2nd practical of PT school and need guidance!

[PTpursuit]

Just had my second practical of PT school and I feel horrible. I practice and know everything in and out but when I get to the test, my mind goes blank. I start to forget the name of the skill and what it looks like, and I think it is performance anxiety. I practiced a lot beforehand and do not know how to NOT let my nerves sabotage my performance. I also make silly mistakes... I could really use some advice. I also know for sure I failed 2 out of my 5 skills due to blanking out and forgeting how to set it up. I don't understand why this happens! I need help.. If I fail, I get to retake it but still....

Also, I studder, shake a lot, and just overall feel like I have tunnel vision... I want to do well.. I want to be a PT.

I had to do 5 skills in 15 minutes... And I barely finished on time... I think if I had more time I could have caught my mistakes. I need better study strategies I think.

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[katelly]

Just had my second practical of PT school and I feel horrible. I practice and know everything in and out but when I get to the test, my mind goes blank. I start to forget the name of the skill and what it looks like, and I think it is performance anxiety. I practiced a lot beforehand and do not know how to NOT let my nerves sabotage my performance. I also make silly mistakes... I could really use some advice. I also know for sure I failed 2 out of my 5 skills due to blanking out and forgeting how to set it up. I don't understand why this happens! I need help.. If I fail, I get to retake it but still....

Also, I studder, shake a lot, and just overall feel like I have tunnel vision... I want to do well.. I want to be a PT.

I had to do 5 skills in 15 minutes... And I barely finished on time... I think if I had more time I could have caught my mistakes. I need better study strategies I think.

I'm in my first year too, but don't have any classes this semester that have practicals (besides anatomy practicals) so you can take my thoughts with a grain of salt. I have taken a lot of wilderness first aid type of courses though, and the key to those is just practicing the motions over and over so the information becomes procedural to a certain extent. Can you get into the room and practice with the physical materials more? Im not totally I can picture what kind of material you are being tested on but it kind of sounds like how to set up ultrasound or things along those lines?
If using the equipment can be more procedural or muscle memory for you it might free your brain up to do more decision making and thinking thru the reasoning that would allow you to catch a mistake.
Also a big challenge for me this first semester has been connecting with classmates who I study well with. We have lots of group projects which has been a good way to get to know each other but its harder to pin people down for productive study sessions. Is there someone that you admire in your class that you can reach out to and set up a study time to go over the procedures.
As a class we also collaborate on google docs to fill out study guides, which I don't totally rely on but can help me get rolling on test material that feels over whelming.


Also, if you really have done everything you can to study maybe you just need to find some way of relaxing. Like not studying for an hour before you fall asleep, taking some time to just close your eyes and breathe outside between classes before your exam, etc. Look for resources on how to relax or meditate online and just start with a few quite moments away from the material.

 

[TheIron]

What you are going through is pretty common, I will be the first to admit I've made mistakes during practicals because I was nervous. The key really is to find out how to reduce your anxiety so you can think clearly. Just remember it's not a big deal to fail a practical, that's why they exist! Better to make mistakes now than when you're working with patients. If you find yourself getting worked up during the practical just ask for a moment to think and take a deep breath, your professors won't mind. I also try to stay away from classmates that are talking about how to do things right before the practical, because they are often nervous themselves which makes me more anxious!

As far as studying goes my Biomechanics professor always says "Practice until you can't get it wrong." If you're that proficient at the skill you need to perform, you have nothing to worry about

 

[runnerflute]

I think most of us have all been there!

Here are some tips that may help reduce anxiety since you're essentially "performing" when going through the practical situation. Make sure that your study strategy includes lot of practice time. The more you incorporate motor learning with your cognitive learning, the more automatic the process will become and that should help you in the practical environment. Also, simply accepting the nerves and anxiety as part of the experience will help minimize those feelings. Treat the practical as a learning experience. Something I told myself during my first few practicals was, "The worst that can happen is you fail. If that happens, treat it as a learning experience and move on."

I have failed one practical. I spent several hours with my professor practicing and identifying gaps in my knowledge. I learned more as a result of failing than I would have if I had passed. Sometimes it happens and how you choose to respond will also help you in the long run.

