Having to make a decision somewhat quick here I was wondering if the T-Nation board could lend a hand in my university of choice.
I’m currently stuck on three different colleges and would like any info on them that I don’t usually see on their web pages. The colleges are: Grand Valley State University, Oakland University and Central Michigan University for their Pre-physical therapy majors.
All three colleges are in Michigan and I’d love to hear a different point of view, well one aside from a counselor at the college. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Matt
[quote]mj_gk wrote:
Having to make a decision somewhat quick here I was wondering if the T-Nation board could lend a hand in my university of choice.
I’m currently stuck on three different colleges and would like any info on them that I don’t usually see on their web pages. The colleges are: Grand Valley State University, Oakland University and Central Michigan University for their Pre-physical therapy majors.
All three colleges are in Michigan and I’d love to hear a different point of view, well one aside from a counselor at the college. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Matt[/quote]
I honestly know very little about Grand Valley State or Central Michigan, but I know Oakland University has a great program. I’ve even considered pursuing post-graduate work there in the orthopaedic manual physical therapy program.
About “pre-physical therapy” as a major, though…I personally would not choose this route. It is usually a general education program that simply incorporates the prerequisites for graduate program in physical therapy.
I think about the best route someone can go in preparation for PT is to study athletic training as an undergraduate. It will give you not only the basic scientific foundation you need, but also practical experience in the field of rehabilitation.
Also, if you complete licensure requirements as an athletic trainer, you’ll already have some professional credentials before you even get to PT school.
A couple words of warning, though, if you choose athletic training. If your goal is PT, make sure you plan ahead to insure you do indeed take the necessary pre-requisites for PT school within the undergraduate program. Also, completing an athletic training program sometimes (but not always) takes 5 years instead of the typical 4 years considered for most undergraduate degrees.
Thank you very much. This is above and beyond the response that I was hoping for. I’m going to look into athletict training a bit more seriously now. I’ve thought about kineseology instead of a pre-physical therapy, because it’s open to a lot more studies after you’ve completed a bachelors. Any thoughts on that, or do you still think AT is the best option because it’s a more sellable major after completed?
[quote]mj_gk wrote:
Thank you very much. This is above and beyond the response that I was hoping for. I’m going to look into athletict training a bit more seriously now. I’ve thought about kineseology instead of a pre-physical therapy, because it’s open to a lot more studies after you’ve completed a bachelors. Any thoughts on that, or do you still think AT is the best option because it’s a more sellable major after completed? [/quote]
It could really depend on what you would really like to ultimately achieve. If you know you want to practice clinically in the areas of orthopaedics and sports medicine, I would favor the AT route. But, if you would ulitmately like to go into research and teaching in a rehabilitation related field, a major in any of the foundational sciences such as kinesiology / exercise science could work out well. Just know that you would likely be fairly limited in your employment options if you choose the kinesiology route and don’t end up pursuing PT.
If you are very ambitious, you might be able to swing a double major in both AT and kinesiology, which I think could be phenomenal. Look at what courses are required for each degree at various schools. See where there is overlap and also where you could take courses for one degree, which might apply toward elective courses. If you find something you think might work, write it out and take it to the college counselor you are working with. Although they don’t seem to volunteer this information, sometimes they will give you some leeway on a few courses here and there if you are working to complete a double degree. Don’t be afraid to ask them what they can do to help you work something like this out.
I’m glad to help you out on this if I can. I made plenty of mistakes in my own education leading up to and including PT, so I’m glad to help someone else out when possible.
Feel free to PM me on this stuff if you like. It might be easier to keep track of than trying to find this thread again.
Whatever you study as an undergraduate, try to take at least one course specifically in neuroscience if you are preparing for PT school. I think it could be a great help.