Y’all asked and I answered! Today I am sharing commonly asked questions from pre-PT students:

Prior to PT School

What made you choose physical therapy? What drew you to the profession?

I have pretty much always known that I wanted to work in the healthcare field. My Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is ESFJ (Extraversion, Sensing, Feeling, Judging) aka “The Caregiver”, so this totally makes sense! I had considered becoming a pharmacist, a pediatrician, and an athletic trainer (+ many other careers that I can’t remember) before I finally discovered and chose physical therapy. The large amount of patient interaction you experience as a PT was probably the number one reason I chose this profession. It is amazing that as a PT you have the opportunity to work with someone for an extended amount of time (weeks, months, even years), and see them reach their goals + do things that they never thought that they could do! Check out this post for more on why I chose this wonderful profession!

What should I major in?

You can major in whatever you want! I’d suggest you major in something you enjoy and know you can excel in vs. majoring in something like Kinesiology, Exercise Science, or Biology solely because you think it will make you look good on PT school applications. As long as you can get your prerequisites in before applying, you will be fine! Honestly, choosing a less common/”traditional” major also makes you more unique.

What should you look for in a program when choosing where to apply? How did you know Duke was the right program for you?

When I was deciding what schools to apply to, I knew that I only wanted to apply to programs in my home state of NC. Big reasons I chose Duke’s program:

• I have wanted to attend Duke since I was a child (#blessed)
• Is is only 35 minutes from my family
• It is a bigger program (my class has 79 students)
• Team-based learning and the STEPs experience
• Good graduate/NPTE exam pass rates
• Connected to a large hospital system
• Large alumni network
• Great faculty & professors
• They value diversity and inclusion

Check out this post to find out the 12 things I think you should consider when choosing programs to apply to!

How long did you spend on your PTCAS essays?

Hmm. I definitely spent a good chunk of time brainstorming, drafting, and editing my essays. I started the process in May after graduation, and submitted my application at the beginning of August! I was working on the essays right up until I submitted them.

What were Duke’s supplemental essays?

I don’t feel comfortable sharing specifically what Duke’s essays were, but if you check out this post I have 4 lists of common essay questions!

What would you say your best study tips/advice/techniques are for taking the GRE?

I have two great posts all about the GRE that describe in-depth how I studied. See this post for information about the test itself, and this post for how I studied! I will leave my tips down below:

• Avoid the on-screen calculator if possible, as it can really slow you down.
• USE YOUR SCRAP PAPER! If you run out, ask for more!
• Answer every question, even if you have to guess (try eliminating answers to the best of your ability first of course)! Remember, you’re not penalized for wrong answers. Guessing is always better than leaving an answer blank.
• Go with your gut, and try not the second-guess yourself.
• Use your breaks! Your brain will thank you.
• Sign up for a test date (on the ETS website) early. Spots fill up quickly, so you want to make sure that you get the time and date you want. Trust me, you don’t want to be stuck taking your test at 7am on a Monday.
• Brainstorm and outline before you start your essays.
• PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! The GRE is a test that you kinda have to “learn”, and the only way you can do that is by doing practice problems and taking full-length practice exams. This will give you the chance to see your weak spots, + see how you will score on your test day. You will start to see the way the test wants you to think, and you will learn how to answer certain question types. There are ultimately only so many things the test makers can ask you.
• Pay close attention to your time during the test (it’ll be in the top right-hand corner of the screen). If your time is running low, just guess!
• Skip questions you are unsure about (use the HECK out of the “mark” and “review” features; you can always come back to them later). I would suggest going through each section quickly first, only answering questions you are certain about (work fast but don’t be careless).
• Don’t feel bad if you have to retake the GRE. Most schools “super score”, meaning they take the highest section score (out of all of your attempts), so retaking could definitely be advantageous.
• Have a list of the schools you want to apply to on test day (along with their PTCAS GRE code), because after your test, you can send your scores to 4 schools for free. After that, you will have to pay $27 per score (this can get expensive!). Each school’s code will be on their PTCAS website, but if you forget, the GRE has their own list within the testing program.
• Make sure you eat a good dinner the night before your exam, and a good breakfast the morning of! #brainfood
• And lastly (again), really dedicate a good amount of time to studying. Your score won’t improve overnight, and you need to put in the work to see results! There were so many days I did not want to study AT ALL, but I pushed through no matter what (sometimes completing multiple “study days” in one sitting), and it paid off. You will probably hit a “plateau” in your studying at some point (where your scores remain about the same), but don’t feel discouraged! After a while, you’ll get past it, and your score will start to improve again.

Should I include a club in my extracurricular activities if I only did it freshman and sophmore year?

I would, 2 years is a long enough time to show that you were committed to the cause! Check out this post all about extracurricular activities.

Should I catch up on my anatomy or other subjects from undergrad before starting PT school?

