Need advices for how to spend these three years.

[DPT2009]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

My PT school will start next week. I need advices from you guys. How to spend these three years wisely and efficiently? What should I focus on? What should I avoid? Thank you for your advices.

 

[_FNG_]

Your request is a little vague but I'll try to help.
-First, get the idea of grades out of your mind, a patient doesn't care if you got a 98 on one of your orthopedic tests but whether you can help him/her i.e. learn the material to know it not to master a test.
-Try to put your hands on as many people as you can (classmates, friends, family, homeless people) because this will help you understand normal variation in the population that can still be asymptomatic.
-Depending on the timing of your rotations, I'd suggest doing a little observation time in the clinic just to get an idea of how the techniques you're learning are implemented in a real life situation.
-Don't change your entire world just because you've started school. If you wanted to study 24/7 you could but that doesn't make for a healthy balance. Get out and have some fun (the bars after finals are always good).

edit: some may disagree with this last one but whatever. For me I knew orthopedics is the only field I'd practice in so I spent most of my time studying for this and tried to relate the pediatric/geriatric/neuro classes to how it would help my orthopedic patients. PT schools teach you as a generalist so a little more focus on the field of your choice will help improve your knowledge base.

 

[Bigshoguns]

Could not have said it better.

Depending on how your learn, STUDY THE MATERIAL THE DAY YOU LEARN IT!!!! it will help alot compared to if you do it a week later or few days later.

Try to be on top of your studies don't lag behind, it is very easy to do, and playing catch sucks. Because everyday you learn new material so there is little room for slacking off.

Make studying fun, make mnemonics, even if they are clever for you and not for others, it helps. Take breaks 1 hour = 50m study 10m break, switch up subjects, etc.

and most of all SLEEEP!! tired brain is a stone, a refreshed mind is like a sponge.

Your request is a little vague but I'll try to help.
-First, get the idea of grades out of your mind, a patient doesn't care if you got a 98 on one of your orthopedic tests but whether you can help him/her i.e. learn the material to know it not to master a test.
-Try to put your hands on as many people as you can (classmates, friends, family, homeless people) because this will help you understand normal variation in the population that can still be asymptomatic.
-Depending on the timing of your rotations, I'd suggest doing a little observation time in the clinic just to get an idea of how the techniques you're learning are implemented in a real life situation.
-Don't change your entire world just because you've started school. If you wanted to study 24/7 you could but that doesn't make for a healthy balance. Get out and have some fun (the bars after finals are always good).

edit: some may disagree with this last one but whatever. For me I knew orthopedics is the only field I'd practice in so I spent most of my time studying for this and tried to relate the pediatric/geriatric/neuro classes to how it would help my orthopedic patients. PT schools teach you as a generalist so a little more focus on the field of your choice will help improve your knowledge base.

 

[crockdub]

All of the above, plus get to know your classmates early (maybe a class get-together in the first week or 2). I found that certain things are better to study if you have another person or two. Even if you know your stuff, helping out someone who may not have it mastered may help you know it even better.

 

[_FNG_]

Even if you know your stuff, helping out someone who may not have it mastered may help you know it even better.

I'd agree, I stole this from some website...

A popular quote by William Glasser says “We learn… 10 percent of what we read, 20 percent of what we hear, 30 percent of what we see, 50 percent of what we see and hear, 70 percent of what we discuss with others, 80 percent of what we experience, and 95 percent of what we teach to someone.” The percentages might be somewhat off, but they are close enough to actual values to internalize this information for future learning.