Bottom line is treat every practical as an opportunity to identify weaknesses and then work to improve them. That's why we're in school!

 

[Cheezy89]

Just had my second practical of PT school and I feel horrible. I practice and know everything in and out but when I get to the test, my mind goes blank. I start to forget the name of the skill and what it looks like, and I think it is performance anxiety. I practiced a lot beforehand and do not know how to NOT let my nerves sabotage my performance. I also make silly mistakes... I could really use some advice. I also know for sure I failed 2 out of my 5 skills due to blanking out and forgeting how to set it up. I don't understand why this happens! I need help.. If I fail, I get to retake it but still....

Also, I studder, shake a lot, and just overall feel like I have tunnel vision... I want to do well.. I want to be a PT.

I had to do 5 skills in 15 minutes... And I barely finished on time... I think if I had more time I could have caught my mistakes. I need better study strategies I think.

Hey PTpursuit! The anxiety is something that you will always have. Good news is the more practicals you go through, the faster the nervousness go away. It's hard to accept but that it just something even great motivational speaker can't shake. You mentioned that you do mass practice before your practical so your problem is definitely not a lack of preparation. You cannot let your anxiety paralyze you, so next time you notice that bad boy during your practical, just acknowledge it and smile. it sounds silly but it worked for me in Undergrad when I was presenting my research. You could also benefit from developing a practical strategy. I don't know if you are one of my classmate at MGH or if you go somewhere else, but you get the cases before you go into the practical room. So what you can do is develop a list of things you are going to check while you are doing your practical (1. wash your hand, 2. introduce yourself, 3. explain why you here, 4. explain what you are going to do, etc) you get my point. Then you just study that strategy until it becomes instinctive. You can even write it on the sheet of paper they give you before going into the room. There is always something I miss in my practical, so you are not the only one going through this. Just make sure that whatever you miss isn't a safety related step.

 

[PTpursuit]

I'm in my first year too, but don't have any classes this semester that have practicals (besides anatomy practicals) so you can take my thoughts with a grain of salt. I have taken a lot of wilderness first aid type of courses though, and the key to those is just practicing the motions over and over so the information becomes procedural to a certain extent. Can you get into the room and practice with the physical materials more? Im not totally I can picture what kind of material you are being tested on but it kind of sounds like how to set up ultrasound or things along those lines?
If using the equipment can be more procedural or muscle memory for you it might free your brain up to do more decision making and thinking thru the reasoning that would allow you to catch a mistake.
Also a big challenge for me this first semester has been connecting with classmates who I study well with. We have lots of group projects which has been a good way to get to know each other but its harder to pin people down for productive study sessions. Is there someone that you admire in your class that you can reach out to and set up a study time to go over the procedures.
As a class we also collaborate on google docs to fill out study guides, which I don't totally rely on but can help me get rolling on test material that feels over whelming.


Also, if you really have done everything you can to study maybe you just need to find some way of relaxing. Like not studying for an hour before you fall asleep, taking some time to just close your eyes and breathe outside between classes before your exam, etc. Look for resources on how to relax or meditate online and just start with a few quite moments away from the material.

First off, I sincerely apologize for just responding now.. I feel like I was stuck in a whirlwind of stress and exams, and I really do appreciate people helping me, so thank you !

I did practice but I think you are right, I need to engrain them so they become muscle memory.. I do need to practice more.. It is hard to practice on top of all the academic stuff we have to study/learn too. I find it challenging to divy up what to study for and find myself playing catch up with other classes when I prioritize one other class due to a test coming up.

Its more a long the lines of UE shoulder pathologies and know the selective tissues tests, what expected test of function, ROM, joint play... Etc would be.. Also prescribing therex. I think the hard part was that, but I think my nerves made me black out on the easy selective tissue tests and MMT I know very well how to do.

I am having a hard time finding a study niche, I am not sure how to study well in PT school due to the copious amount of material being thrown at us every week.. I am finding the same struggles with group study, too much talking and not enough learning. I hope you are doing well and enjoying PT school. Honestly, I am not enjoying it but I think I need to be more confident and own my mistakes and just work on being the best I can be at this point.

