Got in to PT school! Now how should I prepare?

[travdaddy226]

So first off, I'd like to say I'm big time non traditional PT student to be starting in June. I've been a music teacher for the past 5 years and got my undergrad in music education in 2009 ha so quite a switch (although from observation hours, it's nice to see that teaching and PT are INCREDIBLY similar).

Being pretty new to this field even still, I want to make sure that I get a head start on being prepared for PT. Gross Anatomy starts in the summer, physiology in the fall, kinesiology in the winter etc.

I've already heard tips to study muscles including origins, action, insertions, and innervations. I also plan to figure out what books are being used so I can buy them sooner rather than later and I can study up.

Any other suggestions to being as prepared as I can be for PT school? Any tips for major points to study in physiology and/or kinesiology or anything else you can think of?

I am finishing up my last prerequisites right now and will have from december to June to prep and even though I know I should enjoy the time while I can, I also want to prepare as well!

Thank you everyone!

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[Azimuthal]

Take a vacation and enjoy your time off.

 

[PTMattI]

You could read and memorize dutton from front to back..or just enjoy your time off

 

[Urseth727]

Just chill, if not you will be burned out before your first break. I just finished my first quarter and if i would have tried to learn it all before hand it would have been too much. Also you dont really know what they are going to teach you first. I looked over a little bit of forearm muscles before my program started and in anatomy 1 we just did head/neck, thorax, and ab.

 

[Kuhdaytee]

I also agree with not studying. First off, you don't know what you need to learn. Our anatomy textbook has quite a few errors and not enough details for some things, so you might be learning the wrong things. My program started with the head and upper limb and is ending on the thorax, which is pretty different from how Urseth727 was taught. You'll probably forget what you learn, if you even learn the correct material. A lot of kinesiology and physiology is based on the anatomy you will learn over summer, so there is no point in trying to get ahead. You'll learn everything you need to know when classes start.

I know it's hard to not study, or to feel like others may be more ahead in classes than you are because of whatever they majored in or how recently they were in college, but don't worry about it. The program knows you will do just fine, which is why they accepted you.

Maybe learn how to cook or buy other school supplies, like binders and colored pencils? Something that you know will be a good use of your time?

I also suggest waiting until the semester starts to buy your books, so you can ask 2nd year students what books they think you need to buy, and see if any of them are selling books. I bought a few books I never opened, and wish I had waited a bit longer to purchase them.

 

[starrsgirl]

I'm a non trad like you and was very out of touch with all my science pre reqs (they were all old) and was coming from a completely unrelated career path. Aside from taking an A&P class or kinesiology class at the 4 year state university the semester before starting DPT school, I don't think anything else would have helped me (I didn't actually take any classes, but I think if my pre reqs were a bit more recent, it would have helped me) Trying to study for first year of PT school is a random stab in the dark. There's no way I would have known what or how to study. You will memorize pointless things only to have to relearn them in a different way. I think the best think you can do is just keep shadowing (you may be able to get in to shadow more settings as an accepted PT student too). You need to really feel fresh and ready to study hard on day #1 in PT school....so don't burn yourself out before the race starts either.

 

[camiosyz]

I'm a nontrad finishing up my first semester of PT school (finals start in a week!), and I also agree with not studying. I had no science background outside of pre-reqs, and I'm doing just fine having not studied beforehand. You're going to have to study so much once you start anyway, it all doesn't really matter. If you absolutely must study, I would just get familiar with the bones and very general origins and insertions. The details that anatomy professors wants you to know are going to vary from program to program, so don't bother putting information in that is going to go against something else you'll be learning later. Oh, and congrats!

 

[NewTestament]

Read anything except anatomy and physiology. You will get plenty of that in PT school. Read these books:

Moonwalking with Einstein: Joshua Foer
Make it Stick: Peter Brown

 

[DesertPT]

Agree with the above. Read something enlightening that you won't ever have the chance to once you start PT school. Trust me, it's already a slog getting through the first couple semesters as it is, and I don't believe that "pre-studying" will lessen that much. Others may disagree.

