total noob needs advice

[anarchistsea]

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I'm very interested in this, but I've only recently thought of applying. I know nothing about what the career may entail, only that I would love to help people move better. Exercise, mobility, natural strength and the happiness that comes from these things have been the best things that have happened to me, and I'd like to share them with others. Specifically I'd like to have actual training and not just what works for me.

I'm doing a BA in Econ right now at a top 20 school, and that should all work out by 2013. I have not taken any science classes and I'm thinking even if I start to take some now, I'll have to do more at community college after I graduate. Also, I'll have to find a clinic or gym to volunteer at, but I don't know much about any of that either.

So my main concerns:
-enlighten me about the actual career. what does an average dpt get to do with his degree? hours, pay, etc? is it as satisfying to get people moving the right way as I feel it will be? Obviously these are pretty subjective, but I'd just like to hear answers from people volunteering or people working in the field already.

-who's been in the same boat as me regarding pre-reqs? I literally JUST thought of doing this, so I'm trying to see if I really want to put myself through additional hardships.

-I also have no money, and once I finish my undergrad I'll likely be on my own, so are there aid programs for this, or is it all loans?
If its all loans with little aid possible, maybe I should put this idea on hold, till I have some actual saved income?

 

[jblil]

The best way to find out about this career (or really, most careers) is to read the discussion forums and to talk to people in the profession.

Discussion forums: aside from the forums at studentdoctor.net, also check out the discussions at rehabedge.com and at indeed.com. I learned a lot by browsing through them. You will see what people say about hours, pay, working conditions, etc.

People in the profession: if you know a PT, offer to take him/her to lunch and pick his brain. If you don't know any, see if friends of friends can introduce you to one. Your school's alumni center can probably also help you find one. And if all else fails, look for one on LinkedIn.

Pre-reqs: if you plan carefully, you can probably get most or all of them done by 2013. Same for volunteer/observation hours, you should be able to get at least 100 hrs in 2 years.

Money: there are always graduate student loans. An example:
https://www.wellsfargo.com/student/loans/professional/medschoolloan

You should be able to uncover at least all the basic info by yourself. Then post more detailed questions here.

 

[Litlwarrior08]

check out the occupational outlook handbook for profession info and salaries http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos080.htm

also APTA.org this is the professional PT and PTA organization and PTCAS.org is the on line application system where you can check out programs that use the app service-links to PT programs ..........click on everything you can and you will get your answers. Good luck

 

[NeophyteParkour]

One thing you should keep in mind is knowing what the profession is, and knowing if this is what you want to do for the rest of your life. The best thing you can do is volunteer/observe/shadow at a physical therapy clinic for a day and see what you think of it. You can simply call a PT place and ask them if it's okay to do this.
Also note, some people think that if they become PT's they will have the opportunity to train athletes to be the best they can be. That's athletic training, not physical therapy. PT, for the most part, involves the elderly population.

From my experience, it is very satifsying when you see people recover from these traumatic things that happened to them. As a PT, you get to work with the patient to the point where they finally feel "normal again."

As far as whether other people have been in the same boat, that does happen all the time. A lot of people in grad school for PT aren't biology, exercise science, kinesiology, or etc., majors. Some of them have business degrees, or art.

 

[rangardrum]

I'm doing a BA in Econ right now at a top 20 school...

I was also an econ major in undergrad! Apparently we're all going into PT afterwards.

-who's been in the same boat as me regarding pre-reqs? I literally JUST thought of doing this, so I'm trying to see if I really want to put myself through additional hardships.

I did all my prerequisites years after graduating. It's very doable. Actually, I'm still completing my last few prerequisites this year. Right now I'm in a human anatomy class/lab, and it's awesome!

As far as money goes, I worked full-time at a law firm for a few years after graduating, saving up as much money as I could. I hated the job, knowing I wanted to do something drastically different in the healthcare field. I saved money as I worked through that decision knowing that the money would always come in handy down the road.

You might try to shadow a PT for at least a day if you can, just to get a rough glimpse at the field. Of course, that would just be one day in one practice area with one PT, but it's better than nothing. They might be able to answer some questions too.

 

[letoile]

-who's been in the same boat as me regarding pre-reqs? I literally JUST thought of doing this, so I'm trying to see if I really want to put myself through additional hardships.

I was in the same boat as you. I decided I wanted to be PT after I started my senior year of college (graduated May 2010). I was a Dance major. When I graduated, I had only taken one science course (but not one of the standard prerequisite science classes...I took a neuropharmacology course), one math course, and two psychology courses.

I had to take Bio I&II, Chem I&II, Physics I&II, Anatomy, Physiology, Abnormal Psych and Statistics at a community college after I graduated. It helps if you can find a community college that is on the quarter system, as that will let you finish your classes faster.

To be honest, starting intro level classes with 17 and 18 year-olds immediately after you have graduated and written a 70 page thesis is NOT FUN. But it has been totally worth it for me. If you are dedicated and motivated to achieve your goal of becoming a PT, it is well worth the extra work. I will be attending Duke next fall.

If you have any specific questions about doing pre-reqs at a CC, feel free to PM me 🙂