PT school interviews can be a daunting experience for even the most confident Pre-PT students. They can be even more overwhelming if you don’t have previous interview experience in these types of settings. The latter was myself as I was applying to PT schools and hitting the road for interviews. I really hadn’t experienced a tough interview to that point so when I received an email informing me of the interview day I was to attend, I definitely got a pit in my stomach. 

I applied to eight schools if my memory serves me correctly and I had interviews for two of them: Methodist University in North Carolina and Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia. I was really interested in Wheeling Jesuit as it was one of the closer schools geographically. My first interview was at Methodist though and although I wasn’t super interested in going there, I took the interview to get some experience dealing with some of the tough...

"..find out what is driving you to pick yourself back up after you fall over and over and over again."

There is always a reason behind everything. A reason behind why the sky is blue and the grass is green. Why the earth revolves around the sun instead of the other way around. There’s a reason why we blink, why we talk, why we breathe. Of course I can go on and on about why this and why that. It’s a 5 year old’s favorite question, and as annoying as it may be, WHY can it be so hard to answer the question why?

I have been pursuing physical therapy since high school, stemming from a passion of sports and an inquisition on my multiple injuries I acquired throughout my high school career. Does this story ring a bell? Something had to happen in your life to bring you here, right now, reading this blog on the Pre-PT Grind. If you were anything like me, you have tried to apply to PT school and got rejected. Maybe, you are even more like me and failed to get accepted for...

"You are EXACTLY where you are supposed to be, and you have the amazing gift of navigating where you’ll go next."

The quick and cliché answer? The years spent between obtaining a baccalaureate degree and pursing your Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree is what you make of it. The circumstances by which one finds themselves hanging in the balance can be nerve-wrecking and discouraging. Watching friends begin their graduate programs and careers inspires a unique type of anxiety when our own lives are punctuated by a question mark. Do I have what it takes? Did I miss my window of opportunity? Will I get accepted this third time around? The truth is there is great power in uncertainty, and the unknown represents boundless opportunities for growth and transformation. I’ve learned my greatest lessons by veering off the path my family and peers expected me to take.

The Pressure to Be Pressed 

American culture is obsessed with productivity, and social media makes...

If I could go back in time, I wish someone would have told me about this. About how important it is to work on yourself as a person. In this career field you are about to enter, you are dealing with people who are in pain and wanting your help. Working on yourself as a Pre-PT student will set you up for success in not only your future career, but also your future friendships and relationships. 

Okay, so you're probably thinking, as many pre-PT students ask me.. how can I work on myself? There are many ways you can do this. Reading self-help books, listening to podcasts, audiobooks, and attending other conferences are one of many ways you can do this. 

In order to effectively engage in personal development, you must engage in something you either have a weakness in or an area of interest. For me it was confidence as a pre-PT student, but for you it may be leadership, honesty, communication, business, relationships or persuasion.. the list goes on and on. 

"..start...