Accepted... My fears/concerns about DPT school

[BranBran]

Hello! So I was recently accepted into a competitive in-state DPT school, and the program begins next fall! There have been a few major fears that have been thinking about in regards to PT school. Please let me know how you feel about what I'm feeling or if you are feeling the same or different about beginning PT school.

1) The possibility of Burnout: I already feel exhausted and I'm only in undergrad.. What if I get to the 2nd or 3rd year then fail? I'll have a lot of debt and no license to work as a PT. I can't imagine having class 8am-5pm 5 days a week then studying 40 hours a week on top of that. I don't know if I could keep that up for 3 years straight! I am so passionate about PT and could not do anything else, but just because I have a fire and passion, does not mean I won't get burned out. Also, exercise is a good way to refresh and prevent burnout, but I had hip surgery over the summer for my labrum and that ****ed it up even worse... so it might be awhile before I can exercise. (I was obsessed with running)

2) Having "No Life" for 3 years: I'll be entering PT school at 20 years old.. so, I just feel like there is a lot that I want to do and experience before the 3 years of being locked in. There's so much to life that I feel like I haven't experienced or uncovered (for this reason I'm considering a gap year). I know I'll love what I'm studying, but studying is not the ONLY thing that I want to do.

3) Not being able to meet the physical demands of the job: as stated above, my hip is not doing hot. I've had severe chronic hip pain for 4 years and have seen probably 100 medical professionals who have tried to help me. It is to the point where it is making it difficult to do ADLs (getting out of bed, picking something up, etc). I've had 9 months of PT, steroid injections, nerve blocks, ~10 different medications, chiro, acupuncture, massage therapy, labrum surgery, prolotherapy, AND MORE, and I'm still in a lot of pain. I feel like if I don't solve this before PT school, I won't have time to figure it out during school. And, when I get to clinicals, I will auto-fail because PTs MUST be physically capable for the safety of patients and efficiency of doing work. It is difficult because my hip is why I wanted to become a physical therapist. But now, it is what might stop me from becoming a PT!

4) Debt: I don't want to sell my life to student loans for the rest of my life... financial security is so important to me.

Reasons I would want to go straight to PT school:

1) I am so passionate about PT.. my undergrad success is not a result from my intelligence, but is a result because of my drive. I cannot do anything else. I need to help people who have dealt with pain and injury like I have. I need to be there for the patients that are going through hell physically, mentally, and emotionally because of their injuries/conditions.

2) Would be cool to graduate at 23...

3) Don't want to "waste time" with a gap year... even though a gap year might be helpful for my physical/mental health.

Such a difficult decision for me... I want to go straight to grad school but maybe I should take a year off to take care of myself and refresh. Please let me know what you think! I'm torn. THANKS SO MUCH

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[PTMattI]

Few things...

I can't imagine having class 8am-5pm 5 days a week then studying 40 hours a week on top of that.

Every school is different but usually that is an exaggeration of how much work it is....dont get me wrong there will definitely be weeks when you are in class fairly long and have to put in a lot of time studying at home but its not 8-5 with 40 hrs a week on top of that...not even close.

Having "No Life" for 3 years: I'll be entering PT school at 20 years old

You will have a life..and plenty of time to hang out / party with classmates on Fridays and Saturdays. I found time to watch football on weekends as well as have a part time job ~10 hours a week and workout just about everyday. Its all about time management.

1) The possibility of Burnout: I already feel exhausted and I'm only in undergrad..

If you are passionate about it you are less likely to burn out..plus use the summer to recharge your battery.


The hip stuff you mention however sounds serious and I would use that as the #1 determinant on whether or not you should start school...you are correct that if you are not able to perform basic things such helping patients up from bed, gait training, transfers safely because of your hip then you will not be able to pass unfortunately.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[dptjk]

Just a couple things. not in any particular order, and not addressing all of your concerns.

