I know as a pre-PT student I would have really appreciated seeing/reading someone’s path to PT school. I hope this post is helpful, and gives you a little insight into my journey prior to PT school. Also enjoy these throwback photos of me from each stage of my life (some of them very embarrassing). Here goes!
Highschool
Junior Year
I took AP Environmental Science, AP English, and AP US History. I only received AP credit for English.
Senior Year
I took AP Statistics, AP English, and AP Spanish Language and Culture. I received AP credit for English and Spanish. My health professions class required us to shadow a health-care provider for 10 hours, and I decided to shadow a physical therapist. Check out this post for more on that experience and to find out why I chose the physical therapy profession!
Undergraduate Studies
This when the real work starts!
Overall, I graduated in 4 years with 130 credits. I only took summer courses once. Classes that were prerequisites for PT school will be italicized and shadowing experiences will be bolded!
Freshman Year
I came into college with 9 credit hours from AP courses (mentioned above), so my first year was pretty balanced.
Fall (13 credit hours)
- Principles of Biology I (with a lab)
- Physical Fitness for Life
- Introductory Nutrition
- General Psychology
Spring (13 credit hours)
- Human Anatomy (with a lab)
- Human Development Across the Lifespan (online)
- Personal Health
- Introduction to Kinesiology
Sophomore Year
Fall (15 credit hours)
- General Chemistry I (with a lab)
- The US to 1865
- Conditioning
- Clinical Human Physiology (with a lab)
- Introduction to Religious Studies (online)
Spring (13 credit hours)
- Introduction to Art
- Mythology
- Communication/Workplace Relationships
- Weight Training
- Biomechanics of Sport/Physical Activity
Junior Year
Junior year was when I realized I needed to get my life together! I took the most credit hours this year as I tried to finish up most of my prerequisite courses. This was a tough year for sure, but I worked hard and accomplished everything I set out to do!
Fall (14 credit hours)
- Beginning Basketball
- Critical Analyses for a Physically Active Society
- Exercise Instruction
- Motor Development/Learning
- Precalculus I
Spring (17 credit hours)
- Introduction to Roman Civilization
- General Chemistry II (with a lab)
- Psychology of Physical Activity
- Precalculus II
- Elementary Introduction to Probability and Statistics (online over Christmas break)
Summer (7 credit hours)
- Physiology of Sport/Physical Activity
- Religion/Contemporary Culture (online)
- I shadowed in Outpatient Orthopedics during this semester (30 hours)
Senior Year
Fall (14 credit hours)
- The World in the 20th Century
- Beginning Volleyball
- Injury/Illness in Physical Activity
- Assessment/Evaluation in Kinesiology
- General Physics I (with Lab)
- I shadowed in Inpatient Rehabilitation during this semester (30 hours)
Spring (15 credit hours)
- Introduction to Communication Studies
- Beginning Soccer
- Jogging
- Foundational Skills in Sports Medicine
- General Physics II (with Lab)
- Abnormal Psychology
- I shadowed in a retirement community during this semester [Home-Health, Extended-Care, Skilled Nursing Facility] (30 hours)
Gap Year
So I didn’t originally plan to take a gap year. I did all of my research into the physical therapy profession alone (no help from an academic advisor, and my university unfortunately didn’t have a pre-PT club), so it wasn’t until around my Sophomore year that I realized exactly how the application process worked. I didn’t know that you applied a year before you actually started school, so this sort of set me back. I wasn’t upset, because at that time I didn’t have any shadowing hours, and my resume was pretty sparse. Check out this post for more on my gap year experience!
What I Did During My Gap Year to Prepare for PT School:
- RELAXED
- Shadowed in Outpatient Pediatrics (48 hours)
- Worked 20-30 hours a week in the retail/customer service industry
- Studied for and took the GRE
- Volunteered with refugee youth
At the end of the day, remember that everyone’s journey/timeline/path is different, and it is okay if yours doesn’t look exactly like mine. It doesn’t have to be linear….it can be all over the place! Your journey is what makes you unique. It’s a marathon, not a sprint friends! Good luck!
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