My First Semester of PT School

I can’t believe my first semester of PT school is in the books…it flew by! It feels like just yesterday I was at orientation, nervous as all get out but excited as heck. I have accomplished and learned so much, and I couldn’t be more proud of myself. I’m not gonna lie though, I struggled a bit at the beginning of the semester. When I didn’t pass my first RA, I thought the world was going to end (of course it wasn’t #drama). It was pretty hard to adjust to being back in school after taking a year off. I had to “remember” how to study. Thankfully I was fine after a few weeks, and after a hard (but quick!) 4 months, I am happy to report that I have passed all of my classes! My classmates are amazing, my professors are amazing, and there is no doubt in my mind that I picked the perfect program and profession for me. I can’t wait to continue learning!

Highlights from the Semester

• Orientation week
• Being elected as class liaison
• DUKE BASKETBALL
• Bonding with all of my classmates
• Completing the DiSC workshop (I’m an iS)
• Scoring a 100% on my first 2 written exams in anatomy, and a 97% on my 2nd cadaver practical
• Friendsgiving
• STEPs (my first clinical experience)
• Dressing up for Halloween and trick-or-treating around our building
• Passing all of my classes (of course)

Frequently Asked Questions

How often are assignments and quizzes due?

We would usually have at least 2 (sometimes 3!) quizzes (RAs: readiness assessments) and maybe 1 team application (an assignment) a week. We had midterms in October, and then finals in December.

Do you like the team-based learning?

I will admit, I was a little hesitant about the whole team-based learning thing at first. In undergrad I usually got stuck carrying my team through whatever group project/assignment we had to complete, and it sucked; I hated being responsible for everything. You know the meme: “when I die, I want the people I did group projects with to lower me into my grave so they can let me down one last time”…that was my #mood after almost every group project. Since I have been at Duke though, team-based learning has been awesome. It is one of my favorite things about the program. “Team-based learning, or TBL, is a method of teaching where students learn fact-based material before class, and then work together in the classroom to apply concepts and ideas to solve problems, with the instructor’s guidance”. TBL makes our learning more active, and forces us to participate in class. It fosters collaboration instead of competition.

I love working with my team, and hearing other viewpoints. I enjoy seeing how other people approach things. We take all of our RAs and most of our exams with our team after we take them individually, so it is nice to be able to talk concepts out and really understand why you got certain things wrong (and I can’t lie that grade boost is nice too).

How many hours are you in class?

Classes are between 8am and 5pm. On a typical week, I am in class for roughly 25 hours give or take. Some weeks this number may be higher, while other weeks it may be lower (some classes we only had once a week or once every few weeks).

The one thing that was consistent was that we would have Body and Brain I (anatomy) from 8:30-11:30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (no matter what). Every few weeks we would have an extra hour or 2 of Body and Brain I on Fridays. This would be for palpation lab.

My courses (15 credits):

• Body and Brain I
• Applied Physiology I
• Movement Science I
• Clinical STEPs I
• Professional Development I
• Health Promotion Throughout the Lifespan

This is what a week would usually look like:

Monday

• Movement Science: 1-3/4

Tuesday

• Body and Brain I: 8:30-11:30
• Applied Physiology: 1-4/5

Wednesday

• Professional Development: 9-11
• Health Promotion Throughout the Lifespan: 1-3

Thursday

• Body and Brain I: 8:30-11:30
• Applied Physiology: 1-4/5

Friday

• Body and Brain I: 8:30-11:30

How many hours a day do you study?

This depended on the week (do I sound like a broken record yet?). I studied for anatomy almost every night for at least 3-4 hours. If we had a RA the next day, I would study for that for about 2 hours. If I had an exam coming up in a class that wasn’t anatomy, I would study for about an hour or 2 for a few days leading up to the exam. If it’s finals/midterms week or the day before an exam, I’m studying practically all day. If you want to know more about how I study and take notes, check out this post.

How do you balance having a social life and studying?

I’m with my my classmates (my friends) 24/7 so life is always social! I’m kidding. The number one thing to remember is that studying isn’t everything (I mean it is, but it isn’t). You are allowed to have a life and treat yourself. I would usually make sure that all of my work was done during the week so that I could have a social life on the weekend. Or I would just say screw it and have fun, because it would be there when I got back. Time management (aka a planner) is the key to success ladies and gents!

Can you realistically work part-time (5-10 hours a week) while in school?

