How Much?

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fbplayr75

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I am starting PT school this fall and I was wondering how much did you guys or girls know before starting pt school?

Im just hoping that I'm not surrounded by a bunch a PTAs and ATC who already have a solid handle on rehab.

Do they start everyone out on the same playing field? or are we suppost to know certain things b/f school starts?

Any information would me appreciated
 
Hey. Good luck. I start in the fall too 🙂. Review some anatomy&Physiology before the semester starts. You should be fine. That's what i am going to be doing. I am also taking a Medical Terminology class right now. It is pretty cool and I am learning a lot. I am pretty sure it will come in handy in PT school.

Well... I am pretty sure they start everyone on the same field. They have to. Don't worry too much. We just have to study harder. That's all. We made it this far, didn't we? 😉
 
coming from someone who's survived their first year of PT school... ENJOY your summer before starting, don't waste your time studying. that will come soon enough, trust me, and you'll glad you took some time to relax and not worry/think about school at all. you've made it in the program, now is your time to breathe a sigh of relief before it gets crazy. you're going to put the next 3 yrs of your life on hold for it, don't jump the gun getting started sooner than you actually need to. use your time before starting to get your personal affairs in order, get your hair cut, go to the dentist, finish up the home projects you have started, etc etc etc... you'll be hard pressed to find time for it later.

good luck 🙂
 
I'd echo what Bad Fish has said....have a beer or two this summer before you have to really buckle down.
 
agreed. relax & do things you either enjoy before school.

We had a few people who were a little ahead because of their background, and achieved gunner status. 🙄 Pre-req's cover what you need to know, and personally I think it's good to have a different background. It adds depth to both your education and practice.
 
I was fortunate enough to have to the option of takin on athletic training requirements as my under grad in my six-year entry level program or just picking up a degree in "health studies" or something like that which you pretty much fulfil on the way anyway. But yeah, naturally I chose the athletic training route because, well, why not? To get to the point, a lot the upperclassmen in the program have told me as athletic trainers they felt they were in way better shape than the others in terms of applying modalities and working towards diagnoses and even as simply as interacting with patients/athletes, which can be a whole different story. I would think other backgrounds like this would be more advantageous but yeah depth and different points of view is essential.
 
I feel the same way. A lot of people in my class are sports medicine/kinesiology/biomechanics/exercise science majors and I feel like they have more of an advantage considering I am a math/bio major. This is a little intimidating to me, but I do understand I will just have to study harder.

My relative, who is a PT, told me that if I don't understand biomechanics my first semester, then I will have a hard time with physical therapy.

....as if this doesn't freak me out even more. =/
 
My relative, who is a PT, told me that if I don't understand biomechanics my first semester, then I will have a hard time with physical therapy.

....as if this doesn't freak me out even more. =/


I really don't think freaking out is at all necessary. All they should expect you to know or be familiar with are the topics covered in your prerequisite classes (basic biology/chemistry/physics, basic anatomy/physiology concepts, etc.). Biomechanics and/or sports medicine are not prerequisites, right? They will teach you that stuff - if you have been exposed to it before, great. If not, you will learn it. Biomechanics is a lot of application (i.e., visually applying physics to movement). If you have had experience with it, it is a little easier. Big deal. 🙂 Everyone (well, just about everyone) will have to study hard regardless.

Take bad fish's advice.
 
Thanks guys,

I appreciate all the advice
 
ditto fbplayr75. Thanks for the advice. 👍
 
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