PT school courses

[PTtrainer]

I've been reading many posts on here. I think one question I have never seen on here is the actual difficulty of PT school classes.

Can anyone list the PT classes they've taken and how those classes compare to physics/chemistry/kinesiology?

This would help me greatly in understanding more about the actual courses in PT school and how difficult they'll be.

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[PT2MD]

That's a difficult question to answer isn't it? PT programs accept folks from such a wide array of majors from english to kinesiology. I had a master's in exercise science prior to entering PT school, so I thought most of the material was largely review but with clinical emphasis.

I imagine those with no background in these courses and no clinical experience would tell you the coursework is pretty rigorous. In the end, it depends on your background and what you bring to the program.

 

[PTtrainer]

That's a difficult question to answer isn't it? PT programs accept folks from such a wide array of majors from english to kinesiology. I had a master's in exercise science prior to entering PT school, so I thought most of the material was largely review but with clinical emphasis.

I imagine those with no background in these courses and no clinical experience would tell you the coursework is pretty rigorous. In the end, it depends on your background and what you bring to the program.

I have a degree in exercise physiology.

 

[PT2MD]

If you studied your ass off as an undergrad it shouldn't be too tough. Review your exercise phys and be ready to apply the physiology of normal functioning to pathological situations such as diabetes, heart disease, COPD, musculoskeletal dysfunction, stroke, etc...You've got the basic background and PT school will help you fill in the gaps.

I try to tell my PT students (I'm a CI for PT students on rotation) that they need to learn how to manage folks on a continuum from dysfunction, normal function, and ultimately to fitness. Knowing how the body's systems behave under this range of conditions can help you develop more appropriate plans of care for each patient.

An example might be someone with a knee replacement. You have a whole set of issues to deal with if the patient is healthy vs what we typically see (obese, diabetic, CHF). These things don't directly affect the TKR (well the diabetes might), but they do affect the patient's rehab prognosis if the plan of care doesn't keep these issues in mind.

Think of it as clinically based exercise physiology.

 

[PTtrainer]

Thank you for the help. would you reccommend getting a dummies guide to exercise phys just as a quick way to brush up and remember some of the topics? Oh yes, what is a CI?

One last thing, im doing my chem classes right now- how much chemistry work is in PT school that would be similar to chem 1 and 2? My chem teacher told me I'd never get away from chemistry, I just want to get away from all the abstract concepts that I'll never use from chem 1 and 2.

 

[PT2MD]

Thank you for the help. would you reccommend getting a dummies guide to exercise phys just as a quick way to brush up and remember some of the topics? Oh yes, what is a CI?

One last thing, im doing my chem classes right now- how much chemistry work is in PT school that would be similar to chem 1 and 2? My chem teacher told me I'd never get away from chemistry, I just want to get away from all the abstract concepts that I'll never use from chem 1 and 2.

A CI is a clinical instructor. When PT students do their applied courses or "affilliations", I supervise their clinical experience at our clinic. It's fun for me and keeps me sharp because students often ask very good questions.

Your chemistry teacher is right to a certain degree but might be overstating a bit. I would keep the principles of your basic courses in mind heading into school, but I doubt you'll ever have to use the Henderson-Hasselhoff (or whatever) equation in PT school.

Good luck to you.

 

[_FNG_]

I think one question I have never seen on here is the actual difficulty of PT school classes.

I've only been in PT school for about 5 months now but will try to give some insight. Gross anatomy is a lot of memorization, medical physiology is a deeper review of subjects covered (at least for me, bio major) in past classes. Biomechanics is application of simple physics ideas that were taught at previous times. These are just a few classes that I think have a direct correlation with previously taken classes.
As for the difficulty, I think the hard part is time management. I'm in the classroom/lab 27 hrs/wk. There are many times when I have to neglect one subject for a small time to ensure I understand the material for another class earlier in the week. I always have this feeling of "Crap, what am I forgetting".

 

[blast7]

I would agree that the hardest part was time management. There were many weeks of going to class from 8-5 and then studying/homework until midnight. I found neuroscience and neurology classes to be the most interesting and difficult part of P.T. school. The most important thing you will have to figure out in P.T. school is how to take theory and use it in the real world with real patients.

 

[PTtrainer]

I've only been in PT school for about 5 months now but will try to give some insight. Gross anatomy is a lot of memorization, medical physiology is a deeper review of subjects covered (at least for me, bio major) in past classes. Biomechanics is application of simple physics ideas that were taught at previous times. These are just a few classes that I think have a direct correlation with previously taken classes.
As for the difficulty, I think the hard part is time management. I'm in the classroom/lab 27 hrs/wk. There are many times when I have to neglect one subject for a small time to ensure I understand the material for another class earlier in the week. I always have this feeling of "Crap, what am I forgetting".

Thank you sir *shakes hand*. Do you think you can get all A's? Also do you do ur bodybuilding on the side? I do powerlifting so I gotta make time for that and my meals.

 

[_FNG_]

Thank you sir *shakes hand*. Do you think you can get all A's? Also do you do ur bodybuilding on the side? I do powerlifting so I gotta make time for that and my meals.

I'm trying to get out of the mindset of getting all A's. Your patients won't care if you got a 4.0 or 3.0 as long as you can help them w/ their problem. As for the bodybuilding thing, it definately gets me some goofy stares when I'm eating chicken and rice at 10:00 in the morning and tell people it's my second meal. A lot of people in my program have said that they just haven't had time to workout with school being so time consuming, but I think that if you put it high on your priorities there should be no problems. Good luck buddy *fist bump*...what no explosion?