UTEP PT interview/questions

[Skassanjee]

Hey everyone! I have an interview with The University of Texas El Paso DPT program on February 15th. I had a couple questions about UTEP, and interview itself.

Has anyone heard anything about the program? Does anyone know how the interviews work?

And lastly, and most importantly, I'm stuck on the question "tell me about yourself." Usually when I'm in an interview I can kinda go with the flow, but my question is work experience. I had 3 jobs throughout high school that are completely irrelevant to physical therapy (theme park, movie theater, and lifeguard). If I should mention them, how should I? I also volunteer at a hospital so I know for sure that's what I'm focusing on.

Also, a question for everyone here, why did YOU choose PT over any other medical job?i

Thanks in advance!

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[aggiecjg11]

Hey there! I'm a second year at UTEP, congrats on getting an interview! I can't really say much about the interview questions because I have no idea what they'll ask y'all, but in the past the interview sessions were set up to where you'll have a meet and greet first, then be introduced to the program and expectations, then you'll split up into small groups. One group will go on a tour with a current student, another group will go take the essay portion, and the other group will go on an interview "speed date" with the faculty members, then you'll all rotate. The program is awesome, it's a 2.5 year program so you'll get to graduate 6 months earlier, and the faculty are outstanding. One thing that stood out to me when I interviewed was how kind and welcoming everyone was, faculty and staff alike, and I had never interviewed at another school that was like that--all the others were just kind of intimidating and standoffish. On the "tell me about yourself" question, just be yourself! The faculty really want to get to know you as a person, so if all you have to talk about is PT, you won't really stand out. Remember, the faculty have outside interests from PT too, so they'll want to hear about things that make you who you are. Tell them about how you love to travel, or love animals, or love baseball or anything that makes you tick. Don't worry about high school jobs being completely irrelevant, I'm pretty sure all of our class had different jobs throughout our time before PT school and it just adds to the diversity. As long as you're getting a solid amount of PT-relevant experience before starting PT school you'll be ok. Good luck next Friday, if you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask. Looking forward to having you!

 

[Firebird79]

Aggie, do you know the amount of time they give you to write the essay? What are the topics? Are they general questions or are they PT specific? I'm guessing you have to hand write the essay, right? The program seems awesome, especially the Guatemala rotation. Did you go on that trip? What was it like? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!!

 

[aggiecjg11]

I believe it's 30 minutes, but I'm not 100% sure. They give you topics that you would be able to write about in that time frame. I don't know the exact topics for this year, but in the past they have not all been PT-related. Some of them have to do with hot-button issues in the healthcare field or ethical issues, and then others have to do with rationalizing why your background has prepared you for PT school, but I'm sure they'll ask you about that in your interview anyway. And yes, it is hand-written, we provide the paper and pencils. I didn't go on the Guatemala trip, but my classmates that went had a fantastic time and learned so much in the short time they were there. I think there are scholarships available for the trip, and there are limited scholarships available for other important meetings (CSM, TPTA Student Conclave, etc.). Just things to think ahead about.

 

[Firebird79]

Looks like I'll be at UTEP in the summer! Thanks for your advice. Now the question becomes, what advice do you have for my first year? Any pointers?