preferred type of curriculum?

[blazersfan22]

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One major difference I'm noticing betweeen certain curriculums and others is that the anatomy sequences are either taught entirely in the summer or interspersed throughout the first year. Which do you prefer, and why?

Also, which courses are required for a PT program to meet accreditation requirements, and what are examples of courses that aren't and would indicate a specialty concentration?

Finally, when selecting a program, and evaluating it's internship opportunities do you prefer more internships for lesser time or fewer (maybe even just one) for a very long time? What do you think is the best type of internship experience?

For those familiar with programs that offer one internship for a long time, how do you get exposed to the various clinical settings and discover what your preference for a profession is? Do you work in multiple settings during that one internship? How many?

 

[marathoner04]

One major difference I'm noticing betweeen certain curriculums and others is that the anatomy sequences are either taught entirely in the summer or interspersed throughout the first year. Which do you prefer, and why?

Also, which courses are required for a PT program to meet accreditation requirements, and what are examples of courses that aren't and would indicate a specialty concentration?

Finally, when selecting a program, and evaluating it's internship opportunities do you prefer more internships for lesser time or fewer (maybe even just one) for a very long time? What do you think is the best type of internship experience?

For those familiar with programs that offer one internship for a long time, how do you get exposed to the various clinical settings and discover what your preference for a profession is? Do you work in multiple settings during that one internship? How many?

Hiya,
a. You should pick the a+p curriculum that best fits how you learn. A+P is the basis for PT, and PT school is all about learning, not memorizing so... Personally for me, I like to have all the a+p learned in one go because then I'll be in the a+p zone, and I'll be able to get the whole picture. I also like having that knowledge down pat from the very beginning because then I'll be able to apply it to my other classes/work. On the flip side, some people like to have a constant reinforcement and because it's "forced" through taking the class, you'll get that constant review (which is good too). It's really up to your style of learning.

b. I'm not quite sure what you mean by what classes are needed for accreditation. You're accredited by taking the license exam at the end, and basically the majority of classes at PT school are aimed towards licensing knowledge. Specialty classes are usually in your third year, and those are more advanced courses aimed specifically at ie. ortho or neuro.

c. As for clinicals, that's also dependent on what you prefer. It's a little bit like being undecided as an undergrad; you take classes that interest you, which will help you decide your major. If you're unsure of what specialty you want or just want to try another specialty, go for a program that with more for less time. If not, go for longer. Most programs are set up so the shorter ones or observations are ie. before the second year of classes and longer ones are towards the end of class. The school I will be going to has its final clinical as either one long clinical or two shorter clinicals in different settings. So again, it's really up to you.

Best of luck!