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PT schools in NC
- Thread starter Premed801
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- Jul 13, 2013
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ECU: I've met a few PTs that graduated from here. They have all been sharp PTs. The school is a bit isolated from what I have heard.
Winston-Salem: I don't know anyone who went to PT school here (and I live/work as a PT in NC)
UNC: Best program in the state for many reasons.
Elon: Some great PTs, but extremely expensive.
Duke: The name carries weight. I wouldn't apply to Duke though. They cram 60 students into a class and have the students do student-teach models (learning from other students) in addition to traditional classes. I work with a good PT who went to Duke, and I worked with a graduate PT (from Duke) who couldn't pass the NPTE after 3 tries. We had a Duke student last year who we actually hired last month. She was a good student, and will be a good PT.
At the end of the day PT school rankings on US News are irrelevant to PT. For example, law firms care about that stuff as they ask for academic transcripts from job applicants. The most PTs (usually) want to see is a degree confirmation from your university. Each school has strengths and weaknesses. I had the benefit of completing a master's degree before PT school, so I knew what grad schools wanted to see/hear from a candidate beforehand. My recommendation is start thinking like a grad student, not a pre-PT applicant. As an undergrad you picked a school and/or a program within it. Grad school applicants should research the instructors (again...the instructors). Get to know their research interests and their work histories. They are teaching you what they know and how they think, so in essence they are imprinting themselves onto you and the future of PT. Make sure that these instructors are people you want to leave a mark on you because they surely well.
Good luck!
_______________________
Licensed Physical Therapist
Outpatient Orthopedics
Winston-Salem: I don't know anyone who went to PT school here (and I live/work as a PT in NC)
UNC: Best program in the state for many reasons.
Elon: Some great PTs, but extremely expensive.
Duke: The name carries weight. I wouldn't apply to Duke though. They cram 60 students into a class and have the students do student-teach models (learning from other students) in addition to traditional classes. I work with a good PT who went to Duke, and I worked with a graduate PT (from Duke) who couldn't pass the NPTE after 3 tries. We had a Duke student last year who we actually hired last month. She was a good student, and will be a good PT.
At the end of the day PT school rankings on US News are irrelevant to PT. For example, law firms care about that stuff as they ask for academic transcripts from job applicants. The most PTs (usually) want to see is a degree confirmation from your university. Each school has strengths and weaknesses. I had the benefit of completing a master's degree before PT school, so I knew what grad schools wanted to see/hear from a candidate beforehand. My recommendation is start thinking like a grad student, not a pre-PT applicant. As an undergrad you picked a school and/or a program within it. Grad school applicants should research the instructors (again...the instructors). Get to know their research interests and their work histories. They are teaching you what they know and how they think, so in essence they are imprinting themselves onto you and the future of PT. Make sure that these instructors are people you want to leave a mark on you because they surely well.
Good luck!
_______________________
Licensed Physical Therapist
Outpatient Orthopedics
