MGH Institute DPT Students

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PTX2

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As part of the charter class to pursue a DPT with the new modular curriculum I thought it would be great to start a thread.

This allows current students an anonymous way to express themselves regarding the program and future students to get an insider perspective.

I also really like some of the program threads I ran across which spanned many years and found them to be extremely useful. Hopefully, we can do the same here for MGH!

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Has anyone else lined up housing? I found a place in Charlestown that I'm pretty excited about.

I'm from California so I'm not quite sure what things are important to look out for when searching for a place in Boston (AC, street parking, util, etc). Can anyone give me some tips?
 
Has anyone else lined up housing? I found a place in Charlestown that I'm pretty excited about.

I'm from California so I'm not quite sure what things are important to look out for when searching for a place in Boston (AC, street parking, util, etc). Can anyone give me some tips?

Current student
Best tip: the class fb page should be up soon (currently out for spring break), and tons of current students will be added to it as well.....ask the housing questions there and you'll get varied but great answers. Housing in Boston and surrounding areas is just so broad and it depends on what each person is looking for. Like parking, someone without a car doesn't care about that. But if you're still really anxious about it, PM me and I can try to help out if you give me specifics on what you're hoping for!
 
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Current student
Best tip: the class fb page should be up soon (currently out for spring break), and tons of current students will be added to it as well.....ask the housing questions there and you'll get varied but great answers. Housing in Boston and surrounding areas is just so broad and it depends on what each person is looking for. Like parking, someone without a car doesn't care about that. But if you're still really anxious about it, PM me and I can try to help out if you give me specifics on what you're hoping for!

OK, sounds good. Thanks for your input. There is definitely an element of anxiety on my part since I am trying to coordinate everything from the other side of the the country. I also have zero connections on the east coast so I'm pretty much on my own!
 
I'm not too familiar with Charlestown housing, but make sure you're close enough to a grocery store if you don't have a car. Otherwise sad times.
If you have a car, ignore everything I said :D
 
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I'm not too familiar with Charlestown housing, but make sure you're close enough to a grocery store if you don't have a car. Otherwise sad times.
If you have a car, ignore everything I said :D

Actually, a lot of us don't have cars and we just use zipcar, uber or carpool with someone else to the grocery store.
 
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I'm not too familiar with Charlestown housing, but make sure you're close enough to a grocery store if you don't have a car. Otherwise sad times.
If you have a car, ignore everything I said :D

Luckily, I'm close to paying off my car so I'm driving it to Boston.

Seems like the nearest grocery store in Charlestown is Whole Foods -- that's a no go for me. I can't even afford to shop there now! I now realize how much I've taken the Trader Joe's by my house for granted. :(
 
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AC is a must in the summer, but a window unit will do just fine. Depending on how well the heater in the apartment works, a small heater will also be useful.
I spent 6 years in Boston (Cambridge, then Somerville), so I can hopefully provide some insight :D

There's a Costco in Everett, which is super close to Charlestown!
 
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Has anyone else lined up housing? I found a place in Charlestown that I'm pretty excited about.

I'm from California so I'm not quite sure what things are important to look out for when searching for a place in Boston (AC, street parking, util, etc). Can anyone give me some tips?
I'm amazed that you found a place in Charlestown. This area is pretty expensive and available apartment usually gets taken within a day of being posted.
I have been living in Somerville for almost 10 years and it's pretty close to Charlestown (10 mn drive). When I first moved to the area, I found out I could easily get anywhere as long as I was are near a T stop. Your T stop will be Bunker Hill Community College ( the orange line train), assuming you live within reasonable proximity. There is a mall (Galleria Mall) 15-20 mn walking distance from the school and it is near another T stop (green line train) that can bring you to the downtown area. Phyline is right, there is indeed a Costco in Everett if you want to buy products in bulk but you gotta drive there.
I would say it's best not to have a car because parking arrangement can get very frustrating here, especially during the Winter, but that's just because I am an avid walker. A bike can prove to be a great investment especially in neighborhood cities such as Charlestown, Somerville and Cambridge.
Compare to California, places within the Boston metropolitan area are very close to each other so you will be just fine :thumbup:. Plus this era has blessed us with Uber and it is cheap here.
 
