Question about DPT program!

[DPT4life]

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I am a newly registered member, but have been reading quietly from the sidelines for a while now...I have gained a lot of insight and knowledge about the PT program from coming on here, and for that I am truly grateful.

I am very interested in becoming a PT, and I am actively working towards my goal. I am currently doing my prereqs now, and honestly, I am not loving some of the science courses like Physics and Chemistry, but I am trudging along and keeping my eye on the big picture. My one big question is How much Physics and Chemistry is involved in the actual DPT program?.....Is it all one does on the daily? or do we thankfully get to leave it behind in the prereq phase?

 

[PT2B]

DPT4life I understand your concerns completely. I am only in my first year of PT school, but I think I can offer some "words of wisdom" based on what I have seen thus far...and any current DPTs correct me if I am wrong!

Chemistry will not play a part in your actual work as a PT. I believe that a basic understanding of the main concepts helps in classes like physiology, and trudging along while keeping your eye on the big picture is the right thing to do in this case. 🙂

Physics will be important when you get into your upper division and graduate level classes that focus on biomechanics. But biomechanics only expands on some, not all, of the physics you will be trudging through. A basic understanding of forces, torques, vectors, and lever systems are most of the physics that I have seen come up in biomechanics.

So your lack of passion for physics and chemistry should not worry you...I too trudged along through the pre-req years, but I love the classes I am taking now and trust me it is all worth it.

I will leave you with one important piece of advice that I wish I had recieved: when you take anatomy and pass it and move on to your next semester and forget everything you learned in anatomy, refresh yourself every so often. You will love yourself in grad school!

Good luck!!

 

[DPT4life]

DPT4life I understand your concerns completely. I am only in my first year of PT school, but I think I can offer some "words of wisdom" based on what I have seen thus far...and any current DPTs correct me if I am wrong!

Chemistry will not play a part in your actual work as a PT. I believe that a basic understanding of the main concepts helps in classes like physiology, and trudging along while keeping your eye on the big picture is the right thing to do in this case. 🙂

Physics will be important when you get into your upper division and graduate level classes that focus on biomechanics. But biomechanics only expands on some, not all, of the physics you will be trudging through. A basic understanding of forces, torques, vectors, and lever systems are most of the physics that I have seen come up in biomechanics.

So your lack of passion for physics and chemistry should not worry you...I too trudged along through the pre-req years, but I love the classes I am taking now and trust me it is all worth it.

I will leave you with one important piece of advice that I wish I had recieved: when you take anatomy and pass it and move on to your next semester and forget everything you learned in anatomy, refresh yourself every so often. You will love yourself in grad school!

Good luck!!

Thank you sooooooooooooooo much!!...You do not know how relieved I am from reading your post. And I am totally okay with the fact that some physics is involved....just not all of it!!!!

Thank you for your advice, I really like anatomy, cos its relatable and I understand it.......Chemistry blows cos half the time I dont understand the jibberish involved....And I have always felt that PT would involve more anatomy than any of the others, so I have been hitting anatomy books pretty hard...

Wooooohooooooooo!!!!!.......I feel like dancing!!!!...LOL!

 

[fallbackplan]

DPT4life I understand your concerns completely. I am only in my first year of PT school, but I think I can offer some "words of wisdom" based on what I have seen thus far...and any current DPTs correct me if I am wrong!

Chemistry will not play a part in your actual work as a PT. I believe that a basic understanding of the main concepts helps in classes like physiology, and trudging along while keeping your eye on the big picture is the right thing to do in this case. 🙂

Physics will be important when you get into your upper division and graduate level classes that focus on biomechanics. But biomechanics only expands on some, not all, of the physics you will be trudging through. A basic understanding of forces, torques, vectors, and lever systems are most of the physics that I have seen come up in biomechanics.

So your lack of passion for physics and chemistry should not worry you...I too trudged along through the pre-req years, but I love the classes I am taking now and trust me it is all worth it.

I will leave you with one important piece of advice that I wish I had recieved: when you take anatomy and pass it and move on to your next semester and forget everything you learned in anatomy, refresh yourself every so often. You will love yourself in grad school!

Good luck!!

I am a first year as well and I can completely agree with what PT2B said--the only difference being our functional anatomy and biomechanics have a very deep base in physics--but that is probably not the norm--she (the professor) just likes physics.

 

[blazersfan22]

Every physical therapist I've asked about this has pretty much said the same thing...physical therapy is applied A&P, with every thing else being important but secondary. If you like A&P, and can get through everything else, go for it. Good job, good pay, great future! Good luck.