Why do people choose St. Augustine?

[pelado]

Hey there,

I'm not asking a leading question, promise. When I started applying to places last October, the PT I shadowed told me to avoid USA at all costs, because it was a rip-off. After doing some research, I saw that it was for-profit and had previously been sued for a lack of accredation for different program. Perhaps OT or BSN? Can't remember at the moment. I see a lot of folks hope to hear back from USA.

Can anyone shed some light? I've heard they look at just pre-req GPA. Is this the main draw?

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[ptbusiness]

There are other school that charge just as much or even more than USA. USA doesn't charge you extra for parking like some other schools. You don't need to buy books because they post all the notes online.
As of now, the school is accredited and its students have been passing the boards (at least PTs), so whatever the law suits were about, they do not reflect outcomes of students preparedness.
Unlike most of the schools, USA accepts students in spring, summer, and fall. That's why you see so many people are waiting to hear from USA all the time. USA is technically accepting at least 3 times more students than other schools. I believe it's 70-100 students per each term.

 

[CareerSwitcheroo]

Yeah, USA is pretty on-par with most private schools, even less costly than a handful of others. Of course if you're comparing it with public state schools there's going to be a massive difference. Some people (like me) aren't competitive enough stats-wise to have a choice between the two, unfortunately. I would say their somewhat forgiving admission criteria are a big draw, however, that doesn't mean it's "easy" to get in by any means. They are still competitive and have high standards for applicants. Pre-req GPA is a weighty factor but they look at 4 different GPA calculations as part of a holistic review.
As the person above said, accreditation and preparedness for the boards are the main things that matter and USA seems to have success with that. I've talked to a few USA grads who seem to be doing pretty well for themselves so I'll go based off of that rather some negative stuff I read online or heard from an uninformed person. The things you mentioned were things I had read as well, but I had also read negative things about schools like South College (for other reasons) and work with PTs from there who are excellent at what they do. So anyway, I think the best way to judge a program is to meet people who have direct experience with it. Many of them might also tell you that your education is what you make of it so not all people will come out on the same level as others.

 

[Dnguyen124]

To the best of my knowledge, Saint Augustine looks at an applicant holistically. Their stats aren't as competitive so people that have much lower GPA's are still able to have a chance at a physical therapy school. I've worked with 3 therapists at St Augustine and all 3 of them are one of the most kind people i've met.

Also, people attend there because a lot of times, that is the only school that accepted them. But in my opinion, it doesn't really matter where you go as long as you like it and the therapists that I've seen that went there, are doing well right now. I would not let their name deter you from attending there. However, they are introducing a lot of online classes there that some of the students currently have voiced displeasure about. I hope this helps!

 

[Violet2020]

I want to extend my client base to the Hispanic community and USA's locations are all where I could possibly practice Spanish.

My co-worker (DPT, 2017 graduate) stated their method of switching over from a non-profit to a for-profit system creates a few more hidden costs, such as paying for "extracurricular" classes like manual therapy which really should just be part of the package.

 

[StrokeTopo]

I want to extend my client base to the Hispanic community and USA's locations are all where I could possibly practice Spanish.

My co-worker (DPT, 2017 graduate) stated their method of switching over from a non-profit to a for-profit system creates a few more hidden costs, such as paying for "extracurricular" classes like manual therapy which really should just be part of the package.

This is not true. They altered the curriculum in 2017 to extend their clinical internships and made them terminal. This allowed students to be able to end leases early and not have to return to campus for a last semester after the completion of their last clinical. Previously students had the option to take an additional manual therapy class (or others) to build towards a cert in manual therapy. All of the standard manual therapy is still within the program. To gain USA's 'MTC' cert, the administration has a structure in place to allow former students to complete the CEU's at little to no cost.

 

[StrokeTopo]

Hey there,

I'm not asking a leading question, promise. When I started applying to places last October, the PT I shadowed told me to avoid USA at all costs, because it was a rip-off. After doing some research, I saw that it was for-profit and had previously been sued for a lack of accredation for different program. Perhaps OT or BSN? Can't remember at the moment. I see a lot of folks hope to hear back from USA.

Can anyone shed some light? I've heard they look at just pre-req GPA. Is this the main draw?

Depends on what you mean by 'rip-off'. Distance-based flex program vs. residential? Did the PT attend? I will say the problems I've personally noticed from the school hasn't really been in the PT department, but when the school tries to move into other health professions. The school has built around physical therapy and the school is focused on it. My reason for choosing USA was based on the location as my wife was recently employed in the area. Selection is interesting as the school is easier to get in, but the fast paced curriculum and intensity tends to weed out some students. I'd say the average DPT class is roughly 60 students.

 

[leggs840]

I'm currently a 2nd year DPT student at USA in San Marcos, CA and have loved my experience with this university. I too had doubts though because I had heard certain things. Yes it is expensive, but no more (sometimes less) than other private universities. If you have any questions regarding the curriculum or anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask!

 

[ncbaut]

I'm currently a 2nd year DPT student at USA in San Marcos, CA and have loved my experience with this university. I too had doubts though because I had heard certain things. Yes it is expensive, but no more (sometimes less) than other private universities. If you have any questions regarding the curriculum or anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask!

hi! can i pm you with some questions!

 

[leggs840]

hi! can i pm you with some questions!

of course!

 

[ya1]

My co-worker (DPT, 2017 graduate) stated their method of switching over from a non-profit to a for-profit system creates a few more hidden costs, such as paying for "extracurricular" classes like manual therapy which really should just be part of the package.
[/QUOTE]
The classes they charge extra for are not a part of any accredited PT program. Those classes are more like continuing education classes that you will have to pay for anyway.