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Re: parking. If you have a residential parking permit for one suburb, you can't randomly street park outside of it - like if you reside in Charlestown, you can't "permit only" street park in Cambridge, etc. It can get annoying because city lines are not well marked.

Also, don't live on top of a hill. Source: lived on top of Winter Hill and quit biking after like a week because my legs fell off :D
 
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I'm amazed that you found a place in Charlestown. This area is pretty expensive and available apartment usually gets taken within a day of being posted.

I diligently scoured Craigslist to get an idea of availibility and price range for the different neighborhoods. Once I honed down the areas I was interested in, I created and saved searches via Craigslist and set up email alerts. As soon as I saw a great deal within my price range I emailed immediately (ideally within hours of the rental being posted.)

Re: parking. If you have a residential parking permit for one suburb, you can't randomly street park outside of it - like if you reside in Charlestown, you can't "permit only" street park in Cambridge, etc. It can get annoying because city lines are not well marked.

Also, don't live on top of a hill. Source: lived on top of Winter Hill and quit biking after like a week because my legs fell off :D

I'll definitely keep that in mind. I'll check out the city website to see what my options are coming from out of state. I'm pretty set on taking my car. Lol. I figure it will come in handy for the local clinicals. I also like the idea of being able to drive out somewhere and explore when I'm super stressed. This prob won't apply in the winter though since it's a 2wd coupe. Ha ha.

I didn't think about it before but I'll probably take my mountain bike with me too! It doesn't hurt to have options.
 
I'm looking at the academic calendar, and first thought - SO MUCH TIME OFF. Like whoa. An entire month between summer and fall, then an entire month between fall and spring, then almost an entire month between spring and summer.....what. I was expecting maybe two weeks.
 
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The school's academic calendar doesn't always match up with the program. Not sure how much of a change the new curriculum is, but right now we only have 2 weeks between spring and summer semester, due to "Maymester"...........which is a 3 week crash course with 2 classes in May, before we go on our first full time clinical rotation in June. But we do get a regular winter break. I found the long summer break weird too though
 
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"Maymester"...........which is a 3 week crash course with 2 classes in May
Interesting! I didn't look at the schedule too much past the fall semester. Do people typically study during long breaks or relax?
 
Interesting! I didn't look at the schedule too much past the fall semester. Do people typically study during long breaks or relax?

I plan to do both. Ha ha ha
 
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Interesting! I didn't look at the schedule too much past the fall semester. Do people typically study during long breaks or relax?

:thinking: I'll take "relax" for 1200 Alex!:rofl: (hopefully that reference isn't too old:))

Seriously though, I did not even look at a textbook/notes during any of my breaks. But I know that a number of classmates reviewed a little in the days leading up to the start of another semester, and that's about it. It's really a personal preference. So I'd say, if you feel like striking a balance, do 80% relax and 20% study. PT school will make you feel like a zombie, enjoy any time off that you get.
 
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Hey everyone!

I am international student from Northern Ireland. I will be applying to the DPT program at MGH this Summer! I was wondering if any of you could give me advice on the required GRE stats and volunteer hours? Those of you who got accepted, what were your GRE scores? I have all A's in the pre-req classes and graduated top of my undergrad kinesiology class but I have a cumulative GRE score of 299 :/. Will my GPA compensate for my GRE? Or should I take it again? Also, I have around 300 volunteer hours from outpatient and inpatient setting. I know people apply with almost 1000 hours (mostly from working as a PT tech) but working as a tech is not an option for me since I'm not a citizen. Is 300 okay? Haha I just want to start the DPT program already!
 
Hey everyone!

