- Joined
- May 3, 2011
- Messages
- 169
- Reaction score
- 43
Hi guys!
I was wondering if anyone who was in a similar situation as I am in now.
I graduated last year in June with a B.S in neuroscience and physiology with a 3.02 GPA overall. I understand I don't have the best grades, but at the time, I really didn't have the motivation to keep up with my coursework because I felt I was pushed into my major by my parents in an attempt for me to go to medical school, so much in fact, that I wound up taking the MCAT as well, and scoring only a 30.
A 3.02 GPA and a MCAT score of 30 isn't great at all. I'm going to be realistic here and say that I probably won't survive the rigors of medical school, let alone the application process.
However, I found a small spark in the past year that rekindled my interests in the field of science. I volunteer to teach English at small center every week. It's the only thing I look forward to, since I have not found a job yet. My several students, when I first arrived, could barely speak English at all. In fact, they have had no formal school education whatsoever when growing up - no abilities to read nor write. When I go to volunteer these days, it really makes me happy that they can read simple stories, write down what I say, and converse in broken English with me. I enjoy seeing my efforts show in the progress of others, which is why I have decided to pursue a career in physical therapy; I can utilize what I learned in my studies as well as coach and improve others on a more personal level than I would if I were, for example, a surgeon. I feel it would be a very fulfilling career for me down the road.
I now have the daunting task of fulfilling DPT program requirements in the next year or so. I am planning to take the prerequisite courses at the local community college, and plan to do well to boost my GPA. However, because I have so many units already, I am not sure if I can change it enough that I would be immediately filtered out by GPA when I apply. I also have no idea how I am supposed to fulfill 1000 hours of physical therapy related work. I have asked local hospitals and clinics, and they have said they are either full on volunteers, or only accepting fully licensed doctors as volunteers. I was wondering what others have done to boost their GPAs and to get experience in the field before applying to the DPT programs of their choice.
For those who were in similar situations, how did you manage? Did you ever regret your choice to return to school instead of just looking for work? I feel terrible enough as it is to not have a job and to live at home for almost a year now after graduation; even if I were to go through with this decision, I would be spending even more time and more of my parents' money to go back to school, which is, with my current GPA, not even a guarantee to get into a program.
I came to these forums in an effort to look for tips and advice on if my decision is a good one to make in my situation, and how to go about joining the ranks of physical therapists in the future. I would gladly appreciate any feedback others may have and take it seriously; I am sure you all are more experienced and know better than I!
Thanks
-Situ
I was wondering if anyone who was in a similar situation as I am in now.
I graduated last year in June with a B.S in neuroscience and physiology with a 3.02 GPA overall. I understand I don't have the best grades, but at the time, I really didn't have the motivation to keep up with my coursework because I felt I was pushed into my major by my parents in an attempt for me to go to medical school, so much in fact, that I wound up taking the MCAT as well, and scoring only a 30.
A 3.02 GPA and a MCAT score of 30 isn't great at all. I'm going to be realistic here and say that I probably won't survive the rigors of medical school, let alone the application process.
However, I found a small spark in the past year that rekindled my interests in the field of science. I volunteer to teach English at small center every week. It's the only thing I look forward to, since I have not found a job yet. My several students, when I first arrived, could barely speak English at all. In fact, they have had no formal school education whatsoever when growing up - no abilities to read nor write. When I go to volunteer these days, it really makes me happy that they can read simple stories, write down what I say, and converse in broken English with me. I enjoy seeing my efforts show in the progress of others, which is why I have decided to pursue a career in physical therapy; I can utilize what I learned in my studies as well as coach and improve others on a more personal level than I would if I were, for example, a surgeon. I feel it would be a very fulfilling career for me down the road.
I now have the daunting task of fulfilling DPT program requirements in the next year or so. I am planning to take the prerequisite courses at the local community college, and plan to do well to boost my GPA. However, because I have so many units already, I am not sure if I can change it enough that I would be immediately filtered out by GPA when I apply. I also have no idea how I am supposed to fulfill 1000 hours of physical therapy related work. I have asked local hospitals and clinics, and they have said they are either full on volunteers, or only accepting fully licensed doctors as volunteers. I was wondering what others have done to boost their GPAs and to get experience in the field before applying to the DPT programs of their choice.
For those who were in similar situations, how did you manage? Did you ever regret your choice to return to school instead of just looking for work? I feel terrible enough as it is to not have a job and to live at home for almost a year now after graduation; even if I were to go through with this decision, I would be spending even more time and more of my parents' money to go back to school, which is, with my current GPA, not even a guarantee to get into a program.
I came to these forums in an effort to look for tips and advice on if my decision is a good one to make in my situation, and how to go about joining the ranks of physical therapists in the future. I would gladly appreciate any feedback others may have and take it seriously; I am sure you all are more experienced and know better than I!
Thanks
-Situ