Fall year 1 DONE!!!

Well, first quarter is done! I'm very excited to say the first quarter is under my belt now. It's definitely a relief, and I have a feeling I won't be as stressed in the upcoming quarters. I'm sure there will be times when I will be, but overall, knowing that I passed all my classes, got off to a good start, and that overall, everything will be ok is a huge advantage for the future quarters.

During finals, I was not nearly as stressed as I was during midterms. One thing I learned from midterms is that I need time with people outside of class. I need to socialize without friends other than my girlfriend. Now, that being said, I still spent 18 hours in the cadaver lab the week leading up to finals. I just used my free time to socialize, rather than just going up to my apartment and relaxing alone. Having people to talk with did wonders for me mentally.

Overall, next semester I am going to try and take more time for myself, without sacrificing my grades. It is going to be tough because we have 7 more hours of class per week than this semester, but I think it is going to be really important to take some time off to rejuvenate. I am going to try and start my reading for next quarter on the flights back ton east coast after my vacation in Northern California is over early next week. I want to get ahead if I can to make the the start of next quarter a bit smoother.

I'll try and update this blog again before school starts.

G

Fall Midterms 2012

Well, Midterms are almost over now.  I've taken 2 out of the 3 I have to take this quarter.  We were originally supposed to have Kinesiology on Monday, and Anatomy today (Thursday).  Unfortunately, Drexel canceled classes Monday and Tuesday of this week. That meant that my tests were scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday respectively.  It didn't make for an easy week, or couple of days.  However, I shouldn't complain because me and my family all made it through Hurricane Sandy without any issues.  My thoughts are with those who will be trying to pick up the pieces in the days, weeks, and months.

Overall, I did not think the tests were too bad.  I know it did not get a perfect score, but I don't believe I am in danger of a failing grade.  However, that could change when I get the actual score back.  Anatomy was tough, but easier than I thought it was going to be.  The main thing I had to do during the test was sit back and think of what the answer was.  Both tests were tricky.  The professors wanted to make sure we knew the topic.  Both professors provided answers where one answer was one word off from being the correct answer.  Also, there were questions that two answers could be correct, but one was a better answer than the other.  I'll have to remember that for next time.

My last test is in PT Exam & Intervention.  I definitely have some studying to do for that test, but I think I should be alright with it.  Hopefully I'll be posting next week to update my progress.  For now, it  is time to prepare for tomorrow's classes.  Tomorrow night will be time to start studying again.

Fall Quarter Week 1

Week one is done!!!

It is hard to believe it, but I have finished my first full week of DPT school.  One thing is for sure, there is a lot of work.  Maybe its because I'm trying to make sure I keep ahead of the work and keep things planned out so I don't have to do anything last minute, but there is definitely a lot to do.  I have done all my assignments for this week, and am working on next weeks now as well as studying what we've gone over in class.  We will see how it goes.

One way I've surprised myself is, I didn't have a problem with the cadaver lab at all.  The worst part about it was the anticipation leading up to the first unveiling and then making the first cuts.  Every once and a while I'll get a whiff of something that will turn my stomach, but overall I am not having a problem with any of the dissections.  

Other classes are going well.  Kinesiology is fun because it deals with Physics so far.  I struggled a little bit the first few days with the terminology, but now that I am getting that down I am starting to understand the concepts.  

One of the things that is going to be key to my learning the material across all my classes and doing well on the tests is to integrate the material throughout the curriculum.  Really understanding the material is going to take some work, but I can already see how the classes all tie together and why the material is taught the way it is.  

I can't wait until I know even more about everything. It is all so interesting and I can't wait to get to a point where I can really apply it. 

Counting down the days

Well, Monday is the day.  We had orientation for the DPT program yesterday, and it went well.  Everybody has been asking me what they said and wanting details... well, I guess all I can say is they were very honest with us about the amount of work and how quick the pace would be.  I know it will be an adjustment going from 16 week semesters to 10 week quarters, so I'm going to have to stay on top of everything.  I plan on being in the library or some room somewhere studying from day 1.  It is going to be a lot of work, and I know this.

The biggest piece of advice that I heard echoed from the Professors was to make sure we take some time for ourselves.  They said, if we don't, we may burnout.  It is a ton of work so we need some time to relax and unwind a bit.  I can tell already that this whole process is going to be extremely rewarding.

