Switching from DO to DPT

[mcatnova]

So through a series of unfortunate events. I am no longer able to pursue being a DO.
But I have had 2 years hands on experience as a DO student and pretty much completed
my osteopathic manipulation training, and truthfully, its what I loved about Medical
School. The hands on work with the patient is what fulfilled me during the painful study
sessions. Had I graduated I would've aimed my career as manual manipulation Physician.
So to me, DPT is not that much of a stretch from what I wanted. Now I am applying to the
different programs in FL, VA, and Mass. (Specifically USF, Nova, UVA, Old Dominion as
my top choices). Can anyone give me any guidance as to which schools are strong/ weak
and for what reasons. Also, being that I have had 2 years med school experience, and
a strong MCAT, how strong of a candidate will I be and do I absolutely need to take the GRE?

Mike

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[jdaniels360]

Yes you'll need to take the GRE. And If you don't mind sharing, what's the reason you're no longer in medical school? Admissions committees will definitely ask about this.

 

[Azimuthal]

You are most likely a strong candidate and yes, you will have to take the GREs.

Your issue will arise when questioned about the change of heart. Was it academic? PT school is no walk in the park and the rigor is comparable to the first two years of medical school. Can you share what happened?

Also, you may want to look further into the hands-on portion of PT. We are an evidence based profession and our philosophies differ in our approaches. Good luck.

 

[PThopeful89]

I'd suggest going to the PTCAS site to get the basics (GRE scores, GPA, LOR's accepted, etc.): http://www.ptcas.org/Home.aspx . That can give you a good feel. All the schools will get you the same degree. The two deciding factors, in my opinion, should be your fit with the program and cost. A degree from a "no-name" school vs a degree from a "prestigious" school will not matter.

Also, I live in VA and had a good look at all the profiles of the accredited schools in the state, but unfortunately UVA does not have a DPT program. So that can narrow down your top choices

 

[mcatnova]

Yes it was academic. The first year went great but in the second gear it was if the fire hydrant was opened. It certainly wasn't for a lack of understanding, but rather I could not assimilate the voluminous information at a rate high enough so as to be able to regurgitate it back on the test. I did exceptional on all my osteopathic manipulation and clinic courses. Rather than try to beat my head against the wall, I have had the opportunity to re-evaluate myself. I've shadowed in-patient rehab and outpatient clinics, and it has the level of patient interaction that I'm craving.

 

[mcatnova]

Yes it was academic. The first year went great but in the second gear it was if the fire hydrant was opened. It certainly wasn't for a lack of understanding, but rather I could not assimilate the voluminous information at a rate high enough so as to be able to regurgitate it back on the test. I did exceptional on all my osteopathic manipulation and clinic courses. Rather than try to beat my head against the wall, I have had the opportunity to re-evaluate myself. I've shadowed in-patient rehab and outpatient clinics, and it has the level of patient interaction that I'm craving.

I should also note I have a Masters of Biomedical Sciences in Anatomy from USF

 

[DesertPT]

This isn't intended to sound rude at all, so please don't take it wrong, but if you were unable to assimilate the required amount of information in medical school, what makes you think you will be able to do so in PT school?

 

[Azimuthal]

Yes it was academic. The first year went great but in the second gear it was if the fire hydrant was opened. It certainly wasn't for a lack of understanding, but rather I could not assimilate the voluminous information at a rate high enough so as to be able to regurgitate it back on the test. I did exceptional on all my osteopathic manipulation and clinic courses. Rather than try to beat my head against the wall, I have had the opportunity to re-evaluate myself. I've shadowed in-patient rehab and outpatient clinics, and it has the level of patient interaction that I'm craving.

Your school did not offer you some sort of remediation or retake? I assume if they did not, you must have underperformed in multiple courses. Live. Learn. Move forward.

Have you considered other health professions as well? PTs usually have a higher debt to income ratio than many other occupations. Since you just went through 2 years of DO school, debt payback is something that you should also be considering.

 

[mcatnova]

I appreciate the concern of the previous post(s), please allow me to make decisions
which I believe are best for me. I have had to consider a lot in the past few months
and I believe this is the most beneficial action.

What I was hoping to find out from SDN was which schools in FL, VA and MA
are better than the others and why. There is the USNews ranks but that hasn't
been as useful as I'd like.

 

[PTMattI]

I have heard good things about Hampton which is in VA from some friends that go there...
I would avoid Marymount because of the cost of living and tuition costs.

 

[NewTestament]

It certainly wasn't for a lack of understanding, but rather I could not assimilate the voluminous information at a rate high enough so as to be able to regurgitate it back on the test. I did exceptional on all my osteopathic manipulation and clinic courses.

This doesn't sound good at all. I appreciate your honesty, but I don't know what PT program would accept an applicant who said they couldn't handle medical school because it was too much information. It's one thing to say you quit DO school because you weren't interested in the information, but you're saying you just couldn't assimilate it.

Since you've already spent thousands on DO school, then you should not go to a any private school to earn your DPT. As Azimuthal said, the debt/income ratio for DPTs is higher than other clinical degrees.

Kevin

 

[jamesmr8138]

If PT is your passion, you definitely need to go that route without worrying about cost/debt. The only thing that is going to work against you is your grades in DO school. On PTCAS you are required to submit the grades for all coursework, including graduate school, so programs are going to see that you struggled in your final classes (which also lowers your last 45 credit gpa, and some programs look at).

When it comes to interviewing for PT school, I wouldn't lie about your DO school experience, but definitely wouldn't tell them you dropped out because of the workload. Anyways, I wish you luck, and you it truly is your passion, you will find a way to make it all work out.

 

[jblil]

If PT is your passion, you definitely need to go that route without worrying about cost/debt.

OP: Follow your passion - within reason. One of my nephews incurred a 6-fig student debt for an English Lit degree. He's now working in the stockroom of a department store.

Unlike law or medicine, rankings for PT schools is meaningless. Just choose a school with low tuition, good pass rates for the NPTE and a good "fit" for you. If I were you, in an interview I would say that the osteopathic manipulation classes you took made you want to further study that particular area, hence your switching to PT.

 

[rockstudy]

OP: Follow your passion - within reason. One of my nephews incurred a 6-fig student debt for an English Lit degree. He's now working in the stockroom of a department store.

Unlike law or medicine, rankings for PT schools is meaningless. Just choose a school with low tuition, good pass rates for the NPTE and a good "fit" for you. If I were you, in an interview I would say that the osteopathic manipulation classes you took made you want to further study that particular area, hence your switching to PT.

Yes, if possible definately choose a school with low tuition, good pass rates, etc. I'm not sure that you will have this luxury. For most of us the schools do the choosing, so you may have to go where you can get in..

 

[PThopeful89]

I love GW's program (technically DC, not VA) and I'll be attending there this fall. For VA I liked VCU when I went to their open house. Also, since they are public/state school the tuition is lower. Shenandoah had a good feel to it too when I interviewed there. For FL I liked Miami when I went for my interview.

I would recommend attending open houses if the schools have that option, if not, I would contact the school to see if you could tour it with one of the faculty or students. I'm sure they would be happy to do that.