Preparations
I am currently one month away from starting my Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. In the last few weeks, I finally started getting info about things I need to do to get ready for the start of classes. Yay! A month and a half might sound like a long time but it feels very short when my application was submitted a year ago, I received my acceptance 8 months ago, and I’ve been ready to do this thing for several years.
What is it like? What kinds of things are you asked to do at this point?
It started with an email. In this email, there are 10 links to resources. Most of these links are not scary. They say things like make sure my undergraduate transcript is submitted or make sure my computer meets the minimum requirements or leads me to the student health services page. However, one particular link leads to a list of a dozen documents to open and read. A list that can be added to so I need to go back and check it for updates every once in a while. Like the email links, some of these documents are harmless. They’re things I’ve seen before, like approximate costs, financial aid resources, or essential functions. A few of the documents have (take a moment for a big sigh) more lists.
What I look like, waiting for my program to start.
To summarize, I need to:
o Sign up for graduate school orientation (1 day)
o Sign up for the DPT program orientation (2 days)
o Bring these documents to orientation:
· CPR certification (I had to take the half day course since mine was expired)
· Negative TB test (I had to go to the clinic and have this done)
· A list of immunizations (I had to go to the clinic and get a booster)
· Proof of health insurance (Still need to sign up for that)
· Proof of liability insurance (Luckily, someone from the program is supposed to help with this one)
· A list of clinical experience and interests
· A list of cities and states in which I could potentially acquire housing for clinicals (These clinicals won’t start for a couple more years)
o Acquire the right clothing
· Old scrubs and shoes that will be thrown out at the end of the year (These are for cadaver labs)
· Professional, yet flexible clothing (We do still need to demonstrate exercises in our professional attire; I had to go buy some)
· Leather, low heel, closed-toe shoes (I still need to get these)
· A white lab coat (Also might still need to get this one or it might be provided by the school)
· The right name tag
o Background check and drug screening
I’ve been getting relatively small tasks to do before this big list and that was mostly things like acquiring my school email address, getting rid of any holds on my account, buying a parking pass, registering for classes (the entire next year is planned out), and buying books (want to guess how much those were?), and submitting tax docs and other miscellaneous forms.
Books for the first semester. Half were actually required. The other half was optional but I decided it was worth it to buy them. In case the background of the other photo doesn’t give it away, I have a weakness for collecting books.
And that’s the gist of it. I’m sure I’m missing something else that I’ve had to do in order to get ready for school but I think this gets the point across. There’s a lot to do! Expectations are high! Grad school is really intense but so worth it if you’re up for the challenge and if it helps you take a step toward your passion.
Will school be this demanding when it starts?
I absolutely expect school to be even more demanding than the preparation for it. If you have a grad student in your life, cut them some slack (or a lot of slack) if they’re not able to attend all of the events you want them to be at or if they’re not able to spend much time on communications. They’re probably busy, exhausted, and in need of rest. Just send them snacks and money and let them know you’ll still be there when they’re done with their program.
If you have any questions about what life is like leading up to a DPT program, please ask in the comments below!
