1. Learn to be Organized
Physical Therapist (PT) and Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) programs are very different from typical college programs. Most programs are organized into cohorts which means your entrance class goes through the course sequence together in a specific, pre-determined order. Because of this format, there is no opportunity to drop a class or two and come back to them in a different semester. You need to be able to keep up. Therefore, the key is identifying strategies that work for you and getting organized early. One helpful tip is to create a comprehensive calendar for each semester with all quizzes, assignments, and exams for each of your courses. This makes sure that nothing sneaks up on you and can help you prioritize how you spend your time.
If you are tech savvy there are a lot of tools that can help keep you organized including digital calendars, post-its, and reminder pop-ups. Also, it may seem like common sense but use a different notebook for each course. Each course will have plenty of supplemental handouts and it can be frustrating not being able to find what you need. I wouldn’t recommend trying to scan and digitally organize your documents, the time you would spend scanning should be spent learning. If organization isn’t your strongest attribute, do some research on effective strategies before starting your PT/PTA program.
2. Prepare for Class
If the first time you are hearing about a topic is during a lecture or lab then you are already behind! The information comes fast and furious, (like trying to drink from a fire hose) and generally does not let up. The reality is what worked for you in high school or other college courses may not be good enough. The best option is to do any readings or assignments recommended by the instructor in the course syllabus before class. There is enough in a PT/PTA course that there is no need to add “busy work” to your assignments or readings. There is a purpose behind every assignment the instructor has chosen. At the very least you need to do some reviewing about the topic to be covered in class before you get there. This will help you from getting lost and behind in your studies.
3. Ask for Help Early and Often
One of the surest ways to fail is to be afraid to ask for help or to participate in class. Let me spare you from the suspense now, no-one in your class knows it all. Odds are good that if you don’t understand something, someone else is in the same boat. As an instructor I always preferred if a student stopped me during class to seek clarification about something versus not saying anything. If I can clarify something for the whole class, it can save me from explaining the same thing during twenty different office appointments after class. PT and PTA faculty want the same as you, to see you succeed in your program. Keep in mind most faculty started in clinical care which means it is in our DNA to want to help people. So please ask for help if you are struggling. The sooner the better. As we will discuss in a minute, material in PT and PTA programs is designed to build on itself. If you don’t seek help, and struggle learning the early material in the program it will affect your ability to be successful later in the program too.
4. Anatomy and More Anatomy
Having a thorough knowledge of human anatomy and function is the foundation for everything else you will learn in your PT/PTA program. Undergraduate anatomy and physiology courses only scratch the surface of what you need to know to be an effective physical therapy provider, so you have to put in the effort and take the time to learn what is required. You might be able to learn just enough to pass your course, but if you have holes in your knowledge they will get exposed in future classes. There are dozens of digital and print learning tools that can help supplement what you learn in class. Talk with students already in the program and find out which tools they found to be effective. If you need to pay for some supplemental resources, it will be well worth it to ensure you have the depth of understanding necessary to be successful moving forward.
5. Build a Solid Foundation
PT and PTA programs are designed so that later courses build on the foundation learned in earlier courses. You cannot be successful if you have gaps in earlier knowledge. The early stages of PT/PTA programs are designed to teach basic knowledge and skills. As the program progresses, you will be expected to apply those basic skills in more complex situations. Because of the volume of material, there isn’t time to go back and review skills you’ve already learned during your current classes. There is an expectation that once you have learned a skill that you will maintain a competence in performing it. So, it is important that you develop a level of expertise in the knowledge and skills learned in the first couple of semesters, and routinely review the material or techniques. The good news is that PT and PTA faculty are there to make sure you do learn it. If you are struggling, don’t wait, ask for help. Odds are you are not the only one struggling and getting extra help will make sure you don’t get left behind in your learning.
6. Form Study Groups
Working with classmates provides several benefits over studying alone. Working with classmates may introduce you to new study techniques that you had not thought of or tried. Remember all your classmates are in the same boat and trying to adjust to a new learning environment. Studying with others can make learning fun and help motivate you to study when you might not be in the mood. It also gives you an opportunity to compare notes in case you have gaps or there is something you missed during class. Another benefit is the opportunity to engage with other people. Remember the core of what PTs and PTAs do is dealing with people in a clinical setting. You can be an excellent academic student but if you can’t interact with people then all that knowledge will be for nothing. Working in a small group gives you the chance to work on your communication skills and to get comfortable interacting with others. Finally, one of the biggest benefits is the opportunity to teach each other. The best way to determine if you have a good grasp on a concept is to try to teach it to someone else. I found this method particularly helpful when attending PT school. We would take turns explaining important concepts from one of our classes to the rest of our small study group. If I could explain the idea in simple terms, then the chances were good that I had a good understanding of the material we were studying. So, when it comes to small groups remember that there is strength in numbers, and you can learn a lot from your fellow classmates.
7. Practice Your Skills
Both physical therapist and physical therapist assistant programs will require you to demonstrate the skills you have learned during a practical/laboratory exam. Practical exams are high stakes (if you cannot pass you fail the course and cannot continue in the program) and high stress environments. Even the best student can suffer from practical anxiety and make mistakes. Limited lab time with the instructor means you will be shown how to do a particular skill and may get a chance to practice it once or twice with feedback before you are on your own.
Do you think because you did the skill well once or twice that you will be comfortable doing it during a high-stress exam? Odds are the answer is no. If you want to enter a practical exam with confidence, then you must commit to repeated practice of all the skills that will be covered. This requires a commitment on your part to practice outside of normal class times. It is imperative to also make sure when you practice skills that you do not loose focus on the patient interaction component. Most programs are grading you not only on the performance of the skill, but also in the manner with which you interact and communicate with your simulated patient. Use this practice time to work on both components of your skill performance.
A strategy that can be helpful during practice is to work from the grading rubric (score sheet) that the instructor will use during the practical exam. Our goal as instructors is not to trick you or keep you in the dark about how you are being graded, so grading rubrics are typically provided to the student before an exam. This is another opportunity for small group work to be of benefit and another reason to be highly organized with your time. You can take turns “grading” each other using the rubric as you practice. As an instructor it was quite apparent to me during a practical exam who had practiced their skills and who had not. This was reflected in the student’s self-confidence and overall performance during the practical exam. Make sure to commit ample time to practice and prepare for your practical exams, it will pay off with better grades and lower stress!
8. Enjoy the Process
The reason so many of us have chosen a career in physical therapy is because we want to understand how the human body works, how to restore function, and we have a genuine desire to help people. Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist assistant programs are hard and demanding, but that doesn’t mean that learning can’t be fun. Becoming part of a cohort of students affords you the opportunity to spend a lot of time with others who share your same passion. I made many life-long friends during my time in PT school because we took the time to have fun and enjoy our shared experience. As the program nears its conclusion, students are always amazed at how much they have learned and how much they have enjoyed it. The two or three years you will be in the program might seem like an eternity but will pass in the blink of an eye. When you are done you will have the chance to impact people’s lives in ways you can’t possibly imagine. Don’t lose site of the reasons you chose to start this adventure and let the energy and passion inside of you and your classmates make it an enjoyable experience.