 

[PTpursuit]

What you are going through is pretty common, I will be the first to admit I've made mistakes during practicals because I was nervous. The key really is to find out how to reduce your anxiety so you can think clearly. Just remember it's not a big deal to fail a practical, that's why they exist! Better to make mistakes now than when you're working with patients. If you find yourself getting worked up during the practical just ask for a moment to think and take a deep breath, your professors won't mind. I also try to stay away from classmates that are talking about how to do things right before the practical, because they are often nervous themselves which makes me more anxious!

As far as studying goes my Biomechanics professor always says "Practice until you can't get it wrong." If you're that proficient at the skill you need to perform, you have nothing to worry about

Sorry for just getting back to you, I do greatly appreciate you taking the time to give me advice , so thank you. I now know I am not the only one who failed, but it's still nerve racking to know I have one more shot to not screw it up, while also learning new stuff to throw on top of the stuff I already have to practice, I am overwhelmed!

That's true! I feel like I need to work on breathing techniques before and during the practical and think instead of trying to rush to the finish line. I didn't do that, I should have looked at the card over and over to make sure I was doing the right things, I may have caught my silly mistakes. I was considering trying performance anxiety medication, to rid myself of the trembling voice, and shakes and forgetfulness.. I read promising things about it. I think it was also having the professor instead of the TA's as my grader that made me feel even more nervous.

You're right, I need to practice more.. I thought I did enough, but now I know that enough is not good ENOUGH lol. Thank you!

 

[PTpursuit]

I think most of us have all been there!

Here are some tips that may help reduce anxiety since you're essentially "performing" when going through the practical situation. Make sure that your study strategy includes lot of practice time. The more you incorporate motor learning with your cognitive learning, the more automatic the process will become and that should help you in the practical environment. Also, simply accepting the nerves and anxiety as part of the experience will help minimize those feelings. Treat the practical as a learning experience. Something I told myself during my first few practicals was, "The worst that can happen is you fail. If that happens, treat it as a learning experience and move on."

I have failed one practical. I spent several hours with my professor practicing and identifying gaps in my knowledge. I learned more as a result of failing than I would have if I had passed. Sometimes it happens and how you choose to respond will also help you in the long run.

Bottom line is treat every practical as an opportunity to identify weaknesses and then work to improve them. That's why we're in school!

Thank you for reaching out to me during this struggle I am facing, I really appreciate it. Also, sorry for just getting back to you now.

I think that is a great idea.. Maybe I should go through each pathology of the shoulder possible, and do it realistically in a manner of an examination.. Instead of just doing random skills over and over. I think I was hung up on the fear of failure and not passing PT school but I realized I still have a shot, and I can't let it go to waste. This whole experience has been humbling, PT school is hard.. I see my classmates enjoying themselves and still doing well while I struggle to get decent to good grades.

I did learn from my hiccups on the practical, so maybe it was for the best. Perhaps it was a wake up call to change my strategies. I met with my professor, and maybe she will let me practice on her so I get more confident doing things in front of her. I can't let it defeat me, and my attitude will help me prevail. Thank you for your advice !!!

 

[PTpursuit]

Hey PTpursuit! The anxiety is something that you will always have. Good news is the more practicals you go through, the faster the nervousness go away. It's hard to accept but that it just something even great motivational speaker can't shake. You mentioned that you do mass practice before your practical so your problem is definitely not a lack of preparation. You cannot let your anxiety paralyze you, so next time you notice that bad boy during your practical, just acknowledge it and smile. it sounds silly but it worked for me in Undergrad when I was presenting my research. You could also benefit from developing a practical strategy. I don't know if you are one of my classmate at MGH or if you go somewhere else, but you get the cases before you go into the practical room. So what you can do is develop a list of things you are going to check while you are doing your practical (1. wash your hand, 2. introduce yourself, 3. explain why you here, 4. explain what you are going to do, etc) you get my point. Then you just study that strategy until it becomes instinctive. You can even write it on the sheet of paper they give you before going into the room. There is always something I miss in my practical, so you are not the only one going through this. Just make sure that whatever you miss isn't a safety related step.

