Suggestion work experience

[Thefancybum]

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Hey guys I wanted to ask you opinion about something. I just started a PT Aide job a few weeks ago. The other day I was talking with a physical therapist I volunteered for a few years ago because he was writing my recommendation and he offered me a job. I would rather work for him because its a lot closer to my house and he is willing to pay me more.

I have PT volunteer experiences, I have about 1000 hours at this therapists office and 80 hours in a hospital. My question to you is do you think that it will look better on my application that I have volunteered at 2 different place and now work at another clinic. I am worried that if I go back to work for the PT that I already volunteered for is that it will make my Physical therapy experience a bit more narrow and be a disadvantage to me in regards to getting accepted into school.

 

[Kuhdaytee]

It's suggested to get experience in a variety of settings. Is it possible for you to switch jobs but volunteer in a few more specialties instead?

 

[Thefancybum]

Well actually my in patient experience had sports, geriatric and pediatric patients and division as well as in-patient and I have had about 20 hours in each setting, so I'm unsure of what other type of volunteer experience to do. I am planning on volunteering im a nursing home as well for some hours.

 

[janie3]

Well actually my in patient experience had sports, geriatric and pediatric patients and division as well as in-patient and I have had about 20 hours in each setting, so I'm unsure of what other type of volunteer experience to do. I am planning on volunteering im a nursing home as well for some hours.

You actually have more experience than most others I know considering all of the different settings in inpatient. It definitely cannot hurt to volunteer in other settings like a nursing home, as you said, while working as an aide.

I work as a tech, but I continue to volunteer while working as a tech.

 

[Kuhdaytee]

I couldn't tell based on the numbers you posted, my bad! It doesn't hurt to have more variety, but you've met the minimum hours so I'd take the job that you want.

 

[NewTestament]

Can you work in this clinic and then observe in another setting at the same time? The work experience will help but you need variety too.

 

[HouseDPT]

Well actually my in patient experience had sports, geriatric and pediatric patients and division as well as in-patient and I have had about 20 hours in each setting, so I'm unsure of what other type of volunteer experience to do. I am planning on volunteering im a nursing home as well for some hours.

In my opinion, there are two concerns here: how it looks on PTCAS to improve your admission chances or how it will build your knowledge base as a future PT student.

For the first aspect, if you're able to split up that IP experience into the different settings you've mentioned then that will likely exceed or match most other applicants' observation numbers. Scheduling a few weekend days at the nursing home, to supplement your setting hours variety, will round them out nicely. But the only way to truly know this is to contact the programs you're interested in and ask them directly.

My advice on the other aspect is to take the more convenient, higher-paying tech position. Yes, it will specialize your "observation" experience but that can be a good thing. You'll get a better understanding of OP ortho -- I'm taking a wild stab at what setting you're in -- whether it's by seeing entire patients' plan of cares, independently taking patients through their daily ther ex, or just being around to see differences in treatment. I maintain that it's hard for pre-PTs to really understand what's happening in the clinic but it's never a bad thing to increase exposure. So when you're in a program and the lecturer's talking about something random like max ionto current, in your head you'll know that "oh, those things don't normally go past 4.0 mA." That's something that you'll get from working as a tech but won't get from 20-hour snapshots when you're shyly half-looking over a PT's shoulder.

Good luck.