PTA Admission Process Stress!!!

[PTAGoals]

Hello to you all!

I just recently graduated High School this year and I'm about to finish up my first semester of college next month, however I'm submitting my application for the PTA program at my college which only accepts about 35 students and get about over 200+ applicants each year.

They look into your overall GPA score & your ACT composite/science reasoning score.

However, I did not do well in the ACT department, my GPA is in the 3.5 - 4.0 range and also I took classes that students do have to take while in the program such as government, comp 1 and all but while I was in High School I went to a votech school half the time and took the Health Science program my Junior year and had Human Anatomy & Physiology/Medical Terminology (my absolute favorite courses and passed with a 4.0 in both) but also my Senior year I took a Sports Medicine program and completed two internships at a Physical Therapy clinic and one at a school. Got great reviews from my mentors!
I joined HOSA & got certified in CPR/First Aid in which all you need for the program at my college.

However, I feel like this is not enough and it's really stressing me out that they'll probably pick someone who has a 36 ACT score and everything with no experience, I personally feel like the ACT shouldn't stamp a person and make a director think that they'll have difficulties in the class? you know.
The dedication should show in how much they put effort into the courses for the program and everything.

How did your process of being admitted into a PTA or PT program go?

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[Hopein2010]

Honestly, I don't think you have anything to worry about for a PTA program.

 

[PTAGoals]

You don't think so?
That makes me feel better, I'm committed to this profession and I hope the instructors can see.

 

[aroszko]

Just curious why you're not trying to go for DPT since you seem to be on the right track with grades etc. Why PTA?

 

[PTAGoals]

@aroszko Well one of the reasons I directed my path towards PTA was because it seemed to be more hands on? Considering I really like the fact I'm interacting with the patient and getting to know them, building up their courage to push towards their goal is pretty great. When I did my internship, It sorta opened my eyes a bit more to the fact that my mentor who was a PT, seemed like she was confined to her office & I hardly saw her in the lab with the patients except maybe one time, so it was kinda like that seemed boring to be stuck in your office all day. However I knew she did a bunch of evaluations, in fact I got to go in and watch one. Pretty cool I think.

Tell me, are you still in school for PT or PTA? or are you already one?

 

[aroszko]

@aroszko Well one of the reasons I directed my path towards PTA was because it seemed to be more hands on? Considering I really like the fact I'm interacting with the patient and getting to know them, building up their courage to push towards their goal is pretty great. When I did my internship, It sorta opened my eyes a bit more to the fact that my mentor who was a PT, seemed like she was confined to her office & I hardly saw her in the lab with the patients except maybe one time, so it was kinda like that seemed boring to be stuck in your office all day. However I knew she did a bunch of evaluations, in fact I got to go in and watch one. Pretty cool I think.

Tell me, are you still in school for PT or PTA? or are you already one?

I think it really depends on the setting, in some yes unfortunately (for PTs) PTAs do get to do a lot of "hands on" but it is the PT that HAS to do the eval and start the initial plan of care as well as make sure that the PTA is following through on that plan of care. PTs will also typically have to do certain visits throughout the care plan (every 10th visit, but depends on insurance). What setting did you observe? Also a lot does have to do with the PT themselves, and office politics of course hah.

I'm currently a PT student, like I said I was just curious on your decision.

 

[PTAGoals]

@aroszko
I was a at an outpatient clinic!
However, I want to do more internships next January at different settings, do you suggest any settings?
I have thought about a nursing home.

Also, congratulations that you are currently a PT student! Closer to becoming a PT very soon, I wish you luck!

 

[Azimuthal]

@aroszko Well one of the reasons I directed my path towards PTA was because it seemed to be more hands on? Considering I really like the fact I'm interacting with the patient and getting to know them, building up their courage to push towards their goal is pretty great. When I did my internship, It sorta opened my eyes a bit more to the fact that my mentor who was a PT, seemed like she was confined to her office & I hardly saw her in the lab with the patients except maybe one time, so it was kinda like that seemed boring to be stuck in your office all day. However I knew she did a bunch of evaluations, in fact I got to go in and watch one. Pretty cool I think.

