Biggest Tip for PT School Application Preparedness

Physical Therapy | Utica University


Hi all! For this post, I want to talk a little bit about what the process of getting prepared for applying to PT school is like. This is a very big decision to make and it is super important to give yourself adequate time to prepare for everything it takes to apply. Physical therapy is a doctorate level degree, so it is very competitive and generally involves applicants who all were very successful and strive for greatness. Although this is awesome we've got so many like-minded, hard working people heading for a career in the PT field, when it comes to applying, this can be very intimidating. 


My number one tip for the process of preparing for a PT school application is START EARLY. Sometimes it’s hard for people as freshmen to think of 4 years from now and how actions now will be thought of when it comes around to applying. Heck, even juniors might have trouble wrapping their minds around starting graduate school in a year or 2. I know how hard it is to think of grad school in undergrad because it seems so far away, but it’s really just around the corner! 


One thing that I tried very hard to do was to be mindful of my actions and know that everything I did in my undergraduate years was to prepare me to someday become the best PT I can. When there were guest lectures, volunteer or leadership opportunities, etc. that I thought I didn’t have time for, I tried to change my mindset into thinking of it as an investment in myself as a future physical therapist and not as an extra thing to pile on. This always gave me the motivation to do extra activities to better myself outside the classroom. As a pre-health major or studying sciences in general, it can be very challenging and classwork takes a lot of time out of your day. It is easy to let the extracurriculars fall behind in the list of priorities because of this. However, these are the attributes that are going to set you apart from your peers who will most likely be applying with a similar list of classes taken, around the same GPA, a bachelor’s under their belt, etc. Whether you're a freshman just starting out or in your senior year, it’s never too late to get these extra experiences that will make you just that much more competitive when applications and interview time comes around! 


If you have any questions about preparing for the PT school application or what the application process looks like here at Utica University, shoot me an email at mmlazore@utica.edu. 


Goodbye for now, folks☺


Maryanne 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome All

Image
Hi readers! I first would like to introduce myself. My name is Maryanne Lazore and I am a first year physical therapy student at Utica University. I grew up in a small town in Upstate New York called Altmar, only an hour from campus here in Utica! I earned my bachelor’s degree in health sciences at Utica University (at that time, Utica College) and now I’m sticking around to earn my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. I am currently in the fall semester of my first year of the program and am a graduate assistant in the graduate admissions office where I have the opportunity to help new students get to know UU’s PT program a little better! In this blog, my goal is to help those who are looking at PT programs and would like to know what Utica University’s program is like on a deeper, more detailed level! I am open to any questions anyone may have regarding UU’s program and would love to help solidify a big decision, like deciding on a graduate school, for someone who’s going through that proc
Read more

Human Gross Anatomy: What to Expect

Image
Utica University organizes the class schedule so that we take human gross anatomy the summer before the fall semester of our first year. It is an intense, six week course laying out the foundations of the human body from head to toe. Here on campus, we have a human gross anatomy lab. Each summer, the first year students in the PT program are provided 6 donor bodies. It's so awesome to have the opportunity to learn with a real human body and I personally am so grateful for the people who donated their bodies for us to learn and aid us in someday providing PT care to those who need it. The course typically runs from mid-June to the end of July. There are lectures in the mornings, 5 days a week with a 3 hour lab to follow. There are tutors (2nd and 3rd year DPT students) who have previously gone through the course that are there to help with any questions, provide practice questions, run through muscles in the lab with you, and so much more. This human gross anatomy course is challeng
Read more

What a Schedule & Classes are Like in the First Year

Image
Now that I am well into the spring semester of my first year here in Utica University’s PT program, I can explain a little bit about what a typical day of class / lab looks like. Our course schedule is very busy, but it’s also very organized. Generally we will have a lecture for a course and immediately following that lecture we will have the lab for that same class. I personally really like the way that this is set up because I can immediately use the knowledge that I gained from the lecture and directly apply it in the lab on that same day. This helps me solidify the things that I learned in the classroom by practicing them hands on.  Another thing that I really like about the way that classes are run here is that the professors are very good at giving breaks. I would say that we don't lecture for more than an hour and a half without a 5 to 10 minute break. During that time we can get up and walk around, eat a snack, fill up our water bottles, and just hang out while we rest our
Read more