NO! ENJOY YOUR FREE TIME! You will learn everything you need to know while in school, trust me.

When is the best time to ask for letters of recommendation? Who should I ask to write them?

As soon as you know that you want to ask someone for a letter, I would go ahead and let them know your plans for applying, and see if they would be willing to write you a letter. As soon as the application cycle opens, email your potential evaluators to let them know that you will be sending a reference request through PTCAS. Make sure they know the deadlines. In this email, I’d also suggest you include your resume, your PTCAS essay, and maybe supplemental essays. That way, your evaluators will have most of your accomplishments and experiences right in front of them when drafting your reference. This post expands on the recommendation letter process.

What settings should I get shadowing hours in?

I recommend that you at least have hours in outpatient orthopedics, inpatient (rehab or acute care), pediatrics, and geriatrics (home-health, SNF, extended care). This will assure that you have thoroughly explored the field before applying. Shadow in niche settings (pelvic health, cardiopulmonary, wound care, etc.) to stand out! This post is filled with information about shadowing experiences.

How do you log your hours when you’re shadowing? Is online or paper verification better? How to get signatures for online?

I logged mine on paper. Here is a FREE shadowing form you can use to do that! I don’t think one is necessarily “better”, it just depends on what is required by the programs you are applying to. Once you make your PTCAS account, you can put in a therapist’s email address and it will send them a link/form to verify your hours electronically!

What advice do you have for drafting a personal statement?

This post has tips for drafting a personal statement!

What were your stats that got you into PT school (volunteering, GRE, GPA, etc.)?

Did you complete all of your prerequisites courses during undergrad, or after graduation?

I completed them all during my undergraduate career! I did have to take summer courses and courses over Christmas break!

How much should I save up for the application process?

That is a personal question and depends on how many schools you plan on applying to. Applying to schools can get really expensive really quickly. If you are applying through PTCAS, it will be $155 to apply to your first program and $60 for each additional program. Here is a chart that should help you figure out how much money you will spend applying through PTCAS:

PTCAS also has a Fee Assistance Program. According to their website: “A limited number of PTCAS application fee waivers are available to financially disadvantaged applicants and are granted on a first-come, first-served basis. PTCAS will decide if you qualify for a fee waiver based on your income, or your parent’s income if you are claimed as a dependent, as reported on the most recent federal income tax return. No other documentation is accepted. If you receive a fee waiver, you may apply to 1 program in PTCAS for free. If you choose to apply to more than 1 program, you will pay a fee of $45 for each additional designation. The PTCAS waiver applies to the PTCAS application fee only. You could still be responsible for supplemental application fees, regardless of your PTCAS waiver status.” After you’ve paid your PTCAS fees, some programs also have supplemental fees. As an example, my program’s supplemental fee was $50. In addition to the PTCAS and supplemental fees, you want to also consider interview travel fees (flights, hotels, gas, spending money, etc.). You should be prepared to pay the associated interview fees for every program you apply to, just in case you are offered an interview. If you are not financially ready to apply, it is okay to postpone your applications for a cycle or two. Take this time to save up, and strengthen your applicant profile.

While in PT School

What should I expect when starting the first semester of PT school? Did you find it difficult at all to transition from undergrad to PT school?

You’re in luck! I have already written a post all about my first semester of PT school. I definitely struggled transitioning from undergrad to PT school, especially because I took a gap year before starting.

Is your workload all studying/reviewing, or are their homework assignments too?

Majority of my workload is definitely studying and reviewing. Sometimes there are “homework assignments” but you know about them in advance (they will be in the syllabus). In my program we also complete many group assignments/projects, being that team-based learning is an important part of our curriculum.

What does a day in your life look like? Do you work with the same groups/partner all year?

Every day varies, but I am usually in class from 8AM-5PM. Once I get home, I try to work out immediately to decompress from the school day, and then I usually spend the rest of the evening studying until bed. We remain in our same team-based learning and STEPs groups all year (they are 2 separate groups). In class, I tend to work with the same partner, but our professors always encourage us to work with different people as body types differ, and it is important to appreciate their differences.

How do you stay motivated and focused to work out? What type of workouts do you prefer?

Honestly, this is something that I still struggle with. Once you get into a routine though, it becomes second nature. Plus, my mental health and grades are always the best when I am prioritizing my health and fitness. I prefer cardio-based workouts like running, HIIT, BBG, and Orange Theory Fitness!

What’s something you wish you knew before starting school? Or any tips for success?

I wish I had a solid set of study habits before starting school. I didn’t have to study much in undergrad to succeed, and that all changed once PT school began. Take the time before beginning school to really find out what works for you, and how you best learn new information. In my post “10 Lessons From My First Year of PT School“, I mention some things that have helped me succeed! In addition, any of the posts under the “PT School” section of the blog should be helpful!

If you still have questions, feel free to leave a comment below, message me on Instagram, or shoot me an email anytime!