DPT student seeking advice on finishing 3rd year

[Jen20a20]

Hello all, new to this forum but created an account to get some advice. I have finished my first 2 years of my DPT program (all of the class work). My program is set up for the last year to be full long term clinicals. I had my first child at the tail end of my second year and was graciously given the opportunity to take a year off. I am now completing that year off. However I am debating on if it is wise to return and finish. On one hand I am so close! However, I would love to stay home with my son and return to work when he is in school. However, that is 6 years down the road! if I do finish my schooling would any job hire me with zero experience? Would I be able to remember all of the skills from school so much later? Is it possible to jump out for such a long time then jump back in? Any advice is helpful! My husband is very supportive and honestly wants me to stop, but is supportive either way. Thankfully I received a lot of outside scholarships so loans are not an issue I am concerned with. It’s mainly all of the effort I’ve put in but also fearful that I won’t be able to be able to be a good PT several years later or if I’d even get hired

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[wiseOldPT]

While I cannot make this decision for you, the logical thing would be to finish. It is a year. You never know what could happen in the next few years that would require you to make an income, and to throw that degree away would be a big loss. As for then taking time off before going back to work, I still think you'd be able to find a job, but the great thing about PT is how flexible it can be. You can get a per diem job at a hospital and work 1-2 weekend days a month, and that'll bring in money and keep your skills fresh. Or there are always people wanting early morning/late evening hours, so you could potentially work off hours in an ortho clinic a bit, just to stay in the game.

You went to PT school because you wanted to be a PT. If you truly don't want to be anymore, then walk away. But if you at all want to or think you would in the future, plow through and finish. This is a very big decision and I recommend talking to advisors at your school, practicing therapists, and potentially even a counselor to help process all your thoughts surrounding it.

 

[wiseOldPT]

And also note, that if far down the road, you wanted to pursue any other higher ed, you will have to report all your enrollment, and having dropped out of a program will be a HUGE red flag.

 

[kdubz7w7]

Hello all, new to this forum but created an account to get some advice. I have finished my first 2 years of my DPT program (all of the class work). My program is set up for the last year to be full long term clinicals. I had my first child at the tail end of my second year and was graciously given the opportunity to take a year off. I am now completing that year off. However I am debating on if it is wise to return and finish. On one hand I am so close! However, I would love to stay home with my son and return to work when he is in school. However, that is 6 years down the road! if I do finish my schooling would any job hire me with zero experience? Would I be able to remember all of the skills from school so much later? Is it possible to jump out for such a long time then jump back in? Any advice is helpful! My husband is very supportive and honestly wants me to stop, but is supportive either way. Thankfully I received a lot of outside scholarships so loans are not an issue I am concerned with. It’s mainly all of the effort I’ve put in but also fearful that I won’t be able to be able to be a good PT several years later or if I’d even get hired

I'm in my third year and I can't imagine letting it go now that I am so close. I also can't imagine finishing and not working at all after graduating - I guess working medical fields is called a "practice" for a reason! There is just too much that you'd forget without rehearsing/repeating it on a regular basis. I don't have kids so I can't really relate to balancing raising a child and pursuing a career but I think push through and finish, then grab a per diem or part-time job to stay fresh would be the most prudent thing to do. I'd be afraid of 6 years down the road thinking "dang, I should have just sucked up that one year and finished it" when your babe is in school and you suddenly have lots of free time on your hands and remember that thing that you worked so hard for and were (assuming) so passionate about....
Obviously I can't speak to if you can jump back in after 6 years but considering how fresh we are - it's not like we've worked as a PT for a number of years where the info and skills have crystallized and you could possibly take a long time period off and get back into it....it's just hard for me to picture being successful at that, maybe a PT with some tenure can comment on the feasibility.
But if your heart isn't truly and fully in it and there are other things you would be happy doing once your baby is in school, then call it what it is now. That's something you'll have to do some soul-searching for if you aren't sure.
Congrats on managing to be pregnant and give birth while successfully juggling classes, I cannot imagine how difficult that was!