year off after graduation

[mindmelt]

Hi everyone,
I'm currently a junior majoring in psych and I've decided to go into the field of physical therapy. I will be graduating next Spring, but I'll still have a few pre-reqs left to finish so I'll have to take a year off.

I've already started volunteering both in a pt clinic as well as a psychology research clinic. I will continue volunteering during the year and perhaps obtain a therapy aide position at the PT clinic by this time.

I'm wondering what are some other helpful activities I could do during this year off that may help out for when applying to dpt schools?

I was thinking of becoming a certified spinning instructor, just because I like it and maybe I can teach a couple of classes at the rec center to have a tiny bit of cash during PT school.

Any thoughts or general advice about gap years?

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[MinnDasota]

Definitely do something you like in the mean time (while saving up money)...so spinning is good. You may be able to do this as a part-time job while in PT school too! Try volunteering at camps specific to the field (Musc dystrophy, etc) or non-specific (music, sleep-away, sports, etc) or anything else to beef up your resume. The more unique you are, the more inclined they may be to give you an interview.

On my end, I knew I was going into PT school but wanted to continue to get experience while enjoying my life (and saving up money), so I was a camp counselor all over the country, worked at a kids club, worked as a PT aide at a childrens hospital and sports medicine clinic, and above all, became a professional hip hop/breakdancer and choreographer (it's true! had an agent and everything and was performing with a decent paycheck).

Point is that I continued to do things I enjoyed yet continued the "pre-PT" route so they could see (on paper) the type of person I was, in addition to my dedication for the field, which got me interviews and eventually into PT school.

...Also, if you know what schools you want to apply to, I would try to visit and see if you could audit a class. That may help them put a name with a face when it comes to application time.

...and finally if you haven't done so already, start making good contacts in the field for possible references.

Hope that helps

 

[basbana]

That's very helpful. I'm graduating in May and I too am going to have to take a year off...mainly because I hesitated and missed most application deadlines, but I also need to get my GPA up some and get some more observational hours.

I'll be looking for a job as a PT aide. Do you know if they are hard to get? What hours would I be working as a PT aide?

 

[callmecrazy]

My first suggestion (and this is personally biased) is to NOT consider it a year off or gap year. A year off from what and a gap in what? You will still be moving forward with your life, and it's incredible what you can learn in a year of working! There are easily as many pros as there are cons for leaving time between undergrad and grad school.

That being said, just be sure that you spend that time working in an area that is keeping you sharp and challenging you. Working in a PT clinic is fine, but what about getting experience in something different and volunteering in a PT clinic on the side? There are hundreds of other respectable jobs where you can aquire skills that will be easily translated back to PT, and this is the time to give those jobs a try. The volunteer hours will show your commitment, but another job can show you as a unique applicant with a diverse skill set.

 

[thorn22]

That's very helpful. I'm graduating in May and I too am going to have to take a year off...mainly because I hesitated and missed most application deadlines, but I also need to get my GPA up some and get some more observational hours.

I'll be looking for a job as a PT aide. Do you know if they are hard to get? What hours would I be working as a PT aide?

If you want to be an Aide, it has been in my experience that most clinics love to have Full-time aides that are graduated and waiting for PT school. You are very cheap labor for the services you can provide! If this is what you want to do, I would approach different clinics and tell them you can work 40 hours a week.

 

[mindmelt]

My first suggestion (and this is personally biased) is to NOT consider it a year off or gap year. A year off from what and a gap in what? You will still be moving forward with your life, and it's incredible what you can learn in a year of working! There are easily as many pros as there are cons for leaving time between undergrad and grad school.

That being said, just be sure that you spend that time working in an area that is keeping you sharp and challenging you. Working in a PT clinic is fine, but what about getting experience in something different and volunteering in a PT clinic on the side? There are hundreds of other respectable jobs where you can aquire skills that will be easily translated back to PT, and this is the time to give those jobs a try. The volunteer hours will show your commitment, but another job can show you as a unique applicant with a diverse skill set.

Thanks! That's actually a really positive perspective to have and I will certainly keep this in mind as I continue on my very own pre-pt path!

Definitely do something you like in the mean time (while saving up money)...so spinning is good. You may be able to do this as a part-time job while in PT school too! Try volunteering at camps specific to the field (Musc dystrophy, etc) or non-specific (music, sleep-away, sports, etc) or anything else to beef up your resume. The more unique you are, the more inclined they may be to give you an interview.

On my end, I knew I was going into PT school but wanted to continue to get experience while enjoying my life (and saving up money), so I was a camp counselor all over the country, worked at a kids club, worked as a PT aide at a childrens hospital and sports medicine clinic, and above all, became a professional hip hop/breakdancer and choreographer (it's true! had an agent and everything and was performing with a decent paycheck).

Point is that I continued to do things I enjoyed yet continued the "pre-PT" route so they could see (on paper) the type of person I was, in addition to my dedication for the field, which got me interviews and eventually into PT school.

...Also, if you know what schools you want to apply to, I would try to visit and see if you could audit a class. That may help them put a name with a face when it comes to application time.

...and finally if you haven't done so already, start making good contacts in the field for possible references.

Hope that helps

haha thanks! thats great! breakdancing?! ohhhh the possibilities are truly endless

 

[coug2007]

i'd have to agree with everyone on this, i have worked as an aide for about a year and a half now, in several different settings (moved a couple times) and i think it has completely had an awesome impact on my desire to continue PT. i work full time as an aide and love it.... you learn so much from being in the enviroment, some very valuable things that you don't learn in school anyway... working as an aide is awesome and will look great on applications, not to mention having great contacts to write you recommendations!

 

[mcc0037]

Ya I had to put in a year's worth of taking extra pre-req classes, working in a pt clinic, and passing the time after I graduated. At first it was beyond annoying because I had to tell every family member, friend, acquaintances, the same story repeatedly (for some reason they have a short memory) about why I am NOT in graduate school yet. Oh, family members are the worse at asking the same quetions they asked a couple of weeks ago. It is totally worth the wait because your life slows down a tad bit enough to where you can fill out applications, beef up the resume, and prepare for the GRE. Just use your time wisely to prepare for the application period. It is gonna suck hard for the first couple of months but just join a flag football league, basketball league, softball league, or train for a marathon. Those leagues are hilarious and entertaining especially the over-competative leagues. It is priceless playing sports with a bunch of late twenty, thirty and forty year olds who think they still dominate the stats. That will definitely help pass the time while waiting...