Yes! A lot of my classmates have jobs. My roommate worked part-time at Starbucks (maybe 2 or 3 4-hour shifts a week), and she still had time to study and get all of her work done. Of course she had to miss out on certain things (like social events or group study sessions), but it is totally possible. Personally, I would just make sure that my job knows that I am a student, and that school comes first. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do though!

What was the hardest thing about your first semester and how did you overcome it?

The hardest thing about this first semester was realizing/accepting that my grades do not define me. Once I am a licensed PT, my patients aren’t going to care how I did on that first physiology exam. They aren’t going to care that I didn’t pass my first RA. I spent all of undergrad working my butt off to get A’s and maintain my 4.0 GPA to have a competitive application for PT school. Now that I am in PT school, everything is different. My program grades on a pass/fail system, so we aren’t given the traditional “ABCDF” letter grades: above an 80 is passing (P), 70-79 is low-passing (LP), and below a 70 is failing (F). These letters are what show up on our transcripts, not an A or a D. It doesn’t matter if you end a course with an 80 or a 100, your transcript will show a “P” regardless. We do not have GPAs (although they can be calculated if we are applying to a residency in the future), and there is no student ranking system. I also had a hard time accepting that I wouldn’t learn everything 100% in this short amount of time. I am only human, and it is dang near impossible to understand everything completely at the rate we are learning it.

Overall, it was really hard to abandon that “I have to get an A” mindset. I struggled with believing that my grades determined my worth, and feeling “stupid” if I didn’t get an A on a quiz or an exam. I often compared myself to my classmates (feeling inferior if I didn’t do as well as they did), which is a rabbit hole that you do not want to climb down (comparison really is the thief of joy). Though I have not fully overcome this, I am working on it (and I have definitely gotten much better). I have to constantly remind myself that my best is enough, and that I don’t need an A to feel/be smart. It takes time to change a toxic mindset, but I am proud of myself for the progress that I have made.

What are some things you wish you knew before your first semester?

• I will live even if I don’t pass that RA
• My classmates are not my competition….my only competition is myself
• I belong here
• My best is enough
• Progress is not always linear
• My professors are there to help me, they genuinely care, and I shouldn’t be afraid to talk to them
• Studying alone is great, but studying with friends is even better
• Failing is normal, and part of the process

How did you mentally prepare yourself for the journey?

My gap year (more on that soon) really helped me relax and avoid burn out. I was out of school for a year, so I had time to fully prepare for the next 3 years.

How do you stay motivated?

My future patients, my classmates/friends, Jon, and my family keep me motivated. Knowing that I will be one of the reasons a patient reaches their goals and is able do things that they never thought were possible keeps me going. And it also helps that I actually enjoy/am interested in what I am learning.

Was cadaver lab intimidating or exciting?

Cadaver lab was pretty intimidating at first, but after a few weeks I loved it! I have a post all about cadaver lab if you’re interested in hearing more about my experience.

How does the workload compare to your undergraduate classes?

The PT school workload is a little heavier. I think the biggest difference is that we are required to know way more information (more in-depth as well), in a shorter period of time. It’s like drinking from a fire hydrant. Once we were done with a RA or an exam, it was time to prepare for the next one. Things slow down a bit here and there of course, but you’re always working hard. OH! And memorization won’t cut it here…you have to fully understand concepts to be successful.

What I Will Do Differently Next Semester

• Read my textbook/the powerpoint prior to class, and read my notes when I get home after class. I started out strong with reading before class, but as the semester progressed I got lazy. Hopefully this will help me retain more information (and remain focused) in class.
• TRUST MY KNOWLEDGE!!! I second guessed myself on so many RAs and exams. Your gut is usually correct.
• Take more breaks.
• Have fun by myself sometimes!
• Try not to compare myself to my peers.
• Make time for working out.
• COOK MORE. I ate an ungodly amount of fast food this semester. If you have any meal prep suggestions, please send them my waaaaaayyyy (*Fetty Wap voice).
• Study more in advance instead of (cough cough) cramming :,-)
• Use my planner more (for things other than school as well). Once again, I started out strong, but slacked off toward the end of the semester.
• Not beat myself up over a letter grade. It doesn’t determine my worth, and I am still going to be a great PT even if I don’t pass an exam.

I hope this helped you get a glimpse into my first semester. If you have any questions, leave me a comment below!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the semester:

This was such a great semester, but ya girl is definitely enjoying this much needed break. Excited for semester 2 starting on January 2nd! Thank u, next!