Facing Rejection

"It’s all part of the process."

Ah… the rejection letter. Tough luck, right? Welcome to the biggest reality check! This is the toughest real-world experience to go through and perhaps your biggest fear as a Pre-PT student. Kudos to you if you do not have to face this, especially the pile of rejection letters racking up to the point where you need to re-apply during a future application cycle in order to continue the journey. One of the greatest challenges with applying is that you have to believe in yourself to superb levels and put out the best “you” to demonstrate why you are a good fit for the programs you apply to yet… you need to develop the psychological and emotional tenacity in order to allow for the admissions committees to make their decisions even if it does not include you… yet. So… how do you proceed as a naive, young, bright-eyed applicant? How do you avoid doubting yourself so that DPT Programs have the utmost time finding a reason to doubt you and… accept you?!?

"..learn from this experience instead of sulking in 'failure.'"

What sets this particular blog post apart is that this stems from what not to do based on the experience of someone who happened to slip into the PT world on the waitlist of a “backup” school and is eternally grateful despite the inevitable obstacles along the way towards obtaining licensure. This post is less about how to make it into PT school (there are honestly plenty of better resources for that) and more about my “story” and how to handle the stress/trauma associated with receiving a rejection letter.

It’s all part of the process. Easier said than done, right? Especially with how we get labeled as “entitled Millennials?" Unfortunately, this is your wake up call and it’s your responsibility to respond decisively in order to set yourself up for success and learn from this experience instead of sulking in “failure.”

"I was born blue with a brachial plexus injury"

For me, I will be blatantly honest in stating that there were a million things I could have done better but… I still got in… again, by being pulled up from a waitlist off the tail-end of my second application cycle. What it all boiled down to was… a story, especially for a DPT Program that does not conduct any interviews during the application process. My college mentor gave me the advice I needed to shift my mindset and shift the frame. Each piece of the application is simply a puzzle piece and when they assemble together, the result should be you as your best fit for the DPT Program that you are applying to. Anyone could be a number (GPA, GRE scores, hours of observation, etc.). The numbers matter to an extent so that you make it past the “first filter” for weeding out the applicants who do not “stand out.” What fleshes out these pieces beyond numbers into you as a person? What image do you want the members of admissions committee to have in their minds in order to demonstrate why you are the ideal student who is a good fit for the program and setup to graduate, pass the boards, and become an excellent PT? What was the story that helped me set myself apart? Last, but definitely not least, how did I handle the rejection?

As the youngest of three children, I was born blue with a brachial plexus injury, trauma to the bundle of nerves near the shoulder and collar bone, and my first experiences with Physical Therapy at Children’s Hospital Oakland were memories that I cannot recall. I had received PT, OT, and ST services throughout my childhood as the son of a nurse and caring mother who constantly sought advice from “doctors” that claimed there was “nothing wrong with me” even in a lecture hall full of residents and MD students. Perhaps they were right from an “illness” standpoint but clearly, my mother was concerned about my “wellness” to the extent that she would be heavily involved with the PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) and watch me during my elementary school years. Mind you, for a left-handed boy, those scissors were the darndest things even if I went to a nice public school in Alameda in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area! Fast forward to the day that I applied to DPT Programs- aside from college leadership positions and some hodgepodge observation hours, I didn’t have much to show, which was more of my own responsibility (and some personal issues that my followers are aware of). What I did share was a story that shed light on my why.

Marcee was an older individual who unfortunately passed away. She really inspired me to be hopeful. She was the best patient to ever work with during my time helping out with the Wellness Program as a Rehab Tech (I mostly did admin work at Mercy Retirement & Care Center). When I was still new, thrown into the fire, and learning the ropes, Marcee was the ideal patient who helped me learn where real people with musculoskeletal issues come from. She inspired me to realize how I was doing something more than “going through the motions” of an exercise program written up by the PT and think about how the overall experience and 1-on-1 attention affected her. I could definitely go deeper into that relationship with patients but for the sake of this blog post, let’s bring it back to what matters most to you!

"I was a good fit for the profession of Physical Therapy"

So… the rejection letter… the trauma… the horror! Undoubtedly, I felt down when I received rejection letters (if the program was courteous enough to respond and send more than an email). The biggest issue amongst every Pre-PT student is to not take things personally regardless of how you are intrinsically motivated, driven, overcoming past mistakes, and developing greater maturity overall as an adult. This was a challenge for me. I was someone who never… “appropriated” or “adopted” this profession yet I still had to “prove myself." I always wanted to be more than a paper (a resume, an application) and I never quite felt like I reached my full potential nor clearly stated “why” I was a good fit for the profession of Physical Therapy. As I mentioned above, I was working in my home area with great staff, great patients, family support, and the ability to hang out with great friends. So… after you get that rejection letter, what do you do? Use it as motivation to hone in on the specifics that you need to work on in order to improve your application! Never let yourself down! If you truly want to join the profession, don’t give up! Fortunately, you have access to amazing resources and individuals who truly want you to join the profession! You got this!

Best,

Matthew Villegas  

  Thank You For Your Attention!

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