do I have a chance? AT ALL?

[profoundly]

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I did pre-business for a year and half and have a 1.8 gpa...I'm thinking of switching to a pre-physical therapy major. Lets say I bring up my cum. gpa to a 3.0, If everything else is solid (observation,etc) would I have a chance to go to any DPT program?

I don't want to do business anymore because im not motivated..but i will work hard to anything that has a stable recession proof career with good salary/prospects...what major/career do you recommend?

 

[rangardrum]

I did pre-business for a year and half and have a 1.8 gpa...I'm thinking of switching to a pre-physical therapy major. Lets say I bring up my cum. gpa to a 3.0, If everything else is solid (observation,etc) would I have a chance to go to any DPT program?

I don't want to do business anymore because im not motivated..but i will work hard to anything that has a stable recession proof career with good salary/prospects...what major/career do you recommend?

It will probably be difficult to raise your GPA up significantly, but you'll definitely want to at least end up at 3.0 to have a chance...higher if you want to be competitive (average GPA for accepted student last year was 3.49). Retaking some classes could help, but keep in mind that PTCAS will count both classes (original and the retake) in their GPA calculations. On the bright side, there are schools that take lower GPA students, so strategically choosing schools to apply to can be a big help if your GPA is on the lower end of 3.0 by then.

One other point: Are you 100% sure you want to pursue physical therapy? I only ask since your questions at the end seemed to sound like you were not quite settled on career. Were you motivated initially when you were a business major? What made you lose motivation? You don't have to answer these questions here, but I just offer them as a way to analyze your new plan to ensure you don't experience the same pitfalls. Whatever career direction you choose, you'll want to be confident you'll be happy doing it. A stable job that pays well can still be an awful job if what you're actually doing from day-to-day doesn't motivate you.

I was a business student in my undergrad years, so the transition can definitely be made. Good luck with your decisions!

 

[jblil]

what major/career do you recommend?

The one you have a passion for, because unless you like what you do you'll never give it your best.

i will work hard to anything that has a stable recession proof career with good salary/prospects.

Engineering would fit the bill: pretty recession-proof, good salary prospects (I should know, I am doing the engineer-to-PT transition right now). But IMHO, those are generally not very good reasons to choose a career.

 

[CherokeeWahine]

I don't want to do business anymore because im not motivated..but i will work hard to anything that has a stable recession proof career with good salary/prospects...what major/career do you recommend?

To me, it doesn't sound like you're totally motivated to do PT either, which was suggested by the post up above mine. The question you really need to ask yourself is "why do I want to do physical therapy?"

If the answer is "to make money", then you're choosing this profession for the wrong reasons.

I'm not trying to rain on the parade, but it is not going to be easy to raise a 1.8 GPA up to a GPA that is competitive enough to get you into PT school. However, if this is what you truly and honestly want to do, then make it happen! 🙂

 

[fallingreason]

i will work hard to anything that has a stable recession proof career with good salary/prospects...what major/career do you recommend?

Computer science and/or electrical engineering.

 

[djb051]

No job is 100% recession proof. If money and recession proof is your reasoning for going into the PT field, you are choosing the wrong field.
It will be pretty difficult as well to bring up your GPA to at least a 3.0 or higher.

 

[jblil]

No job is 100% recession proof.

Except may be that of undertaker... People will die no matter what. But I wonder how much it pays, and if it's worth enduring the rather depressing environment.

 

[jchen707]

If he wanted to be an undertaker, then he's definitely posting in the wrong thread.

To the OP, you say you aren't motivated to go into the business field, but are you really motivated to go into PT? that is the question you should be asking yourself, not whether or not PT is right for you based on the notion that it is more recession proof than other jobs.

If you really are motivated to pursue PT, then do it. But keep in mind that you have a steep hill to climb from that 1.8 GPA. Most places will want a 3.0 minimum to even be considered (some will have diff minimums so do your research). You will need nearly a 4.0 in the remaining 5 semesters (assuming you just started your sophomore spring) to get around a 3.2. I wanted to just share some facts with you. If you are really motivated to pursue PT, then by all means, do it and work hard to give yourself a chance. But if you're only looking into PT because you think it is recession proof, then you should stop and first figure out if PT is even a field you want to go into. It is 3 more years after your undergrad. so if you enter for the wrong reasons, just like med school, it will be hell (though this applies to any graduate school, not just med school).

Anyway, if you are unsure at the moment, I would see if there is a clinic or hospital with a PT you can shadow for a little bit each week and see if you like the environment. If you do, do some research on how to apply on PTCAS. Best of luck

 

[djb051]

Except may be that of undertaker... People will die no matter what. But I wonder how much it pays, and if it's worth enduring the rather depressing environment.

Yes, of course, PT is more recession proof than certain other jobs. But can you say for certain that by entering into the PT field that there is not even a slight chance you could be laid off during the next recession?

I have known some good PTs and nurses already that have been laid off within the past few years.

 

[jblil]

I don't think any job is ever 100% immune from layoffs. However, having healthcare skills (nursing, PT, MD, etc) means that we probably have a better chance of finding another job, provided we are geographically flexible and our salary demands are reasonable.

But there's no such thing as a sure thing... I lived through the dot-com boom and bust: in 1999 or early 2000, having just about any kind of web programming skills would guarantee you a very decent job. A html coder (a relatively low-level skill) would demand, and get, $60-$70K/year in my area. Now they'd be lucky to get $10/hr, if they can find a gig. So times change, and the skills in demand change accordingly. Never rest on your laurels.

 

[stopitmarcy]

Go to trade school. My ex boyfriend became an electrician. Five years of school + apprenticeship (you are getting paid during this time.. my bf was making $800 a week) and then when you become journeyman, you'll be starting at $80,000. If not that, my friend's boyfriend applied for HECO (Hawaiian Electric Company) and is now in the union and making bank for once again doing something like an apprenticeship and will become a journeyman later. I don't know how it is in the mainland, but truth be told your GPA isn't the greatest. Stick to a trade. What's good about trades is you can always do sidejobs. I've been a hairstylist for 11 years and plan on doing hair on the side while in PT school to earn some lunch money.