Let’s talk about a topic that everyone always avoids. Grade Point Average! Let’s talk about why your GPA matters. Now we all know that GPA isn’t everything. 

But if you're going into graduate school, if you're going into a doctorate program, understand that this is going to be a hard intensive three years of schooling that you're about to get into and you have to respect that. Like these classes aren’t your normal pre-req classes. It is way more intensive than that.

So if you're suffering with a pre-req class here by itself and another one there by itself and you're struggling to handle two at a time plus you're studying for your GRE, just understand that this is ALL preparation for PT school.

Like, they're not going to make this easy on you. They're going to make you earn this thing. They're gonna put you through the fire to make sure you know what you're doing and that you're treating your patients with the utmost quality care. They want to make sure you’re going to keep people sa...

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 your physical therapy program? ...

Would You Accept Yourself?

I can’t believe I’m actually about to tell you guys this. In all honesty, I'm actually happy I was denied my first time applying to physical therapy school. Yes, I said it. It wasn’t easy accepting this news in the beginning, I mean, who likes being denied anyways? I wasn’t just denied once or twice, but I received nine emails stating, “We regret to inform you." I know, tragic right? Yup, thousands of dollars thrown in the PTCAS and supplemental application offering plates. I never knew what so called  “failure” meant, until I had to face my reality. There were a million questions that ran through my mind, but when I look back on this first attempt at applying to physical therapy school; I’m grateful for the “No’s,” because I wouldn’t have accepted myself.

Yes, I wouldn’t have ACCEPTED myself!

I’m giving you guys my truth right now and looking back on the ‘Jazmine’ then as an individual, as a pre-PT student, I wasn’t ready; not the first time around. I’m n...

“Believe in yourself and stand for your dream. Even in the midst of difficult times. You need to maintain the confidence and conviction that you can achieve what you want.” -Anonymous

The only question I have for you is:

Do you believe in yourself?

I really want you to take the time out and think about this question thoroughly. Yes or No. I know it’s not always the easiest thing to do, but without belief in yourself, how can we set a goal out to achieve it.

To believe in yourself is to stay true, to your true self. Not the person I see, not the person your parents see, but your TRUE SELF. Once you’ve learned to stay true to yourself. You have to think about your goals, and what you want to achieve.  I could imagine your biggest goal right now, is getting that acceptance letter with your name on it. 

But, do you believe in yourself?

Recently I had someone reach out to me on Instagram, and they asked me “How Did I get Into Physical Therapy School?” My first instinct was to respon...

I learned more about myself in 2 and a half months, than I have in my entire existence and I can proudly thank physical therapy school for this. Now that my first semester of physical therapy school is over, and I’ve finally had a mental break (yes, these are needed during PT school), I have a few lessons from my first semester of physical therapy school that I thought I’d share with you guys; Ohana.

I know this is kind of a reach for some of you, but I know many of you will be in physical therapy school faster than you can say “Six sticky sucker sticks” 5 times fast.

Even after the mental breakdowns, the endless conversations about studying, and after way too many pop quizzes that kept me on the edge of my chair, I’m happy that I was able to gain a better understanding of myself. First as a person and secondly as a student, and how far I can be pushed. If I can make it through my first semester of PT school, I can do ANYTHING.

So here are a some of those valuable lessons I’ve learn...

Is Physical Therapy Really for You?

Did I just ask that? Yeah, I did. I presume that most of you all are applying to physical therapy school this cycle and if you are still on the fence about rather physical therapy is for you or not; just keep reading. Because this blog is directed towards you. Believe it or not, there are pre-PT students out there who are applying to PT school with blind eyes. There are some who are actually applying “just because”, and sometimes, these are the exact people who will win a seat at the table instead of you because they have played the game far too well. But trust me, it will all catch up to them one day. For now, my job is to make sure you know the reasons to NOT go to physical therapy school. 

I’ve finally completed my first summer semester of physical therapy school. It was nothing near a walk in the park, and to be honest I felt like PT school disrespected me and slapped me in the face. I became a new person, a new student, with a 360 degree ...

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 every single thing in your control to ...

“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 showing up, there wouldn’t have been an acceptance letter with my name on it.


3 reasons...

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 earning potential, going after scholarships/grants, understan...

"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 lesson le...