I need some expertise about getting into physical therapy school

[BannBann]

Hey All,

I am currently trying to get into physical therapy school. I am concerned about my stats, so here they are:

Cumulative GPA: 3.42
Science GPA: 3.15

I currently hold a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and a Master degree in Human Performance. (No I did not get a Master's degree to improve my chances in getting into DPT!!!) I didn't decide to become a PT until midway of my Graduate degree. I applied last year on a whim with a science GPA of 2.6. I figured I would just give it a shot. Its safe to say I did not get accepted anywhere. I also did not have all of my science pre reqs completed! I took prerequisites during the Spring and the summer with a combination of 26 hours completed in science and psych courses. It improved my science and overall GPA. Im not sure how my Master's degree will work in all of this( if it has any pull) but I had a 3.76. I have accrued 60 hours in an outpatient facility and a years worth of hours working as a tech in a chiropractic facility. I have also been a Master Personal Trainer at Lifetime Fitness for the last four years. I am going to apply to many schools in the fall and retake some prereqs to get A's this fall, just in case I do not get in and I have a better chance in getting accepted to programs with application deadlines next year. I am applying to schools mostly in Texas.
Any advice? Suggestions?

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[AlanWattsBlues]

Reapplying to the same school with improved stats tends to look good. It shows determination and an ability to reassess where you are and make adjustments based on experience, which is just a good attribute to have. Your numbers look like they'll be in the necessary ranges, particularly the Last 60, which again shows an upward trend.

And now on to the Chiropractic part.

I'd urge caution with how you approach talking about this. Unless you were working under a licensed physical therapist, this won't count for anything in your applications. If you were working under a PT, then have a response ready to answer "Why PT? Why not Chiro?"

The answers that they'll want to hear probably have something to do with research, evolving practice based on evidence, an underlying intention to minimize patient dependency on the clinician and improve patient autonomy. Also you could talk about how you're intrigued by the wide variety of practice areas in PT and you are open to discovering a passion for acute/peds/neuro/wound care/whatever.

 

[PTMattI]

I would also recommend trying to get some volunteer or work hours at another physical therapy setting such as a skilled nursing facility or a hospital. The more diverse your experiences the better.

 

[BannBann]

I would also recommend trying to get some volunteer or work hours at another physical therapy setting such as a skilled nursing facility or a hospital. The more diverse your experiences the better.

Thank you for blessing me with advice! I really appreciate it! I don't have anyone in my circle with the same ambitions as me so its nice to hear it from people who are!!! I cram as many PT hours as I can before my deadlines in October, thank you.The reason I did a chiropractic facility was because it was part of my internship when i was in undergrad, and they gave me a job when i graduated. The work is very similar to to what i did as a rehab tech for a PT but i get what you mean.