How do I know if PT is actually not the right fit for me?

[Myka00]

I always had a little bit of doubt. I feel like I have just been sticking to it because I was scared to change my mind and wasn't really sure what else to do and already geared all of undergrad towards DPT. Lots of regret not just pausing and exploring other careers. I'm now a 1st year, in my 3rd semester. I can't seem to pull together any motivation to continue. All this work, stress and debt just doesn't feel worth it. I'm a lecture away from just switching to exercise physiology or something.

Any helpful tips on how I figure this out before I get any deeper. What are some questions I should ask myself? How do I think through this?

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[kdubz7w7]

I always had a little bit of doubt. I feel like I have just been sticking to it because I was scared to change my mind and wasn't really sure what else to do and already geared all of undergrad towards DPT. Lots of regret not just pausing and exploring other careers. I'm now a 1st year, in my 3rd semester. I can't seem to pull together any motivation to continue. All this work, stress and debt just doesn't feel worth it. I'm a lecture away from just switching to exercise physiology or something.

Any helpful tips on how I figure this out before I get any deeper. What are some questions I should ask myself? How do I think through this?

I felt that was many, many times throughout PT school, mostly because I hated PT school. I know every program is different, but my third semester of first year was especially rough for me. Also, I think officially becoming a second year student made the end goal feel not quiiiiiite as far away, which helped with the motivation.

I would try to at least stick it out until clinicals because I think that's when almost everyone reaffirms their desire to enter this field. By the time most people reach clinic they are a burnt out frazzled mess and can't remember why they are putting themselves through this. Clinic allows you to more or less work as a PT. That will be your best indication if you are in the right place or not. This can be different if your first placement isn't the setting you want to ultimately work in, so take that as a caveat, but if it is, it should help enormously to know.

You already know this I am sure, but remember how broad the PT field is. There is a LOT you can do with this degree and license. It would just be a shame to lose the time and money on your first year, especially if there is a chance that down the line you think "dang I should have just stuck it out."

FWIW I absolutely love working as a PT and am very glad I stuck it out.

 

[SIM0993]

I understand. I’ve been a technician for four years in different settings, I’m currently at a world renound hospital and I’ve had the ability to mobilize patients in the acute care setting under the super vision of a therapist. I have a masters in exercise physiology trying to raise my gpa and I had one interview and pretty much a rejection from everywhere else. I think I am going to try again but I’m not sure what to do in the mean time job wise. I know I can do more. Does anyone have any suggestions on jobs I could take while I go through the reapplication process? I need some fulfillment or maybe I need a pep talk.

 

[kdubz7w7]

I understand. I’ve been a technician for four years in different settings, I’m currently at a world renound hospital and I’ve had the ability to mobilize patients in the acute care setting under the super vision of a therapist. I have a masters in exercise physiology trying to raise my gpa and I had one interview and pretty much a rejection from everywhere else. I think I am going to try again but I’m not sure what to do in the mean time job wise. I know I can do more. Does anyone have any suggestions on jobs I could take while I go through the reapplication process? I need some fulfillment or maybe I need a pep talk.

I have a master's in exercise science and fully sympathize - I felt like I was wildly overqualified for some jobs and unqualified for others. Before PT school, I worked as an adjunct college professor, coached CrossFit (I was making $30/hour coaching, it isn't bad money at all), personal trained, worked in injury prevention & care for a large warehousing company (started at $48k, ended at $68k)......there are for sure decent-paying and fulfilling jobs out there with your degree and qualifications, just takes some creativity and patience sometimes. When I decided to go for DPT I was teaching and coaching CF which both paid decently enough that I wasn't living off of ramen noodles, so it was enough to sustain me until student loans kicked in.

 

[SIM0993]

I have a master's in exercise science and fully sympathize - I felt like I was wildly overqualified for some jobs and unqualified for others. Before PT school, I worked as an adjunct college professor, coached CrossFit (I was making $30/hour coaching, it isn't bad money at all), personal trained, worked in injury prevention & care for a large warehousing company (started at $48k, ended at $68k)......there are for sure decent-paying and fulfilling jobs out there with your degree and qualifications, just takes some creativity and patience sometimes. When I decided to go for DPT I was teaching and coaching CF which both paid decently enough that I wasn't living off of ramen noodles, so it was enough to sustain me until student loans kicked in.

Thanks for the suggestions! I think this is a great start. I wasn’t looking really into being a personal trainer but maybe I might have to. I’ll definitely consider this!

