Second thoughts on DPT

[bmoore46]

Hello all. I am supposed to be starting my DPT this Fall. I was accepted into every program I applied to, but since applying I have been suffering major health issues from a back injury that never healed (going on 2 years). I'm in pain most of the day, and I cannot lie that I am beginning to become terrified of doctorate program due to stress increasing my pain. I don't know what the workload will be, but I feel like it will be way more than undergrad and my stress levels won't handle it well. When I consider the salary of DPTs, $70K just does not seem worth it for the stress of the program.

What do others feel about this? Is the difficulty of the program really that bad? Is it worth it? I love anatomy, exercise, and health, but I'm starting to consider going an alternative route, maybe into a master's in public health since the program would be less workload and better potential for salary.

I was obviously capable of making it into schools, but like I said, since then my injury has been flaring up in response to stress. Right now I cannot even work a full time job due to pain. Any advice would be appreciated.

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[wiseOldPT]

The relative difficulty will depend on what your undergraduate program was like, but yes, in general, it is quite rigorous and will be stressful, at least at times. Another element is that PT school and job is physical. While you will be taught body mechanics to facilitate this, you will be lifting people at times, performing repetitive movements, being on the floor with children, etc. You may want to look into getting official disability accomodations, though many programs have core requirements of what you must be able to physically do. At the bare minimum, spend the remaining time you have until you start working on your back injury and pain management. Working with a PT can also give a good indication of their opinion as they have gone through PT school and are practicing, and will know your abilities. I'd suggest also looking at if you can defer for a year to both continue to treat your back and also explore other career options.

 

[ya1]

Hello all. I am supposed to be starting my DPT this Fall. I was accepted into every program I applied to, but since applying I have been suffering major health issues from a back injury that never healed (going on 2 years). I'm in pain most of the day, and I cannot lie that I am beginning to become terrified of doctorate program due to stress increasing my pain. I don't know what the workload will be, but I feel like it will be way more than undergrad and my stress levels won't handle it well. When I consider the salary of DPTs, $70K just does not seem worth it for the stress of the program.

What do others feel about this? Is the difficulty of the program really that bad? Is it worth it? I love anatomy, exercise, and health, but I'm starting to consider going an alternative route, maybe into a master's in public health since the program would be less workload and better potential for salary.

I was obviously capable of making it into schools, but like I said, since then my injury has been flaring up in response to stress. Right now I cannot even work a full time job due to pain. Any advice would be appreciated.

Maybe contact schools that accepted you and see how they can accommodate your disability and make your decision based on their responses.
You do not HAVE TO do anything physical at school. Neither do you HAVE TO lift anything as a PT. There PT jobs where you are sitting at a desk most of the time, providing education (all day long), assess working/living environment and make recommendations based on that. Most people who are going into PT are not looking into those settings so you barely hear about them, but they are out there.
Even if you work in an in-patient setting, you do not HAVE TO lift anyone if you do not want to. You just ask for help if you are not able to do something on your own.
The same with outpatient setting. Just a few more examples: If you focus on hand therapy, you will be sitting all day. Lymphedema management does not require much manual or physical force.
Some (not all) companies do require a physical that will test your lifting ability, but 99% of the time physician just asks you if you can do this or that and makes assessment based on your answers.
You may also consider programs that are 4-year programs instead of 3 year (St Augustine had it). In a 4-year program, you will be taking only 12 units per semester instead of 20-22 units in a 3-year program.

 

[bmoore46]

Maybe contact schools that accepted you and see how they can accommodate your disability and make your decision based on their responses.
You do not HAVE TO do anything physical at school. Neither do you HAVE TO lift anything as a PT. There PT jobs where you are sitting at a desk most of the time, providing education (all day long), assess working/living environment and make recommendations based on that. Most people who are going into PT are not looking into those settings so you barely hear about them, but they are out there.
Even if you work in an in-patient setting, you do not HAVE TO lift anyone if you do not want to. You just ask for help if you are not able to do something on your own.
The same with outpatient setting. Just a few more examples: If you focus on hand therapy, you will be sitting all day. Lymphedema management does not require much manual or physical force.
Some (not all) companies do require a physical that will test your lifting ability, but 99% of the time physician just asks you if you can do this or that and makes assessment based on your answers.
You may also consider programs that are 4-year programs instead of 3 year (St Augustine had it). In a 4-year program, you will be taking only 12 units per semester instead of 20-22 units in a 3-year program.

Thanks for this reply. Changing my career path right now is not ideal, so it’s good to know I still have options in PT. I have ways to manage my pain throughout the day if I have access to it, i.e. Ice packs, heat, dry brushing, medications. I feel like I’m going to be the “patient simulator” when it comes to PT school haha. Just hope school can be accommodating. I like to think I can’t be the first student dealing with chronic pain in school.

 

[bmoore46]

The relative difficulty will depend on what your undergraduate program was like, but yes, in general, it is quite rigorous and will be stressful, at least at times. Another element is that PT school and job is physical. While you will be taught body mechanics to facilitate this, you will be lifting people at times, performing repetitive movements, being on the floor with children, etc. You may want to look into getting official disability accomodations, though many programs have core requirements of what you must be able to physically do. At the bare minimum, spend the remaining time you have until you start working on your back injury and pain management. Working with a PT can also give a good indication of their opinion as they have gone through PT school and are practicing, and will know your abilities. I'd suggest also looking at if you can defer for a year to both continue to treat your back and also explore other career options.

