A Pre-Physical Therapy Student’s Timeline of Undergrad

Hello! Welcome to my Pre-PT experience. I’ll be detailing my time in undergrad and how my focus and goals changed each year in preparation for PT school. Please feel free to follow in my footsteps if my timeline works for you and your schedule. However, don’t feel like this is the only way to success.

Freshman Year

Entering my first year of undergrad, I was a Biology major as opposed to Kinesiology (which I truly wanted). I still had anxiety about my ability to get accepted into PT school and felt that a Biology major would be a good backup plan if things didn’t go as planned. I quickly realized that this was a bad idea. 1) shouldn’t be content with and pay for a degree I wasn’t completely invested in. 2) I shouldn’t let my fears hinder my ability to be the best student and applicant that I could be. 

Our career center was incredibly knowledgeable but didn’t push us to do much application-wise during our first-year beyond focusing on our GPA. Fortunately for me, I was well aware of the process courtesy of those random late-night obsession-filled Googles. My main focus was to frontload all of my prerequisites initially and leave my general education requirements for my last few semesters. The schools I was interested in allowed for 3 prereqs to be incomplete at the time of applying, so I felt as though this was essential. 

I ended my first year of college with 3 Bs in Biology I & II and Chemistry I. This was disheartening, to say the least, because I had convinced myself that anything less than As would be a detriment to my journey (spoiler alert, it wasn’t). However, I decided to make it my mission to show how my performance could improve over the next few years. 

Summer of Freshman Year

The Summer of 2020, I began looking for observation hours, but as we were in lockdown, I was excited to find other options. I stumbled upon Pre-PT Grind, a program that focused on helping Pre-PT applicants overcome barriers to getting accepted. They offered observation hours on their website in the form of case studies, and I enjoyed this greatly. It really offered my first real look into physical therapy from a perspective other than the patient.

I was able to learn so much in so little time and I felt that it showed initiative. I might not have been able to gain these hours in person, but I attempted to work within my circumstances, and I think that’s important to keep in mind. 

For more insight into what steps Pre-PTs should take during their freshman year of college, check out my blog post: Top 5 Things Pre-Physical Therapy Students Should Focus on During Their Freshman Year 

Sophomore Year

My sophomore year of undergrad was virtual and COVID was still going strong. I continued to gain hours virtually using Pre-PT Grind and immerse myself more into the world of physical therapy. This time was when the majority of my knowledge of physical therapy was gained. I had a lot of time and a lot of resources at my disposal. I’d encourage you all to really learn as much about the application process and the profession as possible. It really helps you discover what you love, but also what you may dislike about PT.

This is an important concept to ensure you aren’t wasting your time. I also tried to make a solid plan for the next year and a half. How did I want to tackle the large amounts of work ahead of me?

As far as the school side, I spent this year tackling one of my harder prereqs: Physics. I can confidently say 90% of my brain power was spent trying to excel in that class. Everything apart from that was quite relaxed. This was also the time that I simultaneously became the Secretary of my university’s Physical Therapy Organization. I also founded another organization to promote literacy among elementary-aged children. Additionally, I got my first job as a Supplemental Instructor for Biology I & II as well as being the Teaching Assistant for the corresponding labs.

Summer of Sophomore Year

This summer was the first time I ever observed a PT in person. I observed two separate outpatient clinics during the summer. Despite how reserved and shy I can be in a lot of situations, I enjoyed this immersive experience. It really solidified my decision to become a part of the profession. I eventually got comfortable asking questions to both the PTs and the patients. I felt like I belonged there, and made the experience work for me. Because it is for you.
I wouldn’t look at gaining hours as something just to check off of your list of things to do. I would encourage you to approach your observations as a way to immerse yourself in the field. A way to gain knowledge before PT school, and really learn what you love about physical therapy. That alone makes application stress, writing essays, and avoiding potential burnout easier to handle when you have a clear and strong goal at the forefront of your mind.

For more insight into what steps Pre-PTs should take during their sophomore year of college, check out my blog post: Top 5 Things Pre-Physical Therapy Students Should Focus on During Their Sophomore Year 

Junior Year

 My junior year of undergrad was really the beginning of application preparation. Everything I had been working towards for the past 3 years was coming to life. From the difficult classes, to the long nights studying, all I needed to do now was harness it. 