I am international student from Northern Ireland. I will be applying to the DPT program at MGH this Summer! I was wondering if any of you could give me advice on the required GRE stats and volunteer hours? Those of you who got accepted, what were your GRE scores? I have all A's in the pre-req classes and graduated top of my undergrad kinesiology class but I have a cumulative GRE score of 299 :/. Will my GPA compensate for my GRE? Or should I take it again? Also, I have around 300 volunteer hours from outpatient and inpatient setting. I know people apply with almost 1000 hours (mostly from working as a PT tech) but working as a tech is not an option for me since I'm not a citizen. Is 300 okay? Haha I just want to start the DPT program already!
MGH use to have separate PT program for international students and it usually starts in the fall. However they seem to have discontinued it this year because of a decline in applicants. Make sure you check with the school to find out how financial aid will work next year for international students. Class starts on Monday and I will take the time to ask for some info as well.
That been said, your stats are great, better than mine actually. They should be enough to get you an interview. I'll advise taking the GRE again one more time if you can. We collected about the same amount of volunteer hours but make sure you diversify them (outpatient, inpatient, pediatric, acute care, home care etc).
I think your stats are enough to get you in. MGH is always looking for people who will bring perspective in the classroom and considering your background and the fact that the international PT program is close, I will say that makes you valuable
 
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I have recently been accepted to DPT program at MGH. I was wondering if anyone knows how the first round of the new curriculum was?

Also, I wanted to ask did you take or do you know of anyone who has taken exercise physiology pre-req with MGH? I am missing that course and we'll be taking it in the spring semester.

thanks
 
I have recently been accepted to DPT program at MGH. I was wondering if anyone knows how the first round of the new curriculum was?

Also, I wanted to ask did you take or do you know of anyone who has taken exercise physiology pre-req with MGH? I am missing that course and we'll be taking it in the spring semester.

thanks
First round was a trip. It was unlike any other curriculum I have seen. One day you could be focusing on neurology and muscles of the lower extremity, the next day you are learning about pharmacology. The day after you are learning about patient client management. During that same week you get to work on cases in which you have to take into account the little bit you learnt about pharmacology, patient client management, neurology and the muscles, say, in the anterior femur, and apply all of it to a case.
You don't study just one or two subjects separately during a semester, nahhh! You learn almost everything at the same. The information is always made relevant. After 3 months of doing this, you can actually make a decent clinical decision. You talk to any other PT students in a different program, they will tell you they only know the anatomy.
To answer the second question, I do not know anyone who took exercise physiology at MGH. What are your concerns about the class?
Also I posted a video on the forum about the transition in PT school and what you should expect while you are waiting to start school. I recommend checking it out if you think you will find value in it. You got any other question, shoot me a message! Later!
 
Thanks so much for the response! It's great to hear that the program teaches you how to use what you are learning in real time. Do you know if they are making any changes to format for the upcoming class this summer? Where is the video you mentioned?

My concern about the class is the level of it's difficulty and time commitment. I work full time and I will be taking 2 pre-req classes in the spring semester and I wanted to see if anyone else has taken the class at MGH or knows the professors (Dr. Amy Kearns & Dr. Carrie McLean)! thanks so much again :)
 
Thanks so much for the response! It's great to hear that the program teaches you how to use what you are learning in real time. Do you know if they are making any changes to format for the upcoming class this summer? Where is the video you mentioned?

My concern about the class is the level of it's difficulty and time commitment. I work full time and I will be taking 2 pre-req classes in the spring semester and I wanted to see if anyone else has taken the class at MGH or knows the professors (Dr. Amy Kearns & Dr. Carrie McLean)! thanks so much again :)
No problem. I think I addressed those concerns in my video but to answer your question yes it is a huge time commitment. They will definitely make minor adjustment to your curriculum. Even though it will be the same as ours but they have to improve it because every month we are asked to give feedback. It's the first time I see professors care so much about the work they are doing. I'm about 7 months in school and I still have not met all the professors, so I do not know the people you mentionned. Don't concern yourself about the difficulty, If you got in, it means you can handle it. 100% of the selected class pass their boards so they know what they are doing.
 