1. No matter WHEN you start, you WILL at SOME POINT question whether or not you should have chosen PT school.
2. But at SOME POINT, you WILL REALIZE that you made the RIGHT decision.
3. It's definitely not 3 years of no life. It is one year that is very hard work, and it gets pretty bad during midterms and finals. Not only do you have time to chill out, but you need to make time to relax here and there in order to maintain focus and not "burn out". The 2nd and 3rd year you will be doing more clinical rotations, and if you find those experiences to be miserable, then you definitely should not be pursuing PT, since those will be pretty close to real work life.
(If you are in PT school and you find that you have NO LIFE and have to study ALL DAY, then you are 1. studying ineffectively 2. studying distracted 3. not taking care of your health. I have classmates who have families and still do well. EFFICIENCY is key.)
4. I am a PT student in my first year and yes, I have had doubts. When you're in the midst of studying for 8 different classes and preparing for exams it gets overwhelming and you start to forget why you're doing all this.
5. But once you get through it, you will shock yourself at how much information you've retained and you will gain a confidence that you are actually capable of taking on such a demanding profession.
6. In terms of starting too soon/too late, I have heard both sides. I have classmates who just turned 22, and I have classmates in their 40's. For the most part, it seems that most of my classmates wish they would have started sooner. I honestly don't really see the point of "waiting," unless you're really unsure about PT. I don't see any benefit of "resting" a year or two after undergad, you'll be overwhelmed with your first semester at PT school regardless. The only thing that I will say is that my older classmates seem to have put a lot more thought and research into PT and they know exactly why they're doing this, they are more driven and motivated. I would say that is the main determining factor when it comes to academic performance, since pretty much all accepted applicants are good students.
7. For me personally, I think starting ASAP is good, because graduating a year sooner means another year of experience, another year of paying off loans, and in case you haven't noticed, prices for PT schools have not been going down. (Having said that, going into PT school with uncertainty of this being the profession for you is definitely not worth saving a couple $$)

 

[starrsgirl]

In between all of your words, I'm reading you just aren't feeling ready this year for PT school. And THAT'S OK!!!!! Obviously, this is just one opinion, but if there is any uncertainty, I would wait a year and see how you feel. In my experience, when students seem uncertain, they often don't make the first year and then have to roll back anyway (yes there are other reasons people have to repeat, but a lot of times there is this deeper truth of the student being a little unsure about something or not prepared to start and they did anyway.) I'm an older, non trad student. There is no timeline you need to be pushing here. A year won't make a difference in the long run.

You are somewhat unique in that you probably have decent options. Honestly, you could ask the school to defer a year just based on your hip alone. Explain you are having a slow recovery, still in a lot of pain. You feel like you won't be able to give it your all or may need follow up surgery or whatever. I know of friends/other students who have deferred for similar reasons and it generally wasn't an issue at all. The school would rather you be VERY ready to start versus somewhat ready to start.

In a gap year, you could work more PT hours and/or work in another field. I do recommend full time work in something. I think that gives you the best life experience to evaluate what exactly you want to be doing for full time work ultimately.

To me, you are screaming loud and clear that you need to back off right now and take care of yourself. I don't know you at all, but that is clear to me from your words. Listen to yourself. There is no rush in life. I think it's better to evaluate and possibly limit yourself right away versus get buried in the first year of school and being having this conversation. This is your life...don't let other close family or friends make this decision for you.

 

[aroszko]

I agree with everything that has been said above so I am only going to emphasize your health that you mentioned. You say that you are having problems with your ADLs (getting out of bed, picking something up etc) this could run you into a huge problem within a program, I can only speak for the one I am in but we have a handbook and in it has a list of basically everything we need to be able to do while in school (physically) as we are in lab pretty much daily practicing/learning new skills and then when we are out in clinic. If there is any doubt that you would not be able to perform the daily routine of PT school you may suffer by not learning by doing because of the pain. If I were in your situation I would speak with the school that you have gotten in and see if you can defer for a year (long shot but hey it may work) and then take the year to really focus on your health and getting back to at least a functional level where you are not in pain during simple activities! If they say no to the deferment then you obviously need to make a choice but fall is many month away you could plan to go and kinda play it by ear till it gets closer....but if at the beginning of the fall you have any doubts about it then wait you are so young you have time.

