Which settings to shadow in?

[HeatherDPT]

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Which settings did you/do you plan to shadow in? Are you trying to get as well-rounded an experience as possible, or do you think it will just come down to meeting the minimum hour requirement for our applications? I'm only 1/3 done with my prereqs and I'm already overwhelmed with these apps..

 

[member35]

well rounded is definitely better. schools prefer that you have an idea of what physical therapy is all about, rather than what one setting is like. meet the minimum amount of hours for each school you're applying to, but make sure they are in different settings!

 

[HeatherDPT]

well rounded is definitely better. schools prefer that you have an idea of what physical therapy is all about, rather than what one setting is like. meet the minimum amount of hours for each school you're applying to, but make sure they are in different settings!

How did you decide where to shadow? Just inpatient and outpatient? Or all the specialities? Or..(?)

 

[bpdpt]

I had a tough time fitting hours into my schedule too so I just met the minimum requirements at as many different ones as I could (inpatient, school, outpatient, snf)

 

[NewTestament]

Guidelines for observation hours include:

-Get some outpatient hours because that's probably the most common setting PTs work in
-Get inpatient/acute hours at your hospital. Start looking now because these opportunities are hard to find
-Get observation hours in a special setting: pediatrics, geriatrics, SNF, sports, home health, etc.
-I wouldn't aim for the minimum. It looks better if you go above and beyond the minimum, just like anything in life. Give yourself 6 months- one year to accrue these hours.
-Aim for at least 100 total in three different settings. More is not necessarily better, especially if you don't have time.

Kevin

 

[bpdpt]

100 is what a lot of schools look for as a minimum and every admissions person that I've talked to has said the more settings the better and quantity is not what is important

 

[bpdpt]

Quantity of total hours that is

 

[HeatherDPT]

Guidelines for observation hours include:

-Get some outpatient hours because that's probably the most common setting PTs work in
-Get inpatient/acute hours at your hospital. Start looking now because these opportunities are hard to find
-Get observation hours in a special setting: pediatrics, geriatrics, SNF, sports, home health, etc.
-I wouldn't aim for the minimum. It looks better if you go above and beyond the minimum, just like anything in life. Give yourself 6 months- one year to accrue these hours.
-Aim for at least 100 total in three different settings. More is not necessarily better, especially if you don't have time.

Kevin

Thanks Kevin - this was really helpful!