This week, I stumbled upon an article on CollegeInfoGeek.com entitled, “What is Medical School Like?” written by Shirag Shemmassian, Ph.D., a graduate school admissions expert. While he writes a well-organized and thought out article, the information is based on his clients’ stories and his brother, who also went to medical school. [I promise I’m not trying to offend the writer or the article. I’m just mentioning an observation.] This article inspired me to write a post that relevant to students who are in physical therapy school or those on the journey to do so. They say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so this article will answer the same questions the model article answered:
- What can I expect during each year of physical therapy school?
- What’s a typical PT school class schedule?
- Can you have a life in physical therapy school?
What to Expect in Each Year of Medical Physcial Therapy School
Traditionally, physical therapy (PT) school is a three-year program. Of course, people can get a Doctorate of Physcial Therapy (DPT) by different means. There are predominantly online courses and fast track programs with the undergraduate school. Clinical education, which can be in the form of a “clinical rotations” or “STEPs (Student Team Experience in Practice),” are sprinkled throughout the three-year term. These moments in the medical field vary in quantity and duration depending on the program, but it gives a glimpse of where students want to be in their career.
Year 1
Following the format of Dr. Shemmassian, let’s begin with talking about the curriculum. You will have classes similar to the pre-requisites you have to take in undergrad, but they are on steroids. Have you ever heard of the saying, “It’s like drinking water from a fire hydrant?” I heard it from my professor [and Dr. Shemmassian mentioned it too]. Regardless if PT school was easy or difficult for students, the saying rings true.
The first semester will consist of
- Anatomy and Physiology lectures along with corresponding cadaver labs
- Surface Anatomy: a class where you get physically close to your classmates in sports bras and shorts to learn about anatomical landmarks
- Clinical Examination: a class on goniometry, muscle testing, and tests + measures
- other introductory courses
The amount of the information is extensive as you only have 1 three-hour lecture to learn about the anatomy of [for example] just the forearm and hand [bones, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, origins/insertions, etc.]. Depending on how in-depth your undergraduate A+P courses were, this can be challenging. For some people, the study habits that worked in undergrad will not work for PT school. Be prepared.
Next, let’s address the grading system. Unlike medical school, PT school is a still letter-based system. In undergrad, I was able to reassure myself by saying, “The least you can do is pass.” In PT school, that changed into “B’s make PTs.” Even though a GPA does not matter when you pass the NPTE and get your license, grades matter in PT school as programs have grade policies that determine your continuation in the program. For some [like me], they miss the mark, which would result in trying again in the next period or dismissal from the program. Despite the policies, graduate programs have one thing in common: EVERYONE wants the students to be successful.
With the vision of success in mind, success is not given to you. You have to earn it. Success is a two-way street. If you are a student struggling to make the grades, ask for help. Talk to your professor, the head of your department, seek counseling, refer to Facebook groups or YouTube videos, etc. That is what kept me going until my leave. If you do not ask for help, it reflects a prideful attitude and lack of discipline, which may not grant you a second chance in the program [or any program for that matter].
Years 2 and 3
The difficulty of the advanced courses is the same, but for different reasons. There’s a shift from “I have no idea how to study in grad school,” to “I can’t decide if the patient’s knee pain is due to torn meniscus or ligament.” The courses become more intricate and may require case-by-case learning to evolve a student’s making clinical decisions. Classes can be divided on specialties [neurology, orthopedic, manual therapy]. You may have more multiple exams in the first semester, but advanced courses may only just have a midterm, a competency exam [which will be discussed later], and the comprehensive final. [Don’t be afraid of comprehensive exams. The concepts you learn in the beginning of the semester go hand-in-hand with the new information. Plus, the NPTE is basically a comprehensive exam of all three-years of PT school, so it’s better to be prepared.]
Remember the clinical experiences I mentioned? Let’s talk about that. For some programs, the program’s second year may begin with a 8 to 10-week long clinical education period in either an inpatient [hospital, skilled nursing facility] or outpatient [sports/orthopedic clinic] setting. During time on the field, students may have online courses they complete simultaneously OR just solely focus on the patient caseload. The student physical therapist is always supervised by a physical therapist, known as the clinical instructor, who has at least one year of clinical experience. In some instances, students may be assigned to a patient setting that involves diagnoses and treatments not taught prior. While it seems like a disadvantage, it should be seen as a unique learning opportunity. Plus, the student will be more prepared for future classes when the topics are addressed. Some clinics will require the patient to present an inservice lecutre or seminar on a relevant topic to staff and other healthcare professionals.