Best of luck, hope you figure out the hip issue asap!

 

[engmedpt]

I did 60+ hrs on average including all the class time (you will never do 80 hrs...you cannot take in info. for 80 hrs a week....there is a difference in working 80 hours a week doing the same thing and taking time with busywork and routine things living on coffee to stay awake compared to learning....it is IMPOSSIBLE to learn 80 hrs a week. Impossible.), but I went overboard and taking a few more hours for myself exercising on Saturday mornings or having me time on Friday evenings would've been better. When your stress level is manageable, you retain info. and perform better on tests.

I struggled for sure however I received no C's, I didn't fail anything, and I didn't need to remediate anything. My program is apparently more intense than the surrounding programs which probably is why it has such a good rep. in the profession as well as licensure test outcomes. Professors tute their own horns sometimes though I'm sure too.

-Record your lectures...regardless of how well you know the info. if you cannot replicate it the way your instructor wants you to, then you will not get the grade you need. This was an issue for me. I was able to have great clinical conversations with my instructors, but the replication on the exams of how they wanted me to say things was not there for the first half of the semester. Don't play catchup. It sucks. Point scales and grades really are a game and you have to get through it one step at a time while replicating how your instructor teaches.

-Study in groups at the library forcing your friends to recall and discuss the info. Im serious. When you are actively forcing your study partners to perfectly recall information, that's how you now that you've learned it. It will not just be recognition for multiple choice tests like in undergrad and many courses will not be multiple choice. They are perfect recall. Especially labs. For anatomy....go in after hours on a regular schedule and test yourself on the latest material to continually stay up to date.

-I felt overwhelmed at times but it is a freakout response and you get over it after like an hour. If you aren't failing tests....then remember to relax. Easier said than done. Getting over the psychological need for perfection from undergrad is difficult, but there is really no need for perfection anymore. Just do your very best and roll with it.

-Finals and midterms are really rough, but if you start from day 1 making conglomerate, condensed study guides then youll be okay. Continually review and take small study breaks of ten minutes here or there.

-1st year is bad, but remember the workday is the end goal. When you are overwhelmed remember that it feels like a firehouse at this moment and there is a finite end. Every single day of work WILL NOT be like this and the more exposure you get to things, the more second nature it gets. I cannot wait for clinicals.

-If you are having hip issues and can defer..........then take a bit more time thinking about that.

 

[Azimuthal]

2) You're 20. You will graduate and have a healthy income at 23. What you feel missing in life now can be fulfilled at 23. Trust me, to us relics, there is no difference between a 20 year old and 23 year old, with the exception of me being able to give you money for an alcohol run.

 

[lovepixie]

I agree with the statements above...you may not be ready and that's ok. I attend a very rigorous program and i don't think I could have ever been "ready". There is ALOT of studying and little recreational time. Since I've started, I've learned that PT school is a LIFE experience that will teach you more about yourself than anything else. This is something you have to be FULLY committed to in order to succeed.

 

[cyclingkayaker88]

I agree with the statements above...you may not be ready and that's ok. I attend a very rigorous program and i don't think I could have ever been "ready". There is ALOT of studying and little recreational time. Since I've started, I've learned that PT school is a LIFE experience that will teach you more about yourself than anything else. This is something you have to be FULLY committed to in order to succeed.