Thanks for the reply. I went to undergrad at Baylor which could be extremely tough at times, but I took a year off to deal with my pain since then. So it might take me a bit to adjust. Working with a PT beforehand is a good idea. I had one that I went to but was too expensive, so I’ll try looking again.

 

[LostLlama]

What do others feel about this? Is the difficulty of the program really that bad? Is it worth it?

"Difficulty" is always subjective; Much like "worth." Did I find my program difficult? Academically? Not for me. Do I think the academic portion of being a PT is where you will have the most difficulty? No.

This job is physical. (Can be VERY physical depending on the setting.) Since you "cannot even work a full time job due to pain," I can't imagine the physical stress of school will do you any favors.

As you asked for advice: No excuses. If you really want this, you'll get it. Get your back taken care of and make it work. There are countless reasons not to become something - only one reason to.

 

[kdubz7w7]

Hello all. I am supposed to be starting my DPT this Fall. I was accepted into every program I applied to, but since applying I have been suffering major health issues from a back injury that never healed (going on 2 years). I'm in pain most of the day, and I cannot lie that I am beginning to become terrified of doctorate program due to stress increasing my pain. I don't know what the workload will be, but I feel like it will be way more than undergrad and my stress levels won't handle it well. When I consider the salary of DPTs, $70K just does not seem worth it for the stress of the program.

What do others feel about this? Is the difficulty of the program really that bad? Is it worth it? I love anatomy, exercise, and health, but I'm starting to consider going an alternative route, maybe into a master's in public health since the program would be less workload and better potential for salary.

I was obviously capable of making it into schools, but like I said, since then my injury has been flaring up in response to stress. Right now I cannot even work a full time job due to pain. Any advice would be appreciated.

I would find out what their requirements are in terms of physicality. I know students who have had to decelerate d/t injuries and not being able to demonstrate their proficiency at various physical skills.

I would also inquire about standing desks possibly - when I had back pain in my DPT program I was emailed a link to a standing desk I could purchase on Amazon - the school otherwise had no accommodations available (despite the PA program having standing desks in their classroom...). Personally I could not abide sitting for very long so I spent a lot of time standing or laying flat on the floor in the back of the room.

Your other questions are more personal in nature. On paper, PT is a pretty dumb decision for most, financially. I knew that going into it because I just could not imagine another career path that I would be as passionate about. I love what I do, but yes, the cost of my program versus my salary is really quite ridiculous. It is up to you if it is worth it to you.

I have a master's degree in exercise science and still felt my DPT program was extremely rigorous. Most of us did/do. Again, up to you in how you absorb information, there are people who say they didn't think it was that bad, but almost all students I know quite agree that it's a bit of a blood bath.

 

[wiseOldPT]

Many programs do actually have what are often called Technical Requirements/Competencies. These refer to necessary gross and fine motor skills. You may be able to get accomodations but need to discuss with the program. Issues come in with safety. Sure, you might be in a setting where you shouldn't have to lift, but if you are guarding a patient and they unexpectedly lose balance, you need to be able to respond safely. Programs would need to be able to accomodate you in all practice settings needed to graduate, which they are not all willing to do. If you need accomodations, this is a conversation you need to have up front to see if you will be able to be successful. I had a friend who couldn't lift more than 20 lbs and she had to delay graduation a year to find an acute care setting that would accept her limitations, I believe she ended up being able to do wound care in an acute care setting but it was a big hassle and slowed her progress.

 

[ya1]

Programs would need to be able to accomodate you in all practice settings needed to graduate

This again depends on school. My school tried to place students at different settings, but I believe it was not a requirement. I have never been in an acute setting. 2 out of 3 internships were in inpatient ortho. they placed most of us at SNF and maybe 5-10% of people in acute or home health.

 

[SReilly15]

Hey,

I am currently a first year physical therapy student, but my sister at one point was in the same situation that you are in now. She was ultimately unable to attend but the program she was accepted into allowed her to defer her enrollment for two application cycles in a row. Other programs probably have different rules and criteria for this, but this could be an option for you. This would give you time to figure out if this career path is really for you and alleviate any stress you are having now. It is hard to know what you are actually dealing with and I am sure everything will work itself out in the long run. If physical therapy is something you have a passion for than I think you might regret not giving it at least a shot but only you know how much you can handle.

Good luck!

 

[truthseeker]

consider buying the book "Explain Pain", read it, get better, then go to PT school.

 

[Jessica Leslie]

Hello all. I am supposed to be starting my DPT this Fall. I was accepted into every program I applied to, but since applying I have been suffering major health issues from a back injury that never healed (going on 2 years). I'm in pain most of the day, and I cannot lie that I am beginning to become terrified of doctorate program due to stress increasing my pain. I don't know what the workload will be, but I feel like it will be way more than undergrad and my stress levels won't handle it well. When I consider the salary of DPTs, $70K just does not seem worth it for the stress of the program.

What do others feel about this? Is the difficulty of the program really that bad? Is it worth it? I love anatomy, exercise, and health, but I'm starting to consider going an alternative route, maybe into a master's in public health since the program would be less workload and better potential for salary.

I was obviously capable of making it into schools, but like I said, since then my injury has been flaring up in response to stress. Right now I cannot even work a full time job due to pain. Any advice would be appreciated.

Speak with Disability Services at your chosen school.