The topic today is; it's common sense. Have any of you ever heard those three words? Maybe when you have been preparing for the GRE or PT cast and someone says, "it's common sense." If it was common sense, well, the truth is every single one of you would already be in PT school. Some of you may not have heard those three words. The truth is what holds people back with that statement is that it discredits the detail of what has to take place for you to set yourself up for your PT application. These details can be holding you back, whether it's a low GPA or GRE but, to say it's common sense means one of two things either we have forgotten what we went through, or we are saying it was much easier than it was. We remember memories that showed it was not a straightforward journey, but we will remember it as being much lighter than it was. These actions can throw people off because we're like, "don't worry about the GRE and don't worry about focusing on the program that you're going...

I'm going to share a story with you today about how I almost did not become a PT. I lived in Michigan for about 18 years.  I was in high school; one time every year, at my school, they would bring different professionals like a career day. I was focusing on two different professions which were becoming a lawyer and becoming a physician. My parents had expectations of me becoming a lawyer, engineer, physician, a minister, or something that my family would have seen as respectable. I just never fully felt like that was my calling. In school, we had an event where you had to register for which profession you wanted to listen to before being able to go listen to the professionals talking. But the two I wanted to go to were full. So I chose the next profession which most of my friends registered for and, this was a physical therapist. So I had no idea what a physical therapist was. I didn't know the difference between a PT or a regular therapist. 

I do remember being in...

There are four things I want you guys to prioritize when choosing a physical therapy school. Number one is cost, two is location, three is clinical experiences, and four is when you can take the NPTE your National Physical Therapy Examination.

Number one is the cost. I don't want a scenario to happen years from now, where you're regretting your decision to go to that school because of how much student debt you're in due to the cost of the school.  Now, with cost, I'm talking about not a difference between $2,000 and $3,000. I'm talking about a difference in costs of $10k, 15k, 25k, 35k.. of the schools that you're going to go to. The next thing with the cost is the rank of the schools that you want to apply to. So oftentimes, we get students asking about schools they have ranked number two, number five, number seven, but it costs so much more money than another school. If you're going after schools because it's ranked number two on your list, but it's a million dollars, you...

Everything we talk about is based on setting yourself up to be the student that no one can forget. During a group interview, we also want to stand out as an applicant. A group interview is just an interview where other people just happen to be in the room. A lot of the stress and anxiety comes from not being used to interviewing with multiple people. Understanding why may ease some of the stress and anxiety. The reason why the school does a group interview can be as simple as saving time. The school may not have the time or the faculty to interview everyone individually. Another reason why may be to see how you interact with the other students, faculty, and PT profession. They might be trying to see if you are a team player or just trying to sabotage everyone else.

A tip is to realize that everyone is just as nervous as you. Every applicant most likely has the same fears as you. Everybody is thinking the same, wondering rather to outdo or sizing each other up. Use that to your...

Some people are naturally good at interviewing, and others have a really hard time with it. There are so many different aspects of the interview in general, but underneath it all, there’s no getting away from that nervous feeling and those butterflies. 

I want to give you some perspective from the other side, because I've been on the other side of the interview. There are 5 tips that you need to know from the viewpoint of the interviewer.

1. Just be normal 

Be a likeable human being - as simple and cliche as that might sound. Be confident. SMILE! Use your hands when you talk and look them straight in the eyes when you answer. Be a person that you would like. People like doing business with other people they connect with and like. Don’t overthink it. Shake their hand when you see them for the first time, don’t overlook the simple/little things. It’s all about the first impression.

Think to yourself - what kind of student would you want to accept into...

A common question that we get here at Pre-PT Grind is, “Should I retake a prerequisite course if I got a C in it?” Is it worth it? Should I do it? Can I slide into PT school without retaking it? Can I save money? Can I say the time, the effort, the anxiety, the stress?

A lot of different factors go into retaking a class. You have to consider the financial aspect of it – do you have to work and save up money for each course you want to retake? You might already be busting your butt working and saving up money. You might be thinking, “do I really need to retake this class? Will it be worth it? All of this money that I'm making, can I save it and keep it for myself? Do I really have to go through another class? If I just retake one, will my GPA increase just enough for me to slide into a PT school?” 

Retaking a prerequisite class has the opportunity to not only increase your GPA, but it can give you confidence and peace of mind knowing that you did...

“You’ll have good days, bad days, overwhelming days, too tired days, I’m awesome days, I can’t go on days. And everyday you’ll still show up.”

“The Flu Game”: 97 NBA FINALS, GAME 5, Michael Jordan showed up to conquer the UTAH JAZZ; 90-88. The legend himself showed up, sick af and still managed to score 38 points that night! This was one of the most memorable moments of Jordan’s career.

But what if he didn’t show up?

I know many of you are in different areas on this journey to your acceptance into physical therapy school. I was in your same exact position a year ago. Looking back on this past year, I wonder where I would be if I decided to stop showing up.

Seriously though, what if I stop showing up to class, GRE study sessions, or coaching calls? What if I stop showing up, because life became “too hard/too much” or if I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel?

I can guarantee you if I had stopped...

So you might have thought at some point, is physical therapy school REALLY worth the investment? There have been a lot of conversations and discussions on this topic, and some have been really one-sided. I understand that you have to save money. I understand that you have to be smart with your investments. I understand that you have to be responsible. I understand that you have to think about your future. You have to ultimately make the decision and you have to know exactly what you’re getting into. 

If you’re going into physical therapy uneducated about student loans and student debt, or if you’re going into physical therapy blindly and don’t have some sort of financial plan, is it really worth the investment? Is it the best investment? Maybe, or maybe not. Are there other choices that might be better for you financially? Maybe. 

Now, if you don’t plan on being just an “average” future PT, if you’re looking to have more...

"Moving forward on your Pre-PT journey, always remember to be in competition with yourself."

Have you ever compared yourself to others? Compared your value of belongings to another persons belongings? Wished upon something that was totally out of your league at that moment?

I remember when I was younger, and there was one pack of gummy bears left. When I asked my mother if I could have that last bag, she told me I could have it, as long as I shared with my younger sister. Of course like any other older sibling, I was going to make sure I had more gummy bears than she did. My mother knew my objective, so she took it upon herself and split the bag between my sister and I.

From the looks of it, I was at a guaranteed mindset that she had a bigger portion than I did. But that wasn’t the case though, we had an equal amount of gummy bears in our hands.

Before writing this blog to share with you guys, I thought back on this situation and as a kid I did not realize the importance of the...

"Everyone wants success. However, there are a few of us out there who aren’t willing to prepare for it."

I’m writing this for you. For the one who is looking forward to July 3, 2019. The day PTCAS rolls out it’s red carpet, welcoming all of its applicants. For some, this is unknown territory and for others this could be your second or third time applying.

I know you’re preparing for this day as best as you know how. Maybe you had to retake a couple of classes to get that GPA a tad bit higher. There are some of you who had to retake the GRE, gain more observation hours, or ask that professor for a letter of recommendation.

Whatever it may be. I’m just here to tell you to RELAX. That day is coming, and I know the feeling of anxiety and the pressure that comes with it. You see, you’ve prepared for this and if you prepared accordingly, you’re ready.

"Show them that your foundation is rock solid, and that you’ve been preparing for this day."