My situation is similar- but well, it is different in that it has happened. I did not want to post my own thread for this, because well it's embarassing. I just finished my first summer session of PT school in the midwest. I took Gross Anatomy (10 credits), Clinical Skills (5 credits), and an Intro Class (1 credit). I did well in all my courses - even managed to get an A- in the spine part of Gross Anatomy, but really really struggled with the didactic part of Clinical Skills (osteokinematics, arthokinematics, biomechanics, etc.). Much of this information was new to me (like first time seeing and absorbing) and was overwhelming.

My highest grade on one of the quizzes was a 72% and you're talking to a student...that is NOT a "C" student. Alas, graduate school finds our dark and dusty corners! I had three options:
a) take the final, pray, and hope that I pass - yet enter the fall (which is more challenging) on weak knees - and possibly face academic probation (less than a 3.0)
b) take the final, fail, and get kicked out of the program
c) take a year to build my knowledge with other undergrad courses, start again next year

Being a little older, I knew almost immediately I would take the final option. Obviously, not ideal, but who wants a PT that can't tell you what muscles are working exactly? I suffer from relatively bad anxiety as well - when it comes to test taking. I have been going to counseling since before puberty - ha and am actually working on SPECIFIC techniques to overcome my anxiety (It's working slowly...)

Out of all the sciences, physics is my weakest area- fyi. (Please note even though I got nervous for practicals, I did very well on all of them and passed this portion of the class fine.) Alas, my cohort is moving on and I'm figuratively sitting on the bench- with my mouth wide open. Comparing myself to others used to motivate me- make me get up at 8am and study harder.

Some questions:
How does one stop comparing themselves- when it is no longer healthy?
Since I struggled so much with this course, would you just tell me throw in the towel?
What other advice can you give me?

Thank you!

 

[jblil]

How does one stop comparing themselves- when it is no longer healthy?
Do you mean comparing yourself to others? If so, you will always find people who are richer, taller, thinner etc than you. But you will also always find folks who are weaker, slower, less witty, etc than yourself. Each of us is unique and the only worthwhile comparison is ourselves today vs ourselves a year ago vs ourselves a year from now. Compete with yourself, not with others. I run half-marathons and don't care to be first, only to beat my time in my previous race.

Since I struggled so much with this course, would you just tell me throw in the towel?
Of course not. Get remediation, bone up on the basics, study with a friend so you can have mutual support, ask the upperclassmen and your professors for help. Your school doesn't want you to fail as it looks bad for its reputation and stats.

What other advice can you give me?
There's great future in plastics... Seriously, examine how you study and try different methods to see which one would work best: alone, with one friend, with a small group, by reciting what you just read, by sketching out on a piece of paper the info you just learned, etc. The 1st year is heavy on memorization, so work on memory techniques. I always recommend the book Moonwalking with Einstein to help improve your memory. It saved my behind when I was a DPT1.

 

[cyclingkayaker88]

How does one stop comparing themselves- when it is no longer healthy?
Do you mean comparing yourself to others? If so, you will always find people who are richer, taller, thinner etc than you. But you will also always find folks who are weaker, slower, less witty, etc than yourself. Each of us is unique and the only worthwhile comparison is ourselves today vs ourselves a year ago vs ourselves a year from now. Compete with yourself, not with others. I run half-marathons and don't care to be first, only to beat my time in my previous race.

Since I struggled so much with this course, would you just tell me throw in the towel?
Of course not. Get remediation, bone up on the basics, study with a friend so you can have mutual support, ask the upperclassmen and your professors for help. Your school doesn't want you to fail as it looks bad for its reputation and stats.

What other advice can you give me?
There's great future in plastics... Seriously, examine how you study and try different methods to see which one would work best: alone, with one friend, with a small group, by reciting what you just read, by sketching out on a piece of paper the info you just learned, etc. The 1st year is heavy on memorization, so work on memory techniques. I always recommend the book Moonwalking with Einstein to help improve your memory. It saved my behind when I was a DPT1.

Thank you so much for this helpful advice. I really appreciate it! It is incredible how positive, affirming, and encouraging almost every Physical Therapist and Student Physical Therapist I have run into is!!