I was able to talk with one of the Pediatric Clinicians on staff.  She was very excited to hear that I was interested in Peds.  Right now it seems like that is what I'm going to want to go into,  but there is a long time till graduation and I have plenty of time to figure that out.  However, she did mention that if any of us know what we want to do when we get out, residencies are a way to go to start on the track of being a specialist.  I guess I will just have to wait and see what all happens.

Getting out of the city for a couple of days while I can.  A little fresh air before I start the daily grind of class, reading, and studying...

Moved In

Well, I'm in Philly now.  I've moved into my new place Drexel's campus in Center City. It has been quite a day.  Somehow I fit all my stuff into a 10x10ish room.  Tomorrow I have my first orientation.  This one is the University orientation, so I'm not sure how long I'm going to stay.  I guess I'll just have to go and see how it goes.  I'll probably at least stay until lunch.  Tomorrow should be an interesting day.  I'm getting a visitor tomorrow evening...!

Moving to Philly

Well, its almost that time.  I'll be moving to Philly tomorrow.  I'm living on campus so there isn't much that I'll need to do down there in the apartment.  I'll basically move all my stuff in and figure out where everything goes.  Hopefully I'll be able to start exploring the city a bit on Thursday (my girlfriend is coming to visit on Friday).  I don't start school until the 24th, but I have a couple of orientations to go to in the next week, the first one being on Friday.

I've ordered all my books, which was a fairly big bill, but nothing that wasn't expected.  My schedule is fairly full, with Tuesdays looking the hardest of all of them.  Overall, I'm nervous about two things, the workload and anatomy lab.  I think I'm prepared mentally, but you never know.  One thing I know, is that I have a great support system around me.  The next 2.5 years are going to be tough, and I know there will be some changes, but I'm very confident things are going to work out.

I'm going to be updating this blog more frequently, I hope, but for now I need to finish packing and finish all the last minute preparations.

Early Summer Update

Well not a lot has happened in regards to Drexel.  I did complete my housing already.  Unfortunately, I found out after I had it completed that it wasn't necessary to finish complete the housing questionnaire yet.  Oh well.  The important thing is I have a room.

One other thing that I've been struggling through is the Financial Aid process.  My mom thought it would be a good idea for me to complete as much of it as possible as soon as possible.  I completed my FASFA, as well as all of my institutional Financial Aid info on time.  What she was really interested in me completing was the government loan information.  I figured it wouldn't hurt so I completed it back in late April or early May. What I found out after finishing it was that if the institution did not request the money within 90 days, I would have to reapply  and they would have to look at my financial info again.  This information was probably somewhere in the fine print, which I only skimmed at best.  Oh well, it isn't a big deal to fill out the application again.  It was a very easy form to fill out.

I actually put in my notice 2 weeks ago that I will be leaving my job September 9th.  Hopefully by giving Alvernia 3 months notice, my position can be filled by the time I'm going to leave.  I honestly want to make it as easy for them as possible when I leave.  It won't be easy to fill my position (and my supervisor's as well).  My supervisor's last night is tonight.  This is going to mean an increase in my "work" at night, as I will be responsible for answering any questions that come up.  I won't have her to differ to anymore.  Its not a big deal, just something else for me to do during the long nights in the Library.

Well, that's all for now.  Time to watch some more soccer.

G

Decision Time

Well, once again, I have a lot to catch up since my last post.  First of all, I was accepted to the wait list of the 4th school I applied to, Arcadia University.  Their acceptance seemed almost like another way to weed out students.  If I accepted a spot on the wait list, I had to put down a $500 deposit.  If I was then moved off the wait list, I owed them another $500 deposit, for a total of $1000.  If at any time I chose to take myself off the wait list or the acceptance list, I would forfeit any and all of the deposit.  To me, it seemed like the extra deposit money and the wait list was another way to weed out candidates, and see who was really serious.  Another strange thing was there wasn't an interview process for this school either.  Fortunately though, I never had to really make a decision.

Earlier that week, I had sat down with a close friend and advisor and went over the two programs I was trying to decide between: Drexel and Shenandoah. We compared the programs on a number of qualities.  First of all, we looked at how the programs were structured.  The way Drexel is structured is that you learn about one area of the body in its entirety before moving on to the next.  For example, start with the shoulder and you learn the anatomy, kinesiology, injuries, etc... of the shoulder before moving on to another part of the body.  Shenandoah was different.  At Shenandoah they taught anatomy of the body, then kinesiology of the body and so on.   Personally, I learn better in Drexel's learning environment.

