You are encouraged to meet with a pre-health advisor at least once a semester to discuss options for careers in medicine, opportunities to gain relevant experience, discussing the best time to apply, preparation for the GRE, the PTCAS application, and much more. For more information, schedule an appointment with your advisor.
Overview
Explore Arizona and national health professional school prerequisites, admission requirements, and class profiles
While maintaining a high GPA, look into opportunities for research and continue to gain observation hours in different physical therapy settings.
Build relationships with professors as they may become letter writers.
Attend pre-health meetings and events.
Begin to look into preparing for the GRE (Studying and Registration).
Clinical experience
PTCAS recognizes volunteer, shadow, and paid work as PT observation hours. Each DPT Program may have specific requirements such as type of setting, number of hours completed, and type of work. For instance, NAU does not require students to have PT observation hours, but highly recommends them. Midwestern requires 30 hours of observation, volunteer or work in a PT setting. Creighton University requires 60 hours of observation verified by a PT. PT observation that must be verified by a licensed PT via PTCAS. A.T Still University requires 30 PT observation hours, but does not require that they are verified. It is important to check each program’s requirements.
PTCAS GPA’s include courses only from colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, repeated courses, study-abroad courses (if reported on a United States transcript), and withdrawn failing.
Overall Cumulative GPA includes all undergraduate, Postbaccalaureate, graduate, and professional courses.
Science GPA includes anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, and physics.
Review of personal statement offered by Pre-Health Office.
PTCAS Guidelines 4,500 characters long (Approximately 1 page) Draft by April of junior year (the year prior to matriculation into physical therapy school).
Letters of recommendation (LOR)
Identify people who know you well and can firmly comment on your ability as a student and future Physical Therapist. PTCAS will only allow up to 4 references to be submitted and will not allow letters to be submitted through a letter service. Ask in advance and give your letter writers sufficient time to complete and submit. Also, remember to stay in touch with letter writers who you may also ask in the future!
Mock interviews
When you receive an interview invitation, schedule a mock interview with Pre-Health Office.
You are encouraged to meet with a pre-health advisor at least once a semester to discuss options for careers in medicine, opportunities to gain relevant experience, discussing the best time to apply, preparation for the GRE, the PTCAS application, and much more. For more information, schedule an appointment with your advisor.