For the first semester, COVID had calmed down and the opportunities to shadow/observe began to really open up. I began volunteering at my local emergency room with the hope that I might get to see a PT. I did not, but I did learn that hospital settings were not for me. That was alright though, it was a great learning opportunity. I also began observing my favorite and the most influential physical therapist that I’ve met to this day.
I learned so much during that first semester because he encouraged me to think like a PT. This was something that was never the goal of any observations I had done before. He would ask questions about injuries, quiz me on anatomy, and give me “homework” to discuss with him later. He would have me perform specific exercises alongside the patients to give me more perspective, and encourage me to ask any questions that ever crossed my mind. I learned more about myself and what I loved about physical therapy in the year and a half I worked alongside him. 

During that same semester, I decided it was time to study for the GRE. I had ambitious plans, I subscribed to GregMat (a wonderful resource for tackling the GRE) and registered to take the test 3 months in the future, the day after Christmas. Now did that plan actually work? No, no it didn’t. I wouldn’t recommend this at all, I definitely procrastinated. I took 1 practice test, power studied the week before, and then took it, crossing my fingers that I did well enough. Well, it paid off, I exceeded my expectations, but don’t try this at home you guys, I’m still not convinced I didn’t just get lucky.

The second semester, I continued to observe with my favorite PT but also began overserving at the Texas State Community Access Physical Therapy Clinic and a local pediatric PT clinic. Observing at the Community Access Clinic was wonderful. I really learned a lot about neurological PT and I got to be more hands-on with the patients. I could really see and feel the changes and improvements as they were happening for the first time ever. Additionally, I learned something equally important while volunteering at the pediatric clinic. I was not interested in working with young children. But again, there’s nothing wrong with that and it wasn’t a waste of time, just another learning opportunity.
At the end of this semester, I took the time to reach out to the 4 people that I wanted to write my letters of recommendation. I wanted to reach out early enough to provide them with a “cheat sheet” that contained pertinent information, that they might not have known before. I asked my former Biology professor, Chemistry professor, and two therapists that I observed over the past few years.

As far as school went, I tackled two highly anticipated prerequisites: Anatomy & Physiology I & II and Chemistry II . The latter I had been avoiding since that B freshman year. I also continued on as a Supplemental Instructor for Biology I & II and became the Vice President of the Physical Therapy Organization.

Summer of Junior Year

The summer of my junior year I was busy. I toured the schools I planned on applying to and began gearing up for PT school applications. PTCAS opened June 15^th and applications could be submitted as early as July 1^st, so I added as much to my account as I could. Once PTCAS opened, most of my summer was spent writing…and editing…and deleting…and more writing. This was followed by manually entering my transcript (guys, don’t do this last minute). As well as waiting for my letters of recommendation to come in. Finally, I submitted my application a week before my senior year started.

For more insight into what steps Pre-PTs should take during their junior year of college, check out my blog post: Top 7 Things Pre-Physical Therapy Students Should Focus on During Their Junior Year

Senior Year

Senior year of undergrad was a waiting game. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait for long at all. Because I applied early, I heard back from Texas Woman’s University in September, and I had been ACCEPTED into PT school. That was an incredibly emotional and gratifying day and I hope that every Pre-PT has this same experience. Feeling proud that your hard work has paid off, relieved that you can relax for the first time in years, and excited that your dreams are finally coming to fruition. It was a great experience!

After completing a physical therapy internship my first semester, I decided it was time to take a “PT Break”. Getting into PT school had been my sole focus for the past 4 years. I felt like it was time to really enjoy my final semester and summer before I started school…again. 

During this, I became a Supplemental Instructor for Anatomy & Physiology I & II, became the co-founder and Vice President of Students Expanding Austin Literacy (S.E.A.L), and maintained my position as Vice President of the Physical Therapy Organization. 

For more insight into what steps Pre-PTs should take during their junior year of college, check out my blog post: Top 5 Things Pre-Physical Therapy Students Should Focus on During Their Senior Year 

A word of advice…

This timeline worked for me but doesn’t have to be done the exact same way. Getting into PT school is a personal journey. I procrastinated quite a bit in undergrad, while also doing the ‘absolute most’ at times, but that’s just how I operated. My four years of school were spent focusing on my goals while also enjoying my life outside of the classroom. I would encourage you all to do the same. 

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