 

[Ravenclawforlife]

Congrats on getting in! I agree with most of the posts here so far. Read a good book, journal, take care of yourself. You are going to spend enough time studying while in school. Reviewing some anatomy or your other textbooks/syllabi will never hurt- just so you have an idea of strengths and weaknesses.

The biggest thing that I would do if I were you is to figure out my note/study/exercise plan. When I started my program I printed all of the powerpoint lecture handouts and wrote on them. I quickly found out that if I wanted to continue that I would spend a small fortune on printing cost and have extra binders laying around full of info. I decided half way through my first semester to switch to electronic notes. It was a difficult transition for me but now that I have the hang of it I have access to my notes anywhere with cell coverage on my phone. I prefer to have the paper copies but the organization that the digital notes provide is out of this world. I pay for a premium service that allows me to search all my notes. Some of the applications to check out are Evernote and Onedrive. There are a million to choose from out there that organize differently.

Since you have been out of school for a while you will want to think back to your most difficult classes and remember how you got through them. Unfortunately those first year courses are memorization based. Consistency in reviewing and challenging yourself is important for that. I found some study card websites that were free but I have classmates who like to write everything out and others who just recite things.

Last thing I recommend as a PT student is to take care of your body (you'd be surprised how many people in PT school let the stress take over their lives). Watch that forward head posture when you are studying and don't forget to workout to manage stress. One little workout a day seems like a waste of time but it makes you healthier and brings down stress levels. But I don't need to tell you that, you are going to be a PT!

Good luck!

 

[runnerflute]

As everyone else has mentioned already, enjoy your time until school starts! Moonwalking with Einstein is an awesome book to help give you tips for getting through anatomy. I didn't read the book until after my anatomy class but memory palaces for storing loads of information is a great technique.

Like you, I'm a non-trad with a BM in flute performance. I just finished my 2nd semester of year 1 and I've been able to keep up and hang with my classmates who come from a variety of backgrounds. You're all starting from the same place. What's more important is your ability to learn and apply and I think as a musician and educator, you have a unique skill set that will help you immensely.

One thing that freaked me out in the summer but I'm now taking in stride is all this information builds on itself. Learn and memorize as much as you can in the time that you have, and then keep going back to review and refine. What you learn in following classes will usually help something make sense that didn't really make that much sense initially.

 

[Bluecase]

A BM in flute performance? Just make sure you use a different acronym when you get to your clinical affiliations or you will get some strange looks....


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[emespt]

I'm actually glad I studied a little before school started. However, I would keep it really basic.. stick with learning just the names of bones, bony landmarks, major muscles, and maybe the action of muscles. Your teacher may want you to know different origins, insertions, and innervations, so don't bother with those or keep them very general. Studying a little won't hurt, but enjoy your free time.

 

[travdaddy226]

Everyone, wow, I am floored by your responses and your helpfulness! You all are great and I really appreciate the advice! I think this is what I'm going to do:

My school has this interprofessional student led clinic for underprivileged and because of the location, many are hispanic and only spanish speaking. I really want to be a part of that clinic while I'm there so my plan is to become fluent in spanish!

I'm going to take a look at the Moonwalking with Einstein book also, seems like very self improving book. I'm also trying to save and make as much money as I can for my eventual unemployment while in school ha.

I think I still am going to study, but very casually, 15 minutes here, 20 minutes there, a few times a week. I will probably study mainly muscles and bones as my foundation to hopefully build upon.

I'm also training for a marathon too, I would love to try to knock that out before I start PT school. I'd love to be the fittest I've ever been going into PT.

That's about it I think!

Thank you again everyone for the kind words, tips, advice, experience, and encouragement! Feel free to add anything else and continue to critique my updated plan