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Thanks so much! I really appreciate all your feedback and the video was very helpful!

I have also been accepted to couple smaller programs, have you had any issues with being in a program that is ~70 students? Are professors readily available to answer questions?
 
Thanks so much! I really appreciate all your feedback and the video was very helpful!

I have also been accepted to couple smaller programs, have you had any issues with being in a program that is ~70 students? Are professors readily available to answer questions?
It doesn't even feel like it's 70 people. The professors are great. I never had any problem having my questions answered, and they respond very fast to emails as well
 
Hello All,

I was recently accepted to MGH and it looks like I'll be attending. I was just wondering for those of you who didn't receive any scholarships or merit awards what ways you cut back on cost of living. The tuition alone is already crazy so I was just trying to gauge what's really necessary to avoid taking on any other extra debt


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Hello All,

I was recently accepted to MGH and it looks like I'll be attending. I was just wondering for those of you who didn't receive any scholarships or merit awards what ways you cut back on cost of living. The tuition alone is already crazy so I was just trying to gauge what's really necessary to avoid taking on any other extra debt


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Rudolph you are an early riser!!!
To answer your question: I'm not in the same boat because I did receive a scholarship. However for my classmates that came from out of state and have to live around Boston, they minimize their expense by choosing cheaper rent. They borrow money on a semester basis instead of taking all the money. If you live in MA, I recommend moving back with your parents like I did. Some people commute 2h from their parent's house every day by train to avoid rent expense. I know one person who live in another state close to MA and still find a way to come to class every day. Your other option is to work like hell and save money before you transition so you have the money to spend on certain items (books, phone bill, fun stuff).. You also have the option to do work study but that money isn't much. I'll try to get some of my classmates to respond to your concern. Not many people remain on SDN after they get accepted!
 
Hello All,

I was recently accepted to MGH and it looks like I'll be attending. I was just wondering for those of you who didn't receive any scholarships or merit awards what ways you cut back on cost of living. The tuition alone is already crazy so I was just trying to gauge what's really necessary to avoid taking on any other extra debt


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I'm not really in the same boat either - I have a supportive partner, which allowed me to take out loans for tuition only. Cheezy is right - a fair amount of our classmates live either at home or in the suburbs, saving on rent. An hour-long commute is pretty typical.

Pretty general advice - make a budget, don't shop at Whole Foods. Wholesale stores are nice, some of your classmates will have a car so you can tag along for a Costco/Sam's/BJ's trip. The gym near campus is free for students! Health insurance through the MA Health Connector can be free if you don't have projected income for the year.

Don't buy a textbook until you love it and really want a physical copy.


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Does anyone have any suggestions on ideal laptops/tablets? I've had one for my entire undergrad and it finally died, so I'm looking to get a new one. But, I don't want one that I'm going to hate for PT school. I've read some comments from students saying they take notes on their tablets, or take notes just with pen and paper. Does anyone have any suggestions?? I've always thought about the laptop/tablet hybrid, but I've been told to stay away from those.
 
Does anyone have any suggestions on ideal laptops/tablets? I've had one for my entire undergrad and it finally died, so I'm looking to get a new one. But, I don't want one that I'm going to hate for PT school. I've read some comments from students saying they take notes on their tablets, or take notes just with pen and paper. Does anyone have any suggestions?? I've always thought about the laptop/tablet hybrid, but I've been told to stay away from those.

I have a Surface Pro 4 and I love it. It's light, it does everything I need a PC to do and the tablet function/pen allows me to draw/highlight directly onto documents. OneNote has changed my note-taking life. Battery life could be better but outlets are abundant and I've never had the battery run out on me.
 
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I have a Surface Pro 4 and I love it. It's light, it does everything I need a PC to do and the tablet function/pen allows me to draw/highlight directly onto documents. OneNote has changed my note-taking life. Battery life could be better but outlets are abundant and I've never had the battery run out on me.

This is definitely what I was leaning towards getting! I think I'm going to end up going that direction. Thank you so much for your input!
 
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