How to STAND OUT before PT School Applications Opens

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares personal struggles and encourages pre-physical therapy students to reflect on their most meaningful experiences. They advise writing down three to five transformative moments and relating them to their motivation for becoming a physical therapist, emphasizing the importance of this self-reflection for personal statements and interviews.

Takeaways

• 📅 The video discusses preparing for PTCAS (Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service), which opens in a couple of months.
• 🏠 The speaker shares a personal anecdote about moving to a new location with a newborn, which has been challenging for their family.
• 💪 The speaker and their wife have been learning about overcoming struggles and growing through difficult experiences.
• 📝 The speaker advises pre-physical therapy students to write down their top 3-5 most meaningful experiences from the past 1-2 years and what they learned from them.
• 🔗 The experiences should be related to why the students want to become physical therapists, showing insight and growth relevant to the field.
• 💡 The speaker uses their own experience as an example, discussing their journey from being a fitness instructor and personal trainer to wanting to help injured individuals.
• 🤔 The realization of wanting to help people overcome injuries and limitations led to the speaker's passion for physical therapy.
• 📝 The speaker emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and articulating personal growth and motivations for pursuing a career in physical therapy.
• 📑 This self-reflection will be crucial for writing personal statements, PTCAS essays, and preparing for interviews.
• 🚀 The speaker encourages students to start this process early to gain clarity and confidence in their applications and interviews.
• 🙌 The video ends with an encouragement to lift weights, lift others, and lift oneself up, embodying the spirit of personal and communal growth.

Q & A

When does PTCAS open up according to the video?

PTCAS opens up in a couple of months from the start of May.

What is the speaker's current situation in the video?

The speaker has recently moved to a new location with a newborn, which has been a challenging experience.

What is the main focus of the video for pre-physical therapy students?

The main focus is to help pre-physical therapy students prepare their best application for PT school.

What does the speaker suggest students do to prepare their application?

The speaker suggests students write down their top three to five most meaningful experiences from the past year to two years and relate them to why they want to become a physical therapist.

What is the significance of reflecting on personal growth experiences in the application process?

Reflecting on personal growth experiences helps students articulate their motivations and insights in their personal statements, PTCAS essays, and interviews.

What was the speaker's experience before PT school?

The speaker worked as a group fitness instructor at Orange Theory Fitness and as a personal trainer.

Why did the speaker decide to become a physical therapist?

The speaker was frustrated with the limitations of injured people in fitness and health and wanted to help them recover and improve their health.

What is the speaker's advice for students on how to use their experiences in their application?

The speaker advises students to write down their experiences, what they learned, and how these experiences relate to their desire to become a physical therapist.

What is the potential benefit of following the speaker's advice?

Following the speaker's advice can help students gain clarity on their motivations, write their essays quickly, and potentially get accepted early into PT school.

What is the speaker's final encouragement to the students?

The speaker encourages students to take action now by writing down their experiences and relating them to their goals, as this will set them up for success in their PT school applications.