Graduate / Active child who played handball, picked up Olympic weightlifting in college. PT Student Applicant. [3]

PT Student Applicant - Personal Statement for Application

Please indicate your purpose and objectives in undertaking graduate study, your special interests and plans, and your strengths and weakness in your chosen field. In reviewing applications, considerable importance is placed on the applicant's relevant experience as well as his or her interest in and commitment to advanced study and professional development

Growing up, I was always an active child who played handball but I eventually picked up Olympic weightlifting in college. It was a dramatically different sport in terms of training but it was something new and exciting which furthered my interest in health and fitness. The transition from the two sports was in no way smooth, as I suffered my first major injury in my lumbar spine during training. This blessing in disguise really opened my eyes to how much back pain can hinder one's quality of life and independence. I spent lots of time on the internet searching for ways to prevent back pain and I stumbled upon an article about different rehabilitation professions, with physical therapy catching my attention. However, I did not plan on pursuing physical therapy as a future career until I finished my gross anatomy course and volunteered in a physical therapy clinic.

My strength is my desire to always help out others. I became a voluntary teaching assistant the following year in the same anatomy course not just to maintain my anatomy knowledge but also to help the students taking it digest all the material from such a rigorous course. Besides preparing for prosections, I thoroughly enjoyed helping students and answering their questions. The laboratory became busier as exam dates approached and more students stayed late to study. I, along with my colleagues, stayed late and even came in during weekends to help the panicking students because I was in the same position they were in just a year ago. It never felt like a burden to stay late because it was very rewarding to see students finally understand the material they need for the exam.

Procrastination has many detrimental consequences and it was definitely exposed as my weakness in college. Aside from negative health effects, procrastination had led to many late assignments as well as poor test grades. This problem stemmed from my poor habits in high school, where studying was nonexistent and high exam grades were the norm. I was not prepared for the rigorousness of college education due to a similar mindset which led me to I finish my first year of college with a subpar grade point average. It took two years for to increase my grade point average dramatically and over that time, I did not procrastinate as much.

While having a fundamental base of knowledge of human anatomy is crucial to practice physical therapy, altruism is just as important. To prepare myself for graduate studies, I took a volunteer position to observe a physical therapy clinic in Brooklyn. I have come across a vast amount of patients, many of whom had different pathologies but the therapists displayed a tremendous level of compassion and patience with each patient by treating each of them respectfully. After meeting and speaking to so many patients, it had become my dream to be a physical therapist because I would be able to help so many patients become functional and independent again.

Graduate / PTCAS - Doctorate of Physical Therapy - Application Essay (Where to go from here) [5]

Topic: What is professionalism in the context of being a student in a doctor of physical therapist degree program?

Professionalism, in the general sense, is upholding one's own profession to the highest standard. As a student in a doctor of physical therapy program, professionalism means to continuously expand my knowledge on rehabilitation, make strides to communicate with colleagues and patients alike, and uphold a set of ethical and fair morals. A commitment to the aforementioned duties will shape my future as a graduate student and as a rehabilitation professional.

It is without a doubt that without knowledge, there will be no progress. Someone who is ignorant to traditional or "old-fashioned" methods of treatment will be able to treat a certain number of patients. As a student pursuing a career in physical therapy (PT), I will always look forward to learning about new methods to treat a patient of his or her pain and/or discomfort. There is no such thing as knowing enough since there will always be new cases of patients who will require special and individualized treatments. Being able to experience a clinical environment firsthand, I was able to see how knowledge is power when it came to treating patients. Throughout my internships at several physical therapy clinics, the PTs continuously educated the patient and I throughout the entire interaction. She was explaining her approach to treating her patients while making sure both the patient and I understood what the problem is and what the protocol for treatment is. Being able to confidently teach something so specialized, like rehabilitation, is a key goal of mine to achieve in a graduate program.

As people, we are all subject to a set of rules and laws which are in place to maintain the environment from running amok as well as protection. Being a PT student is no different. In fact, we are held to a much higher standard because we are learning to deal and help others in pain on a daily basis. During my internship, I was given the opportunity to work with patients by explaining and guiding them through their prescribed exercises of the day. Oftentimes, they were patients who only needed complete their strengthening exercises and they were free to go. Given that I wasn't allowed to touch a patient, guiding the patients can get tricky. Although challenging, it was a great learning experience to teach the patient in a way that allows the patient to learn. It taught me how it important it is to be able to communicate with patients in an effective manner, which is a quality that makes up professionalism. Proper communication is definitely pertinent to a career like physical therapy, in order for both the therapist and the client to have true altruistic relationship.

Not sure where to go from here, I just wrote this without much planning. Had to start somewhere
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