In the third year, you finish the last few classes, but most of the third year is spent evaluating and treating patients. These terms are 10 or 12 weeks long. You will also do a research study while you are on rotation. Some programs offer students board exam material and preporatory classes. You may take the licensure exam before or after graduation.
But what about exams?
Good question. Most exams are computerized and multiple choice, as it replicates the format of the board exam. I would also like to second Dr. Shemmassian’s point:
“Multiple choice exams can work to your advantage. THey are meant to acknowledge that the amount of material you have to absorb is gargantuan, so recognizing the material will suffice.”
Some program’s faculty contribute questions to the NPTE, so students are highly prepared. These questions can range from simple, straight-from-the-lecture questions like “Which cranial nerve innervates the Trapezius” [The answer: CN 11] to paragraph-long case followed by a series of questions. That does not mean True/False, Short Answer, and Multiple-Multiples are out of the picture. The type of exam questions and number of exam questions will depend on the course material.
Along with written exams, there are exams for the supplementary lab courses known as “competency exams,” “skill practicals,” “standardized patient,” or “OSCEs.” This half or all-day event puts the students’ hands-on skills to the test. Students will read a case that may be complemented with a mock patient video. The student will then have 20 minutes or more to breifly evaluate the patient based on the case and/or make an informed decision to treat based on the findings. The professor will grade their performance and provide feedback.
Medical Physical Therapy School Schedule
The first semester schedule of PT school is basically the same as a 9-5 job [except it starts one hour earlier]. After class dismissal, you can hit the gym, eat, attend social events, take power naps, volunteer, really whatever [the key is TIME MANAGEMENT]. Compared to medical school, in-class attendance is highly encouraged. You may not get in trouble; but with 59 other classmates, someone will notice. There’s no guarantees that the professor will record their lecture. Whenever there is a 3-hour lecture, professors will usually grant a 10-minute break around the top of the hour.
In the second and third years, semesters may have less time in-class, which gives you more time to study in the day. During clinical rotations, your schedule is the same as your clinical instructor [so if they get to the clinic at 7 AM even though you are not a morning person, you get to the clinic before 7 AM to prepare for the day – reading patient cases and noting important red flags, comorbidities, etc.]. You may be treating 8-16 patients (depending on the setting) from 7 AM to 12 PM, take a lunch break, then treat more patients 1 PM to 4 PM, and doumenting all your treatments after all that.
Can You Have a Life in Medical Physical Therapy School?
You may not feel like you have a life, but the time to have a life is there. Some students [like me] are able to spend the weekend with their families. Others [not me] go on weekend trips out of city/state. Some take the opportunity to do assist in conducting research for professors. Many of my classmates had time to be a part of multiple student organizations. There could be students who just prefer to bask in the books and study. How you spend your spare time matters. Prioritize the things that matter to you: school, mental health, physical health, sleep, etc. Every student’s PT school experience is different.
So How Does PT School Compare to Medical School?
In ways, both graduate schools are similiar in terms of intensive courses, laying the foundation with preclinical year(s) followed by clinical experiences, and exam formats. There’s also several differences between the two schools. Medical students have standardized STEP exams at certain milestones while PT students have regular midterms and finals until the licensure exam. Attendance and academic policies keep physcial therapy students in class and on the GPA system. The bottom line is: becoming a doctor is hard and takes time, but if you hang in there, hustle hard, and give yourself grace every now and then, you’ll be successful.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and appreciated the sprinkling of advice I’ve left behind. I hope this did not steer you away from physical therapy school. I was just really inspired by Dr. Shemmassian to write a insightful, firsthand look into what PT school could be for you. If you are considering if grad school as an option in general, you should read Dr. Shemmassian’s article answering that exact question.
If you like what you read, check out my other PT related posts here.
Leave a response in the comments or message me on Instagram, and let me know what you want to know. I would appreciate the feedback.