Doubts

[WWUVikings]

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Could really use some advice from someone who has been in my shoes. I'm in my final quarter of undergrad with decent grades/GRE and just finishing up about 300 hours of shadowing (I am 20 years old btw). Application window for DPT has already started and I'm staring at the applications and I'm starting to wonder, is physical therapy truly for me? Medical field has always been my dream ambition, and I have followed the physical therapy course for the last 2 years. However, I keep having this shred of doubt if this is my true ambition, for I am pretty bored while shadowing at clinics and I have this thought that I am meant for something more. I keep looking at Physician Assistants and surgeons and find myself wondering if I prefer that course of action. Anybody else feel the same?

 

[amlope03]

Honestly, if you're having doubts, I wouldn't go through with physical therapy. At the end of the day, you're choosing a forever career. If you think you're capable of something better, then by all means go for it!

 

[OptimusBear]

I can understand shadowing being boring, but ask yourself why it's boring. Is it because the PTs aren't very engaging/willing to teach you or because you're not asking questions and trying to get to know more about the field/rehab process. You mention dream ambition and thoughts on being meant for something more but... what does that mean? I don't mean this as an attack or anything, but I think these are questions that should be answered before going forward. And if you don't know the answers to the questions now that's perfectly fine, you're still rather young, but I would recommend shadowing a surgeon, physician assistant, etc. and looking at what you really want out of career, whether it's financial, prestige, years you want to be in school, debt to income ratio, and where/how you want to impact someone's life. Anyways, best of luck with your decision!

 

[Flexion500]

There are good threads on this forum that answer the questions DPT vs. MD, DO, PA etc. Personally, I was in your same shoes last year. I shadowed at an outpatient clinic and was extremely bored the entire time. I thought, "Is this really all there is?". I heavily considered switching to pre-med until I did some soul-searching into why I wanted to become an MD and not a DPT. I realized I just wanted the prestige and a job that required problem solving. Well, when you do some researching you'll find that those who pursued the MD route because of prestige/wealth ended up to be the most disappointed and dissatisfied. Furthermore, I believe that basing your perception of PT from a single shadowing experience doesn't do the field justice. I ended up shadowing at a different outpatient clinic and observed a great PT who loved his job and his patients. He would often clue me in on his thought processes when evaluating patients or solving clinical problems. I was surprised at how much clinical knowledge and problem solving is required of PTs. Its truly much more than telling your patient "3 sets of 10".

 

[WWUVikings]

I definitely appreciate the feedback! I think this whole process has definitely made me reflect and question why I chose physical therapy in the first place. Is it the prestige? The income? The patient interaction? The problem solving? I still have much to learn, and I've made as much of the shadowing process as I can, for I've been in 4 different clinics and have asked countless questions. I've not shadowed a PA or physician, so I definitely think it would be in my best interest to do so before making any transition.

 

[Skyris]

I had similar doubts. If my one outpatient ortho clinic was the only setting I shadowed I would have gone a different route. I found the reasoning behind the treatments interesting but the actual day to day boring... shadowing was mostly a boring thing there. I enjoyed inpatient and SNF much, much more, both the setting and the people I happened to shadow.

If I were you I would definitely look into PA or MD though.