Work Experience vs. More Schooling? Seriously Need Advice

[jgold72288]

My situation: Last summer I was enrolled in the DPT program at the University of Evansville. Long story short, I couldn’t handle the fast start of the 6 week Gross Anatomy course and was kicked out. Last fall I decided to set my sights on law school because I didn’t think that I could cut it as a PT, but after taking a slowed-down AT version of Gross my confidence is back up and I’m ready to give it another shot. Unfortunately, I came around after all the deadlines for this upcoming school year had passed so I have to sit out a year. Now I have to decide whether it is in my best interests to retake some courses to increase my Pre-reqs and observation hours or to work for a year in Indy (a relatively low cost of living city with a roommate) for WebMD as a bilingual health coach (basically giving health advice and recommendations, including diets and workouts, to various companies’ employees over the phone). The job pays 37k plus benefits and I would have a room for 500 a month.

Basically, would it be better for me to work for this next year and get some extra money (and does this job sound like it could be a plus when PT admissions looks at me or would they really care), or should I retake a few courses to hedge my bets and shore up my application? Also, if I do retake courses would the admissions council even see the changes I would make?

I feel like my stats are solid but not stellar. Can I get in anywhere with these numbers? And would applying earlier in the admissions process help at all?

Major: Exercise Science Pre-Professional
GPA: 3.3
Pre-req GPA: 3.1-3.2 depending on the school
GRE: 1290 (580 verbal, 710 quant), probably the best thing I have going for me but I don’t know how heavily this is weighed.
Observation hours: Currently 80, but I could easily make it 100-120 within the next couple of weeks.
Work experience: As previously stated, I could potentially have "bilingual health coach with WebMD giving health, exercise, and diet advice over the phone".

Thanks a lot, any and all advice would be appreciated.

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[jgold72288]

Also, forgot that my AW on the GRE was 3.5

 

[TheOx777]

First of all, I am sorry to hear about the issues you had in your first attempt at a DPT program. Secondly, I would recommend(and this is just IMHO) that you focus on getting you grades up and retaking some coursework. Here's why:

1. There are many 21 year old bright-eyed and bushy tailed applicants who do not have much, if any, work experience; however, they successfully matriculate into and through DPT programs. Because of that, work experience may be looked at favorably yet may not tell programs much about an individual's academic readiness for rigorous coursework over the next 3 years

2. You have already been accepted to a DPT program, and unfortunately have not proven that you could handle the coursework. Schools are probably going to be privy to the fact that you were already in a program, and they will certainly want to know why you did not find some modicum of success on the first go around.That said, my contention is that showing them that you can excel in the pre-requisite/core course work would go a longer way to impress them; not working as a health coach.

3. I would think that retaking some classes would allow for a greater deal of academic transference than would working. I know it's ironic but working in real life situations often forces us to "dumb down" what we know and have learned. Re-matriculating into a DPT program after working may not lead to you getting into that "school" frame of mind as much coming from the classroom setting only a month or two prior to entry into the DPT program.

Everything above is just my two cents. Best wishes

 

[jgold72288]

First of all, I am sorry to hear about the issues you had in your first attempt at a DPT program. Secondly, I would recommend(and this is just IMHO) that you focus on getting you grades up and retaking some coursework. Here's why:

1. There are many 21 year old bright-eyed and bushy tailed applicants who do not have much, if any, work experience; however, they successfully matriculate into and through DPT programs. Because of that, work experience may be looked at favorably yet may not tell programs much about an individual's academic readiness for rigorous coursework over the next 3 years

2. You have already been accepted to a DPT program, and unfortunately have not proven that you could handle the coursework. Schools are probably going to be privy to the fact that you were already in a program, and they will certainly want to know why you did not find some modicum of success on the first go around.That said, my contention is that showing them that you can excel in the pre-requisite/core course work would go a longer way to impress them; not working as a health coach.

3. I would think that retaking some classes would allow for a greater deal of academic transference than would working. I know it's ironic but working in real life situations often forces us to "dumb down" what we know and have learned. Re-matriculating into a DPT program after working may not lead to you getting into that "school" frame of mind as much coming from the classroom setting only a month or two prior to entry into the DPT program.

Everything above is just my two cents. Best wishes

Thanks, Ox all input is welcome. Just a few questions.

1. How would I let the schools know about my decision to retake classes, and will they "hold" my application while my prereqs improve? Or by the time semester's end has come will it be too late due to interviews and decisions already having been made?

2. The main class that is holding my prereqs down is a C- in O-Chem. Even if I retake this course and get a B (not sure if I'm capable of an A), my science GPA would only go up to a 3.25. Apart from that, it's not that any particular prereq murdered me, just that I did "good" and not "great" in the more heavily weighed sciences. Anyway, do you think I could potentially take a different chemistry course online through a community college while working, and how would this look in the eyes of admission councils? Like tenacity or laziness?

3. My Gross instructor knows the problems I faced and believes that I now have what it takes to get through the class. Would a positive letter of recommendation from the guy that is most qualified to know what my problems were and how I went about fixing them make much of a difference?

Thanks a lot. It's probably obvious that I would rather work but I want to factor in every facet of the situation so I don't get left in the cold at the end of admissions.

 

[PTisfun]

You may also want to check with schools you are applying to. I know of at least a few schools that if you check 'Attended a CAPTE accredited school previously' (or whatever it says) on PTCAS, they will exclude you from consideration. I think it is just a way to start getting the applicant pool (from 800+) to a reasonable number (300) to start looking at in more depth. Sucks you are probably thinking, but with so many applications schools have to do something....