Education VS Work Experience

[miranda89]

I'm in a situation where I have been offered two jobs, and I'm looking for advice on which would benefit me better when applying to Physical Therapy school in the near future.

The first is at a State university. The benefits here are that I could take classes for free, perhaps even obtain a second bachelor's degree, but because the position is full time, I'm limited on my ability to get a large number of observation hours. This University has a PT program, to which I plan to apply. I also got my undergrad here.

The second is at a outpatient clinic as a rehab tech. In this situation, I'll be getting hands on experience working with patient's, but will only be able to take classes at a local community college because of cost. This job will also help me build strong relationships with PTs, for good LOR. This is difficult to do when you only observe somewhere for a short time.

I already have my BS in Biology. I'm currently retaking classes to boost my (weak) GPA and to finish any last prerequisites I didn't get during my undergrad.

In short, how does work experience vs education weigh on an application?

If you took the time to read this, THANK YOU! I know it was lengthy.

Salary is definitely a factor here, but I'm trying to make a decision that will benefit me the most in the future.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[jdaniels360]

Work at the university an save yourself some money. Shadow as often a you can. Working as a tech will allow you to get gazillions of hours in one setting. You don't want that. Explore multiple settings and get a variety.

People here will definitely tell you differently. Just my two cents.

 

[HouseDPT]

Having been involved in the admissions process as a student and from badgering professors about admissions criteria, I think you'll get more bang for your buck with GPA versus a tech job. At my school, there doesn't seem to be a tremendous amount of weight behind an "A" from a university over an "A" from a community college. Since it sounds like you only have a few courses left to complete, consider taking the financial security of that full-time job (as long as you're confident you can manage a real job while boosting your GPA).

Working as a tech is beneficial but since you don't yet have the PT knowledge to critically think about what you're seeing, you're basically just working on modality management, patient interaction and handling techniques. You'll likely get this down pat during the beginning of your first clinical. PT faculty know this, which is why taking a tech position will show professional interest but doesn't project into success within a DPT curriculum.

I was in a similar situation and opted to work as a tech instead of a salaried job. It let me focus on fulfilling DPT requirements which sped up my application timeline. It also kept me from burning out while juggling a real job and applications. I don't regret taking this route but now that I'm nearing the end of PT school, I wish I would've given more thought to taking the salaried job for its financial security. Good luck.

 

[miranda89]

Work at the university an save yourself some money. Shadow as often a you can. Working as a tech will allow you to get gazillions of hours in one setting. You don't want that. Explore multiple settings and get a variety.

People here will definitely tell you differently. Just my two cents.

Having been involved in the admissions process as a student and from badgering professors about admissions criteria, I think you'll get more bang for your buck with GPA versus a tech job. At my school, there doesn't seem to be a tremendous amount of weight behind an "A" from a university over an "A" from a community college. Since it sounds like you only have a few courses left to complete, consider taking the financial security of that full-time job (as long as you're confident you can manage a real job while boosting your GPA).

Working as a tech is beneficial but since you don't yet have the PT knowledge to critically think about what you're seeing, you're basically just working on modality management, patient interaction and handling techniques. You'll likely get this down pat during the beginning of your first clinical. PT faculty know this, which is why taking a tech position will show professional interest but doesn't project into success within a DPT curriculum.

I was in a similar situation and opted to work as a tech instead of a salaried job. It let me focus on fulfilling DPT requirements which sped up my application timeline. It also kept me from burning out while juggling a real job and applications. I don't regret taking this route but now that I'm nearing the end of PT school, I wish I would've given more thought to taking the salaried job for its financial security. Good luck.

Thank you both for you advice!