I have a degree in an unrelated field, but am interested in PT. Advice?

[Whenisittoolate]

So I received a business degree this year and took gen chem 1 in my final semester of the business degree (worked hard, got an A in gen chem).

I recently enrolled into a city school to do the pre-PT courses in Fall 19/Spring 20. I was not entirely aware of application cycles until recently.

If I take general chem 2, physics 1/2, a&p 1/2, general bio 1/2 and 2 psychs within a year, will I be able to apply during next year’s application cycle? Given that I take the GRE next summer? Will there be enough time, with this workload, to build up adequate volunteering and shadowing hours? Does anyone have experience with this intensity of coursework in a year? I’ll take all the advice that I can get.

BTW - my business GPA is a 3.6, honors student.

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[wiseOldPT]

In general, a degree in an unrelated area can be a big asset to your application. As for taking all those prereqs in a year, that is a very heavy courseload, and since it doesn't seem you have much science before, that would be comprising all your science/prereq GPA, so high stakes. A lot of those classes have labs too, so just a lot of time even not considering the material. I'd suggest doing it over two years.

 

[JMarcusDPT]

I was a psychology major and journalist before deciding to become a PT. I took all the pre-reqs in a year, and was able to get into PT school. It can definitely be an asset to be a career changer!

 

[Whenisittoolate]

In general, a degree in an unrelated area can be a big asset to your application. As for taking all those prereqs in a year, that is a very heavy courseload, and since it doesn't seem you have much science before, that would be comprising all your science/prereq GPA, so high stakes. A lot of those classes have labs too, so just a lot of time even not considering the material. I'd suggest doing it over two years.

Out of curiosity, are there late application cycles? Do they decrease my chances? Maybe a year and half is the solution?

 

[ya1]

The timeframe for completing the listed courses depends on your ability to manage workload. It is important to get the highest grades possible (even if it takes you 1 extra semester while taking less units at a time) to increase your chances of acceptance to PT school and avoid re-application which will cost you more. All the courses you listed require a lot of time spent in labs and homework, especially chem. Unless you are a person who learns everything in class and does not need much time to study at home, I would not recommend to take more than 15 units per semester for the classes you listed. If you a slow learner, do not take more than 12 units at a time.

Application cycle varies from school to school. Most schools start in the fall, but there are schools that start in summer or spring. So check the schools you are interested in and their deadlines for application to determine when you need to apply.

You usually do not need more than 100-150 h of volunteering. Again, check the minimal requirement of observation hours for the schools you are planing to apply to. Do not observe much more than schools require (I would say do not go beyond 20 extra hours), it will be the waste of your time and will not really increase your chances of acceptance that much.

Your current GPA is good. So make as many As as you can and you will get accepted to PT school.

Make sure you study for GRE and take practice tests before taking it to make sure you are getting a decent score. retakes cost a lot.