PT Hours

[afoz90]

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So a lot of schools recommend that you get different settings for hours of observation...I have been offered a job as PT Aide at a private clinic - so outpatient, for 8-12 hours a week, hopefully lasting until I graduate from my current school. That would put me at 624-936 hours of observation by the time I start filling out my applications for grad school and way over that by the time I end up going to school. My question is would that look just as good as multiple settings? Or should I every once in awhile volunteer/observe at other settings? The job is perfect because of needing to pay rent and bills and gas etc. you know the essentials to live 😛 But i don't want to lower my chances of getting into a grad school because I didn't vary my hours...

Thanks 🙂

 

[CSB68940]

My personal take would be that you should try to get multiple settings. It's great that you could get 600 + hours in one setting, but schools want to see how how familiar you are with all aspects of physical therapy, since outpatient is only a small part of the career. Plus, most schools want you to get acute care (hospital) observation.

 

[afoz90]

Ok thanks, its just so darn hard to find acute care openings! The hospital that is close to my school has a separate PT clinic that's not acute care..its outpatient that i can tell. Maybe they have an acute portion that I just dont know about and I should keep trying - i have some time i guess haha. But since EVERYONE basically needs it everything is so full in that area...ugh!

 

[DancerFutureDPT]

some schools require different settings (I'm paraphrasing UIC's requirement, but it's something like "45 hours are required, with 15 hours in three distinct settings. An extended experience in one setting will not substitute for varied experiences." But they say it much better/clearer than I just did...you get the point).

Absolutely take the job though. It'll be great experience, and it will look good on your application. With UIC though, I don't think they mean you have to do one acute, one outpatient, and one rehab...they just mean 3 different companies/clinics. Of course, they recommend different settings so you have a broader view of the field. But, outpatient clinics are much more popular and therefore easier to get hours at. If you go that route, see if you can vary that experience a little bit (maybe a single-owner clinic, i.e. Bob Smith's Physical Therapy where Bob is the only PT and there are no aides, and then a larger corporate-owned clinic where there are lots of PTs, lots of aides, and they're seeing patients every 15 or 30 minutes).

Even if you can't get long-term experience in other settings, see if you can maybe do a full day of observation/volunteering in acute or rehab. I did 8 hours at my university hospital. I also did 15 hours at a local hospital's outpatient clinic, which saw a much different population (mostly older folks, lots of neuro) than the private sports medicine outpatient clinic I worked at for 2 years. You can also try to find if there are any elementary schools with PT programs - I shadowed a former co-worker (she left the clinic to go do peds work) at a preschool and elementary school who worked with kids with CP, spina bifida, etc. That was a kinda cool experience. Nursing homes are also not a bad place to talk to...if they don't have it in-house, they certainly will have some recommendations for where their residents go.

 

[afoz90]

Thanks guys!!!

 

[afoz90]

some schools require different settings (I'm paraphrasing UIC's requirement, but it's something like "45 hours are required, with 15 hours in three distinct settings. An extended experience in one setting will not substitute for varied experiences." But they say it much better/clearer than I just did...you get the point).

Absolutely take the job though. It'll be great experience, and it will look good on your application. With UIC though, I don't think they mean you have to do one acute, one outpatient, and one rehab...they just mean 3 different companies/clinics. Of course, they recommend different settings so you have a broader view of the field. But, outpatient clinics are much more popular and therefore easier to get hours at. If you go that route, see if you can vary that experience a little bit (maybe a single-owner clinic, i.e. Bob Smith's Physical Therapy where Bob is the only PT and there are no aides, and then a larger corporate-owned clinic where there are lots of PTs, lots of aides, and they're seeing patients every 15 or 30 minutes).

Even if you can't get long-term experience in other settings, see if you can maybe do a full day of observation/volunteering in acute or rehab. I did 8 hours at my university hospital. I also did 15 hours at a local hospital's outpatient clinic, which saw a much different population (mostly older folks, lots of neuro) than the private sports medicine outpatient clinic I worked at for 2 years. You can also try to find if there are any elementary schools with PT programs - I shadowed a former co-worker (she left the clinic to go do peds work) at a preschool and elementary school who worked with kids with CP, spina bifida, etc. That was a kinda cool experience. Nursing homes are also not a bad place to talk to...if they don't have it in-house, they certainly will have some recommendations for where their residents go.

Thanks dancer! I didnt even think of just doing a full day or a couple days a week in a setting - that is obviously better than nothing haha. Your post really helped! Are you currently attending UIC? I am planning on applying there - I am at Northern right now for undergrad, how do you like UIC any suggestions? 🙂 Thanks again!