PTCAS problems

[Nolan421]

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Hi Everyone,

I am planning on applying to PT school in the fall of 2013. I am currently doing 2 internships (outpatient and inpatient- 50 hours each) and I plan on asking 2 PTs for LOR. I know that the PTCAS wants everything done electronically now. So my question is if I open a PTCAS account and add information (such as observation hours and LOR) to a 2011-2012 PTCAS app will it get deleted since I wont be applying until 2013. If so, how and where do I gather all this information? What do I do?

Thanks for the help

Nolan

 

[jellybean2020]

Yes it will get deleted. I did the exact same thing accidentally last month (filled out half of the 2010-2011 form before realizing it was the wrong year).

 

[pumpkinpatch]

Here's my suggestions as far as what you can actually do.

First of all, report this issue to PTCAS. I'm certain you're not the only one for whom this is inconvenient, and since PTCAS is relatively new and is working out its own kinks, your suggestion might prompt them to change their features. Perhaps they'll create an application that you can save for a few years (eventually).

For your own personal situation though, I would talk to your PTs that you shadowed. Ask them if they can write you a letter now, ask for a copy that is emailed to you (just in case) and let them know that you actually will be applying in a couple years. You'll just have to work out with them how communication will go; hopefully they won't leave the locations you shadowed at, but if they do I'm sure the first location will have contact info for you. You will need to keep track of your hours yourself.

And if you run into trouble when you do apply, I had really good luck with the email PTCAS gives you for questions. They'll be able to advise you. (It might not hurt to email them now, perhaps they would have more information for you.)

 

[johncronejr]

PTCAS still allows sending in paper copies of observation hours. Here is what I did.....I printed off the PTCAS observation hours form. I got the PT to fill them out when I did my observations. I then used the form to fill out the electronic form. The PT then gets an email to verify. Now, you have to overcome that you are doing yours so far in advance of your application, but explain this to the PT and tell them that you will be calling them or emailing prior to submitting your electronic verification so that they will be expecting it in their inbox. If need be, you can mail the PT a copy of the signed form that they filled out so they can jog their memory.

The paper copy was crucial to me just in case a PT couldn't be reached. I had one PT who was slow in submitting the E-verification, so I just called them up and told them that it was in their inbox and they sent it in right away.