Hey there, sorry for just getting back to you now. Thank you very much for taking the time to offer wisdom and advice! I believe that! This was only my second practical in the 5 months of PT school I have endured thus far.. So it is something I am unaccustomed to, and I was always the person that got nervous performing anything in front of people.. So I am not surprised on how it turned out.
Yes, instead of working through it.. I will take a moment to breathe and just clear my mind instead of worrying about the time left until finishing.. Maybe it could have helped me remember the mistakes I made. I actually go to Boston U... I sometimes wish I chose MGHIHP, but I guess this was my path. We received the case studies about the shoulder pathologies (~33 cases) but we did not know what 5 skills we would definitely have to assess for each pathology. I think I need to work on what expected findings and prescribing ther-ex for each pathology.
The thing that bothered me most was that I could have passed on an easy selective tissue test for instability and for MMT, but I froze up and forgot how to do MMT and did anterior apprehension instead of posterior (which is so easy to do).. My nerves got the best of me, I can't let that happen again!

I think I do have to take my time like you are desribing, just work my way through it and explain.. And breathing. It has been hard to practice lately, considering all the academic stuff we have to study too... I don't know where to find the time but I must. Thank you! Good luck in MGHIHP, I hope you are doing great.

 

[Cheezy89]

Hey there, sorry for just getting back to you now. Thank you very much for taking the time to offer wisdom and advice! I believe that! This was only my second practical in the 5 months of PT school I have endured thus far.. So it is something I am unaccustomed to, and I was always the person that got nervous performing anything in front of people.. So I am not surprised on how it turned out.
Yes, instead of working through it.. I will take a moment to breathe and just clear my mind instead of worrying about the time left until finishing.. Maybe it could have helped me remember the mistakes I made. I actually go to Boston U... I sometimes wish I chose MGHIHP, but I guess this was my path. We received the case studies about the shoulder pathologies (~33 cases) but we did not know what 5 skills we would definitely have to assess for each pathology. I think I need to work on what expected findings and prescribing ther-ex for each pathology.
The thing that bothered me most was that I could have passed on an easy selective tissue test for instability and for MMT, but I froze up and forgot how to do MMT and did anterior apprehension instead of posterior (which is so easy to do).. My nerves got the best of me, I can't let that happen again!

I think I do have to take my time like you are desribing, just work my way through it and explain.. And breathing. It has been hard to practice lately, considering all the academic stuff we have to study too... I don't know where to find the time but I must. Thank you! Good luck in MGHIHP, I hope you are doing great.

Two practicals in 5 months. I envy you so much. In the 5 months I have been in PT school, I have had 6 practicals. Just took one 2 hours before writing this message. Listen the more practical you do, the better you get. Don't give up. You got this!!!!

 

[PTpursuit]

Two practicals in 5 months. I envy you so much. In the 5 months I have been in PT school, I have had 6 practicals. Just took one 2 hours before writing this message. Listen the more practical you do, the better you get. Don't give up. You got this!!!!

I wasn't counting two practicals for gross anatomy but yea. Only around 4. I almost wish we had more so I would be "better" at it. Lol. What do you think of MGH IHP PBL type curriculum? Part of why I didn't go there.
Thank you!!

 

[Cheezy89]

I wasn't counting two practicals for gross anatomy but yea. Only around 4. I almost wish we had more so I would be "better" at it. Lol. What do you think of MGH IHP PBL type curriculum? Part of why I didn't go there.
Thank you!!

It's amazing!!! To me it made no sense to learn gross anatomy in the beginning then apply it several months later. What if I forget half of the materials? At MGH we kind of learn everything about PT all at once except it's fed to us in small doses. A month ago we learned knee anatomy, balance, assistive device and documentation in once class. This class was followed by a home care clinical rotation where everything we had studied became SOOOO relevant. We had enough knowledge this summer to make a decent clinical decision as opposed to some of my friends in other program who only knew about anatomy. It just was so different than what I was used to in Undergrad where I struggled. How is you program?