Tell me, are you still in school for PT or PTA? or are you already one?

You had an isolated experience. Find another mentor. PT's spend a great deal of time with patients. 5-6 hours of my 8 hour days are with patients. The rest, documentation, communication, and then other administrative duties.

 

[aroszko]

@aroszko
I was a at an outpatient clinic!
However, I want to do more internships next January at different settings, do you suggest any settings?
I have thought about a nursing home.

Also, congratulations that you are currently a PT student! Closer to becoming a PT very soon, I wish you luck!

Try a skilled nursing facility, look up and see if there is any aquatic therapy or hippo therapy programs in your area. You can try school settings, hospital, etc. I would definitely recommend looking at other settings and even other outpatient clinics to see that there is a difference depending on the personal PT and the location in regard to patient access.

And thank you, one step at a time!

 

[PTAGoals]

You had an isolated experience. Find another mentor. PT's spend a great deal of time with patients. 5-6 hours of my 8 hour days are with patients. The rest, documentation, communication, and then other administrative duties.

That's wonderful!
I'm definitely looking for another internship in my area, hopefully sometime soon. I really want to have another experience. Just a different setting.
What setting are you in?

 

[PTAGoals]

Try a skilled nursing facility, look up and see if there is any aquatic therapy or hippo therapy programs in your area. You can try school settings, hospital, etc. I would definitely recommend looking at other settings and even other outpatient clinics to see that there is a difference depending on the personal PT and the location in regard to patient access.

And thank you, one step at a time!

Your welcome!

Okay, thank you for the choices of settings I should pick from!
I'm going to take into consideration of the skilled nursing facility, that is something I do want to for sure experience.
However, I do hope to experience all of them sometime in the near future & hopefully by next August I'll be admitted into the PTA program at my college.
Was it ever stressful for you getting into your PT program??

 

[BiffTheFlashRogers]

Was it ever stressful for you getting into your PT program??

Short version? Hell yes. But it's just the way things are. For me, I was nervous I wouldn't get interviews but that ended up not being much of an issue. I felt like if I could get interviews, I could sell myself to an admissions committee better than just my application. Once I got that far, personally, it was much less stressful.

 

[PTAGoals]

That is how I feel!
At least I'm not in the alone in the department of being stressed out about my application process and everything, yes I agree with you because once I get to the interview. I feel like I can shine and really tell them my reasons and all.
Hopefully, I'll get picked!

 

[aroszko]

Was it ever stressful for you getting into your PT program??

Yes, so stressful, pretty sure its stressful for everyone until you get an acceptance letter!

 

[Azimuthal]

That's wonderful!
I'm definitely looking for another internship in my area, hopefully sometime soon. I really want to have another experience. Just a different setting.
What setting are you in?

I'm in acute care.

 

[redrose424]

I'm in acute care.

That is one of the settings I am most interested in. Do you have pros and cons of it? I have heard a lot of therapists speak poorly of acute care/inpatient but it has always been what has attracted me the most.

 

[Azimuthal]

That is one of the settings I am most interested in. Do you have pros and cons of it? I have heard a lot of therapists speak poorly of acute care/inpatient but it has always been what has attracted me the most.

Pros: As a new grad, you get familiar with medications. You translate physiological changes to applicable impairments during evals, activity limitations, and participation limitations per ICF. If you're doing it right, use objective measures in preparation for the patient's next level of care (i.e., OP, SNF, IP rehab, etc.). Patients are usually short term, fewer stays are longer than a week. We work closely with NSG and medical staff. We usually get paid a little better than OP, but less than a private SNF, travel, and registry. No G-Codes unless it's a 24 hr observation.

Cons: People die. High fall risks. MRSA, VRSA, c-diff, etc. Bodily fluids. You're most visible with the patient when you provide gait training or observe gait in the corridor, thus many staff members assume "walking the patient" is all you do. Environmental setup in CCU/ICU can take up a majority of your treat time. All other staff want your help to move patients. MD's ordering a PT evaluation just before patient discharge...