of material less dreadful or just a sign that you need to get a change of scenery and do something leisurely for yourself. In the end if you enjoy PT going to the clinics for your rotations will remind you how rewarding and awesome the profession is.
As some posters mentioned above, it is important to find someone you study well with to bounce off concepts and articulate ideas as this usually makes studying the large volume of material less dreadful. Also, I feel it makes the learning experience more real and naturally concepts become easier to learn+recall because you problem-solve and understand through articulating ideas with someone else. Basically, being able to explain or problem-solve ideas is a great way to truly learn and develop a "big picture" understanding while cutting out the minor "fluff" details. It also has real life application because you'll similarly need to be articulate with patients and be good at explaining what is going on, so without a doubt a good habit to get into.
Going out once or twice a week with friends, naps, and getting in workouts between or after classes keep me fresh. There's no doubt that you'll get sick of sitting in the same classrooms on a daily basis and the fact that you're in class up to 10 hours a day is like a welcome invite for declining flexibility and muscle imbalances. Some of my classmates stretch during our class breaks because some peoples hip flexors, hamstrings, and lower backs get so tight. Basically, don't neglect your physical health as well as social and mental needs even though PT school is a daunting and demanding calling. Do what you need to do to maintain positive well-being so you can to endure the long and grueling days and weeks where its multiple tests per week. Yet, it shouldn't always be study study study 99% of your day & week because you will burn out quickly. It's simply hard to be productive when you do something for yourself here and there.
As some posters mentioned above, it is important to find someone you study well with to bounce off concepts and articulate ideas as this usually makes studying the large volume of material less dreadful. Also, I feel it makes the learning experience more real and naturally concepts become easier to learn+recall because you problem-solve and understand through articulating ideas with someone else. Basically, being able to explain or problem-solve ideas is a great way to truly learn and develop a "big picture" understanding while cutting out the minor "fluff" details. It also has real life application because you'll similarly need to be articulate with patients and be good at explaining what is going on, so without a doubt a good habit to get into.
Going out once or twice a week with friends, naps, and getting in workouts between or after classes keep me fresh. There's no doubt that you'll get sick of sitting in the same classrooms on a daily basis and the fact that you're in class up to 10 hours a day is like a welcome invite for declining flexibility and muscle imbalances. Some of my classmates stretch during our class breaks because some peoples hip flexors, hamstrings, and lower backs get so tight. Basically, don't neglect your physical health as well as social and mental needs even though PT school is a daunting and demanding calling. Do what you need to do to maintain positive well-being so you can to endure the long and grueling days and weeks where its multiple tests per week. Yet, it shouldn't always be study study study 99% of your day & week because you will burn out quickly. It's simply hard to be productive when you do something for yourself here and there.
