When did you become interested in physical therapy?

I’ve always had a keen interest in the human body. Growing up playing sports, I only had a few minor injuries – sprained ankle, various muscle strains; nothing that required anything more than the RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). I was around others who had more pressing issues, torn meniscus, Osgood Schlatter’s disease – who were able to return to their prior level of function! It was in high school that I learned just how resilient the human body can be!

Did you go to college?

Fast forward to the last few years of high school, I had many ideas as to what I could do next. Join the military? Pursue my track & field dreams at a D3 school on scholarship? Attend a university? While I had good grades in school, I was not a strong standardized test taker. Fortunately for me, Texas had a “10% rule” that allowed high schoolers graduating in the top 10% of their class to automatically be accepted into any public school in Texas. 

Ultimately, I chose The University of Texas at Austin #Hook ‘em. I was accepted as an “undeclared major”, meaning I had not chosen a specific college within the university. Sidebar: isn’t that crazy? You go through all the trouble of getting into the university then you also have to apply to a specific school which houses your degree!

I went through my first year thinking I would transition to the McCombs School of Business….like it’s not one of the most competitive schools in the country. After getting a C in Calculus II, I knew I wouldn’t be able to get my GPA high enough to get in.

What did you major in?

After meeting with my advisor, I was tasked to write down things that I’m interested in, take a personality quiz, and consider different career fields. After pondering for a few days, I pieced together that I enjoy fitness, the human body, teaching, helping others and  have a “Gold” personality type.

What a ton of information! The counselor asked what I thought about being an athletic trainer. While I was not keen to the fact I would need to attend school for an additional year – I was interested in the healthcare world as it pertains to fitness. 

Physical therapy had everything I envisioned in a career! Working with the body, physical activity, helping and educating others. I enrolled in the School of Education, majoring in a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health Education, specifically in the Exercise Science program.

How did this major prepare you to become a physical therapist?

Really, I could have majored in anything. In hindsight, I’m appreciative for my degree as it made my first year of PT school a breeze. The degree requirements aligned well with pre-requisites for most public physical therapy schools in Texas. I had to take a few additional courses, like Medical terminology – but I needed electives anyway.

I took multiple anatomy and physiology courses, working with cadaver plastinates, learning the origin, insertion, action, and nerve supply of most muscles, biomechanics, neuromuscular control, etc. This provided me a strong basis for understanding anatomy and mechanical advantage, muscle strength and mobility testing, and neurological pathways….just to name a few concepts.

What else did you have to do for PT school?

I also needed observation hours! Since most of the courses I took in my first year did not count towards my degree, my summers were filled with shadowing at a variety of therapy clinics and taking additional courses. Across 3 summers, I took 21 credits and observed at pediatric, orthopedic, and skilled nursing facilities.

So….you got into PT school?!

Yes, but it certainly was filled with uncertainty. I applied to nearly every public physical therapy school in Texas and got rejected from each one. Why? My GPA was too low. After 3.5 long, hard years at a reputable university…a 3.54 was not going to cut it. Competitive GPAs for most schools was at least 3.8.

In hindsight, I wish I would have taken some of the more difficult science courses at a community college. My GPA was a 4.0 at the community college but did not help my overall GPA very much in the grand scheme of things, since I took significantly more courses at the university.

In my last semester, I was filled with angst. I was graduating with no clear plan for my future. I picked up a job as a physical therapy technician. Hoping I could boost my clinical experience for the next round of applications.

A few days before applications were due, I decided I would apply to one private college. I’m a firm believer that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to apply, despite the fact I did not want to attend a private school.

A week later, I was called for an interview! This was my first interview and I certainly was very anxious. While this university cared about GPA – not to the same extent as other schools. I truly felt like my application was looked at holistically. Leadership roles in colleges, variety of observation settings, and my background were some of the additional factors mentioned during the review of my application. After crushing my interview, learning about problem based learning, and accepting the fact I would be in debt forever. I accepted my offer into PT school.

What challenges did you face in PT school?

The biggest thing was probably imposter syndrome. Although I had good grades, I felt like I was not retaining important information. I read slow and thus had difficulty keeping up with the assigned readings. I was staying up late and waking up early to try and finish assignments. I lacked the confidence to speak up in class, lead sessions, and be proactive in my community. I think it’s hard to be in this profession when you are as shy as I was.

In fact, I later learned I was on the list for concerning students due to my limited interactions during class time. With each semester, I felt more and more confident to take on leadership roles. By time I graduated, I had become a peer tutor, plan and lead test reviews, volunteered for data collection and article reviews, and had the highest honor in my cohort.

What are you doing now?

I am currently the supervising physical therapist for a worker’s compensation clinic in the DFW area in Texas. I primarily work with orthopedic conditions, but also see some vestibular and neurological conditions. I enjoy my clinic but hope to transition to more sport specific and athletic population in the future.

What is your plan for the future?

I would like to do a residency as an orthopedic clinical specialist. I love to learn and have found some gaps in my clinical knowledge. Bridging this gap can help me be more efficient and confident when treating certain conditions. Eventually, I would like to become a professor and teach DPT students.

I continue to learn every day and hope to provide additional avenues for patients to better understand their health conditions and feel confident in the treatment plans.