I am applying to PT schools at the end of this summer. I've been shadowing a PT at a nursing home, and I got offered a rehab tech position within their PT department. How will this be weighted on a PT application? I'm not sure how many hours I will be working there, but it will definitely cut into time for other shadowing/volunteer hours. Any words appreciated, thanks.
Rehab tech?
- Thread starter jtb93
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How many hours in other settings do you have?
I say take the job. Great way to gain additional experience and get compensated.
I say take the job. Great way to gain additional experience and get compensated.
I have 40 outpatient and 20 in a nursing home so far. Nursing home is allowing at least 40 hours total, so that will put me at 80+. I have another setting with at least 20 hours set up for the summer so I'll be good with surpassing the minimum observation hour requirement.
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You're fine, take the job
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I tried to get a rehab tech job in my off year before starting school. I was turned away from the one subacute facility that gave me an interview; under the assumption I would get into school and leave the position after a year. Any time you are offered such a position, my advice would be to take it. It will give you optimal experience, plus, you'll get paid for your time. You can still volunteer on the weekends to get more volunteer observation hours. Congrats on the job offer, OP. Its a fantastic opportunity!
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What are the requirements for a PT tech job? Is it like an aide position? I googled and it said it requires an associates degree (PT Assistance) to do.
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PT Tech and PT Aide are often used interchangeably. From what I've seen many of the positions are entry level and don't require a certain educational background. A PT Assistant, on the other hand, is a different position altogether and it requires an Associate's degree in the field.
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If you're covered on the other settings, then go for the PT tech job. I only observed in 3 different settings, outpatient orthopedic/sports clinic, outpatient hospital, and inpatient/acute hospital, and a huge bulk of my hours came as an aide at the outpatient ortho clinic. Having 1000+ hours isn't going to necessarily make a huge difference compared to grades/gre/personal statement, but I feel that the experience that I gained as an aide and working with so many different therapists helped me greater appreciate the profession and allowed me to work with my patient interaction skills.
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take the job, you kill so many birds with one stone.
1)get $$.
2)get hours.
3)have more content and more depth to work with in interview.
4)get letters of rec.
5) you find out exactly how the job is from PTs rather than the internet, so if you don't like it you can go another path.
*Warning: If they are in financial trouble they will cut your hours or fire you first most likely, seen it happen too many times.
1)get $$.
2)get hours.
3)have more content and more depth to work with in interview.
4)get letters of rec.
5) you find out exactly how the job is from PTs rather than the internet, so if you don't like it you can go another path.
*Warning: If they are in financial trouble they will cut your hours or fire you first most likely, seen it happen too many times.
Bumping this thread to ask a few questions about the rehab tech position and PTCAS application.
1) Does this count as work experience? Per the work experience instructions, you are only supposed to enter non-PT paid work in this section. I'm not with a PT 100% of my shift, so I think it's still justifiable to include.
2) Assuming it can go in work experience, any advice on a job description? The job has a variety of responsibilities including patient transport, gym cleanliness, and providing assistance for any therapist requesting help (PT, OT, ST). In my down time, my manager allows me to observe a PT. I observe roughly 80% of each shift. I am getting over 200 hours signed off from the PT I shadow there. With only 175 characters per job description, I need to make sure the hours my PT is signing off for are justifiable.
Thanks!
1) Does this count as work experience? Per the work experience instructions, you are only supposed to enter non-PT paid work in this section. I'm not with a PT 100% of my shift, so I think it's still justifiable to include.
2) Assuming it can go in work experience, any advice on a job description? The job has a variety of responsibilities including patient transport, gym cleanliness, and providing assistance for any therapist requesting help (PT, OT, ST). In my down time, my manager allows me to observe a PT. I observe roughly 80% of each shift. I am getting over 200 hours signed off from the PT I shadow there. With only 175 characters per job description, I need to make sure the hours my PT is signing off for are justifiable.
Thanks!
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Looking back at my app from last year, I had listed my Aide position under the Physical Therapy Observation Hours section as there is a line that says "Paid or Volunteer Experience," which I marked "Both." I had also worked at a separate job while working as an aide and I included that job under the "work" experience.
Your job description sounds good, but I believe that it should go under the Physical Therapy Observation Hours section and not under the work experience.
Your job description sounds good, but I believe that it should go under the Physical Therapy Observation Hours section and not under the work experience.
