Today, we want to talk about the number one way you’re not going to get into PT school. Now, you’re probably thinking of a ton of different things: low grades, low GPA, bad GRE score, not enough observation hours, unorganized essays, something got messed up on PTCAS...all of these could definitely limit your chances of getting in to PT school.

So, yes! That is part of it. But, another way that you definitely won’t get into PT school is by doubting yourself. Putting more energy into doubting yourself than putting more energy in to get your white coat. Putting more energy into saying what you are not and what you can’t do, instead of saying what you are and what you CAN do.

A lot of times we’re really focused on those doubts. We focus on what we don’t have, what we can’t do, why we sucked at this, and why we didn’t get a good grade in this class. If you continue to do that, it will eventually become your outcome because that’s...

Before fully committing to the journey of becoming a physical therapist, you have to really figure out if physical therapy as a career is right for you. Don’t be led by the energy of others. It’s easy for those who love physical therapy to boast about all the reasons why they love it and why they are passionate about it, but you have to figure out if it’s for you. Think to yourself, “Is this the right time? Is PT even my calling? Is PT the route that I should be going?” And if we can figure that out, then great things happen.

The honest truth is, that’s not going to be the same for every single person. You shouldn’t be choosing physical therapy as a career because you see other people pursuing it. If you’re observing a physical therapist and you really admire their energy and how they work with patients, that should not be why you decide to go into it. It should be YOUR reason why and no one else’s. Dig deep into yourself and...

As a pre-PT student, how do you handle hearing "no" from mentors, advisors or even PT programs? It's so easy to become discouraged, unmotivated, and not hopeful when you're told there's not a chance you can do something.

How do we handle being told that we can’t? It really starts by understanding that this journey is filled with a lot of NO’s. Here are 7 ways to handle rejection as a pre-PT student.

1. Remember your “WHY” 

If you haven’t already, you need to find your reason why you want to pursue a career in physical therapy. Did you pick PT because of the patient interactions you've had through observation hours, or because of your own personal experiences with physical therapy? Use YOUR WHY as fuel that drives and motivates you to push through the toughest times. At the end of the day, this is so important and it will be one of the driving factors to help you get over rejections you may face.

2. Do this for yourself

Sometimes we...

A lot of people, especially through the Pre-Doctor of Physical Therapy Students Facebook page, always ask questions like, “Have you gone to a physical therapy interview for this school? How was it? What should I know going into it? What questions did they ask?” That’s what that Facebook page is for, and we are so glad you can benefit from others through posts like that.

Today, we want to talk about physical therapy school interviews and campus visits and the 3 steps to help you fight your nervousness. Because it’s a real thing and it can screw up and what you’ve worked so hard for. Have you thought about getting to that interview and then thinking, “Man, my heart’s pounding. I can feel those butterflies. I just don’t know what to say when the time comes up.” Let’s tackle how to handle those nerves.

1. Be over-prepared

A lack of preparation is killing a lot of you guys. If you’re thinking that you only need an hour to...

One of the biggest questions we get from pre-PT students throughout the year is "what types of questions should I ask at my physical therapy interview or campus visit so I can stand out?" Sometimes those unique questions you ask are the ones that make you memorable! Here are just a few of the many questions we think you should ask to stand out:

1. What extracurricular activities/community services opportunities do the students participate in?  

A lot of people sometimes forget to ask programs this question! At this point, you’ve probably had some volunteering experience under your belt..so why not ask what the program does in their community to serve others? Asking will show that you care - being involved in your community is so important! As far as extracurricular activities go, what do the students get involved in? Do they play on intramural teams?

2. What is the student/professor relationship like?

Observe how the students and professors interact during your...

What are some ways that you can stand out on your physical therapy school application? This is such a common question and concern that pre-PT students have when they start to apply to physical therapy school. Believe it or not, there are so many activities out there that will set you apart as a pre-PT student. Activities that can essentially help you leverage yourself as you apply to PT programs as an applicant. What are some specific activities that you can engage in that will help set you apart from other applicants?

One simple thing you can do is see if your school has a pre-PT club. You can just be a member, or you can even try to be on the board. If there isn’t a pre-PT club at your school, join a healthcare or health sciences club. This will show that you’re involved, invested, and interested in the field. You’re doing more than just studying and going to class. Even volunteering with a physical therapy clinic shows your dedication. We have seen students...

Follow the journey of one of our Pre-PT grind coaches, the future Dr. Ben Kim!

Ben was born and raised in Southern California. He studied Molecular Biology at UC Merced. He graduated in 2015 with a low GPA, 2.4. And was recently accepted into a physical therapy program!

Since graduating, he’s spent the last few years re-taking prerequisite courses. Prior to, he never really knew what he wanted to do as a career until the end of his junior year. He bounced between the ideas of pursuing pharmacy and physical therapy and decided to try PT his junior year. After deciding PT, he started to learn how great the field was through different shadowing experiences. One big eye opener for him was Smart Success PT.

Ben originally heard about Pre-PT Grind through Casey and from being a part of Smart Success PT. He was able to network and ended up joining the Pre-Doctor of Physical Therapy Facebook Group page. He enjoyed the community that was built and enjoyed seeing people strive to reach...

In a way, it's kind of exciting when PTCAS gets closer to opening. The list of schools  where you might want to apply is becoming finalized, you're adding programs as you go, and you begin to envision where you could see yourself living and going to study everything about physical therapy for the next few years. Those are great times, but what if you don’t know where you would like to go to physical therapy school? What should you really consider when choosing a physical therapy school? vYou know that PT is what you want to do, but don’t know how to decide which program is right for you. It's my hope that this blog can help you as I give you three things to consider when deciding which program is the right fit for you.

Besides the basics of NPTE pass rates, cost and percentage of students who find jobs within 6 months of graduation, let's talk about other things you might consider when deciding on which physical therapy school is best...

Prior to starting the application process, identify your fears. We all have similar fears, anxieties, and frustrations. We feel isolated or as if we can’t handle it on our own. We fear the unknown, we lack direction, and we constantly question our ability by asking ourselves “what if I apply and it doesn’t work out or I don’t get in?” or “what if I apply and I have to settle for what my professor, family member or friend said I should do instead?” Prove your fears wrong and give yourself a SHOT.  At the end of the day, that’s better than not trying, right?

Step one: No Surprises

Understand the other side of the equation- the admissions side- so that there are no surprises. Know exactly what the program is looking for and what the program favors (GPA, GRE scores, etc). Look up any information you need on schools website or PTCAS. Use a GPA calculator to make sure you have the what the school is looking for. Do everything you...

If you're planning to apply to physical therapy school in the future, here are some helpful tips on some things you can start doing to get a head start on your physical therapy school application:

As a first time physical therapy school applicant:

1. Start to look up programs

Come up with a list of “realistic schools” (schools that your GPA, GRE, and observation hours etc. align with their minimums) that you can apply to. Research the heck out of each program: look at class size, location, cost, clinical affiliations, everything about that program! If you don't meet the minimum requirements for a PT program, don't waste your money or time applying.  Most of the time, if you don't meet the minimum requirements, the school won’t look at your physical therapy application.

If there's a PT program that you meet the bare minimum requirements and want to apply to, go for it! Just be aware that there may be other competitive applicants that have higher "statistics"...