10 Lessons From My Second Year of PT School

Wow I can’t believe that I am officially a third year physical therapy student! Time has FLOWN. We had our white coat ceremony last week, and I start my nine months of clinical rotations on August 3rd! Last year I shared 10 lessons from my first year of PT school, so we are keeping up the tradition and I am sharing 10 lessons from my second year today!

1. Adaptability is SO important (thanks COVID)!
2. It is impossible to know everything; so don’t even try. Just soak up as much as you can, and try to comprehend the “big picture”.
3. I learn best when I write things out over and over again, and organize the information in multiple different ways. I started doing this in MSK and it was a game-changer!
4. A solid morning routine (and waking up early) will change your life sis!
5. Studying 24/7 is not healthy, and it honestly isn’t worth it in my opinion. Overloading yourself with information doesn’t usually bring good results. Your brain needs time to rest and consolidate for information to stick, so make sure you are giving yourself breaks! I like to use the Pomodoro method when I have a lot of information to study. I typically will study for 45 minutes to an hour, and then take a break for at least 10 minutes.
6. Confidence in your knowledge, your skills, and yourself in general can really make or break a practical, a clinical experience, and exam, etc. ALWAYS! BELIEVE! IN! YOURSELF! FRIENDS!
7. Exercise because it makes you feel good, not because you want to be “skinny” (this is very personal and something I still struggle with).
8. Network as much as possible. I have made so many great connections over the past year just from putting myself out there. Apply for positions! Attend conferences! Interact with other students and clinicians on Twitter/Instagram! Make new friends!
9. Coffee and tea definitely hype me up. I have been especially loving matcha, chai, and earl grey tea lattes lately!
10. Never second-guess yourself. You never know the outcome of something if you don’t try. This year I received a substantial scholarship from my program, AND I was chosen for a position I applied for on the APTA NC Student SIG board! These are both things I didn’t think I even stood a chance for, but look at ya girl now! Plus, remember that a “no” isn’t the end of the world. Don’t sabotage your dreams by selling yourself short.

And those are my lessons from my second year of PT school! I am so pumped for my third year, and interested to see what lessons I will learn over this next year!