 

[kdubz7w7]

Thanks for the suggestions! I think this is a great start. I wasn’t looking really into being a personal trainer but maybe I might have to. I’ll definitely consider this!

Being a personal trainer is highly underrated as to how much it lends itself to helping work as a physical therapist. It is a very fun and rewarding job, but also you'll learn so much about coaching/cuing people and exercise variations. In my cohort you could easily tell who had been a trainer before and who hadn't when it came to therex and understanding progressions/regressions. The pay varies wildly but can pay very well & usually pays more than basic entry-level jobs at any rate.
Good luck!

 

[SIM0993]

Being a personal trainer is highly underrated as to how much it lends itself to helping work as a physical therapist. It is a very fun and rewarding job, but also you'll learn so much about coaching/cuing people and exercise variations. In my cohort you could easily tell who had been a trainer before and who hadn't when it came to therex and understanding progressions/regressions. The pay varies wildly but can pay very well & usually pays more than basic entry-level jobs at any rate.
Good luck!

I don’t mean to pry, but what made you become a therapist and what setting did you choose?

 

[LostLlama]

As another therapist who was a CPT (personal trainer) beforehand, I echo kdubz's sentiments. Kind of mind-blowing to hear members of your cohort cueing something as "basic" as a squat for the FIRST time.

Speaking for myself, and adding a bit to your question, I hit the glass ceiling with personal training fast (~3 years). Patients (or "clients" in that realm) would inevitably approach me with questions/problems/whatever else that were outside my scope of practice. If you have a curious mind, love the body, have a strong desire to heal people, and possess the mental faculties to be a lifelong-learner, I think personal training will leave you unsatisfied. (As to setting, I am in outpatient ortho.)

 

[kdubz7w7]

I don’t mean to pry, but what made you become a therapist and what setting did you choose?

Not prying!
I had basically outgrown every subfield in exercise science that I was interested in. As my last pre-PT job, I had gotten into injury prevention and care for a large warehousing company and I LOVED it, but it did not pay very well and some other stuff happened that's a long story (promoted, lots of desk work, culture changes in the company, etc). That got me interested in physical therapy. I had to make the choice of being unhappy for the rest of my career, or take the time/money/risk of going back to school for my dream career.

I intended to go for outpatient orthopedic. One, because of my background in personal training and strength & conditioning, and two, because that's all I knew as far as PT goes....I really had no idea the scope of what a PT can do. Once I did a neuro rotation I was sorely tempted to go into neuro or possibly a SNF, but I ultimately stuck with my passion, which is OP ortho. And I do get a handful of neuro patients, and plenty of older patients, so I very much love my setting. I had to be patient and find the perfect clinic though, as so many OP ortho clinics are just mills.

 

[kdubz7w7]

As another therapist who was a CPT (personal trainer) beforehand, I echo kdubz's sentiments. Kind of mind-blowing to hear members of your cohort cueing something as "basic" as a squat for the FIRST time.

Speaking for myself, and adding a bit to your question, I hit the glass ceiling with personal training fast (~3 years). Patients (or "clients" in that realm) would inevitably approach me with questions/problems/whatever else that were outside my scope of practice. If you have a curious mind, love the body, have a strong desire to heal people, and possess the mental faculties to be a lifelong-learner, I think personal training will leave you unsatisfied. (As to setting, I am in outpatient ortho.)

I completely agree, which is another reason why I outgrew personal training. Same time frame too, about 3ish years. I do think it's a great job while applying to / waiting to begin PT school.

(also yes, I was also mind-blown with that too. I had just assumed everyone in my cohort would also be into fitness and working out and was surprised I was almost the only one. A small handful of students, you know, did cardio and maybe abs, but only one aside from me actually worked out with weights. Again, I did not know at the time that PT was anything beyond orthopedics. Live and learn)

 

[deleted1131510]

I always had a little bit of doubt. I feel like I have just been sticking to it because I was scared to change my mind and wasn't really sure what else to do and already geared all of undergrad towards DPT. Lots of regret not just pausing and exploring other careers. I'm now a 1st year, in my 3rd semester. I can't seem to pull together any motivation to continue. All this work, stress and debt just doesn't feel worth it. I'm a lecture away from just switching to exercise physiology or something.

Any helpful tips on how I figure this out before I get any deeper. What are some questions I should ask myself? How do I think through this?

Do you like money, being respected and paid what you’re worth? If yes to any of these, avoid PT like the plague and do PA school, NP, Medical school…. Literally anything else