Undergrad research

[foreverlearner02]

Is it valuable to participate in undergraduate research if it isn't directly related to physical therapy?
For example, would it be worth my time to assist with research regarding physical activity and psychology? (More specifically, athlete burnout, physical activity and the effects of it on an individual with ADHD, physiological and cognitive adaptations associated with acute bouts of physical activity, etc)

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[Phyline]

According to the PT I'm currently shadowing, YES YES A MILLION TIMES YES. Because not many applicants (???) do research, it can be a strong point of yours.

 

[Sunshine~Runner]

I did undergraduate research on a topic COMPLETELY unrelated to PT (the effects of garlic on biofilm formation) and the interviewers were super interested to hear more about that. Some programs require research or offer research opportunities within the program so I definitely think it looks good when an applicant already has experience. Even if it is not PT related you still have to practice a lot of critical thinking which is obviously a very valuable skill. I also totally agree with Phyline, I don't think a lot of applicants do this so it could help you stand out

 

[davidtheusername]

As far as getting you an interview, it probably won't help. That's normally more numbers based. As far as giving you something to talk about in the interview that sets you apart that could help quite a bit.

 

[ptlover]

Definitely I did some research and would be happy to tell you more about it pm me!

 

[tcpt]

Absolutely yes. It can be a key factor. Highly recommended.

 

[allywally15]

Where did you write about research on your PTCAS application?

 

[Phyline]

There's a *tiny* space in Extracurriculars or Work sections. It actually makes me very upset, because I'm an author on 3 papers (4 if this one goes through review), and there's literally no room for it. Could I make each manuscript its own extracurricular?

 

[davidtheusername]

There's a *tiny* space in Extracurriculars or Work sections. It actually makes me very upset, because I'm an author on 3 papers (4 if this one goes through review), and there's literally no room for it. Could I make each manuscript its own extracurricular?

That's probably what I'd do.

 

[Phyline]

That's probably what I'd do.

The problem with this is that the citation doesn't fit in 175 characters =/
Do you think I could write "<First_Author_Name>, et al" and mention that I'm also an author?

 

[davidtheusername]

The problem with this is that the citation doesn't fit in 175 characters =/
Do you think I could write "<First_Author_Name>, et al" and mention that I'm also an author?

I like the sound of that. The key is just that you can go into detail in the interview if they ask about it.

 

[DesertPT]

Some PT schools value research experience more than others, but yes in general it will be beneficial. The school I attend has a big emphasis on PT student involvement in the faculty's research, and I believe that my strong research background was one of the big things that helped me get in. At other schools, I don't believe it helped. But in general yes it's a great thing to have, and not just in the application process. When you start learning about evidence-based practice and how to be a good consumer of research, having actually been involved in doing research will give you a lot of good insight. Don't skimp on having very diverse physical therapy experience in the name of research though. If it's a paid job though, don't lose out on a lot of money in the name of observation hours either.

 

[DesertPT]

There's a *tiny* space in Extracurriculars or Work sections. It actually makes me very upset, because I'm an author on 3 papers (4 if this one goes through review), and there's literally no room for it. Could I make each manuscript its own extracurricular?

I don't think you need to list your citations. No Adcom member is going to lookup you papers, and if they are middle author papers academics won't view that as a tremendous accomplishment anyway. Just come up with a one sentence description of your extracurricular activity and fit it in the space provided. I think I put something along the lines of "Research Technician/Intern" for the title of the experience, and for the description something like "Laboratory experimentation in such-and-such field, literature review and preparation of manuscripts..."

Just my thoughts. Do what you think is best.