7 Ways to Stand Out During Your Physical Therapy Interview
1. Experience, Experience, Experience, and more ExperienceGetting into the clinic There is a reason this is number one on the list of 7. Experience in the clinic will shore up deficiencies in other areas. So if you are looking at this because you are wondering if your GPA is too low to get in, here is the best way to strengthen the resume (besides retaking some of the classes that lowered your overall GPA). When I talked to my classmates, I noticed that the majority spent significant time in the clinic. I also asked others about the questions they received. The interviewers can ask anything they want so the there are a lot of different topics. The lessons learned in the clinic are essential to being able to answer the questions. Beyond just preparing for the interview, however, getting to work with the patients really shows you if physical therapy is the right choice. When you know that and know strongly that the answer is yes, then this certainty will come through during the interview. For example, can you answer these questions confidently? Do you like to work with people? Can you work with people in pain that are really pissed off? (That happens in the clinic quite a bit with the changes in healthcare and the necessity of decreased time with each patient to meet the economic demands of keeping businesses viable) Do you know what to do if a person starts crying because of their pain and inability to make it stop? (If crying makes you uncomfortable, that's OK because experience in the clinic will help you to get over this fear and be a compassionate health care professional) Can you deal with a busy schedule? I could go on and on with the questions. My point is that physical therapy is not for everyone. Make sure it is right for you before you start this journey and the best way to know is to experience first hand what it is. To me 40 hours is not enough - which is minimum for some programs. Shoot for higher and you will be rewarded for the hard work. 2. Know Your Material - Impress the interviewers with your knowledge Since you read this far down the post, I assume you are motivated to do everything possible to get into school. Here is the number one thing to do to separate yourself from everyone else; read everything you can related to physical therapy. Do you know the current thought leaders in the field of physical therapy?
Do you know about the history of the profession (how or why it started? Do you know certain areas that interest you? I read these books before going into the interview and it gave me the confidence that I could talk for hours about the physical therapy profession. If you are willing to put in the time, I suggest getting this books. http://www.polestarmiami.com/offer/ AND when you get into school you will be that much farther ahead and ready for the rigors of classwork. For example, I knew my interests and read quite a bit about it. I approached a faculty member about some ideas on the topic. My preparation allowed me to work on multiple research projects, lead a couple, and be first author on publications (not to mention the peripheral benefits of getting scholarships and recognition by your fellow peers as a person who is dedicated to the field of physical therapy) http://hubpages.com/education/7-ways-to-stand-out-during-your-physical-therapy-interview