The second thing we looked at was the cost.  By doing a rudimentary comparison of the cost over the length of the program, Drexel came out as the cheaper of the two programs.  Now I know that money isn't the biggest thing to worry about, but it does factor in.  Drexel was cheaper because they offered me a Merritt Scholarship.  In order to keep it I have to maintain a B+ average instead of a B average.

Finally, we looked at the faculty that worked at each of the two Universities.  While both programs have good, well educated faculty, the programs just don't compare.  The way we figured, 3 of the 8 Shenandoah faculty held advanced degrees.  However, 9 of the 12 Drexel faculty held advanced degrees.  To me, that pushed them over the top.  Drexel faculty are among the best in their field.  Learning from them is going to be a challenge, but the amount of information they will be able to provide will probably be much higher and much more in depth.  Also, considering both programs are approximately the same size (Drexel ~50, Shenandoah ~40), Drexel has a lower student to faculty ratio.  My own experience tells me this is a good thing for my educational experience.

All in all, I was able to make my decision.  I'll be attending Drexel University in the fall.  I'll be starting late September.  As you can probably guess, my blog will now move to focusing mostly on my experience at Drexel and living in Philadelphia.  Hopefully this information is helpful to anyone reading this.  If anyone would like more information, just comment on any given post and I'll try to provide more information.

G

Another Acceptance

Well, this was a first.  I got accepted to a school yesterday without even interviewing.  I received a letter from Franklin Pierce in New Hampshire saying "Welcome to the Program".  This was my fall back school.  The school I figured I'd get in to even if I was rejected from the rest.  I also applied there because my cousin goes to Law School up there as well.  As nice as it would be to spend time in NH, and with my cousin, I just don't think the school is going to be academically challenging.  I'm sure I'd get a good education, and I'd pass my license exam, I just don't think that I'd get the same type of education I'd get at Drexel or Shenandoah.  I'll keep this one in my back pocket.  However, they want a decision by Feb. 14. I'm assuming they do their admissions the same way Shenandoah does, admit 40 or so, then when one declines, admit another person.

That's all for now.  Still trying to decide between Shenandoah and Drexel.  Hopefully I make a decision soon.

Interview #2 Shenandoah

Well, let's see.  My interview at Shenandoah was completely different than Drexel.  First of all, Shenandoah told me to expect to be there between 4-5 hours.  My interview was at 8 am, which made for a very long day (I had to work 4-midnight at the library, and its a 3 hour car trip home...).  Anyway, there were about 50 people in my interview.  Shenandoah was bringing in 4 groups of interviewees over a 2 day period, which by my calculations means they interviewed approximately 200 people. 

The way Shenandoah accepts students is, they offer acceptance to 40 people, and then have a maybe group, and finally a no group.  The "maybe group" is ranked in the order in which Shenandoah wants to accept them.  We were told this is always changing, as grades come in and they find out more about us.  Once a student receives an acceptance letter, he or she has 30 days to either accept or decline the offer of admission.  If a student decides to decline the invitation, Shenandoah then goes to the next person on their "maybe" list.  This continues until they get 40 people who accept admission.  As I was talking with some of the students, I found out that this can go up until a week before school starts.  This seems crazy to me, but it does make sense in some ways.  The school can control exactly the caliber of student they offer admission to and also make sure they get the number of people they want, no more, no less. 

Ok, now the interview.  This interview was a lot tougher than the Drexel interview.  I was in the group with the first interviewees at 9am.  (Interviews were 25 minutes long with a 5 minute break for the interviewer to make notes) I had one professor and one student in my interview.  They took turns asking (firing) questions.  I could definitely tell that the interviewers were looking for answers at some points.  Some of the questions they asked...

How would you handle a group situation?
What would you do if a person was clearly not doing their share in the group?
How would you handle a patient who is clearly not doing their home exercise program?
What would you do if a patient came to you with a prescription from a doctor for PT, but you believed that the patient may be injured somehow due to treatment?

In typical interview fashion, I was allowed to ask questions at the end.  This is always my weakness, because I'm more apt to ask questions during the actual interview, than to save all my questions for the end. 

After the interview was over, we were led back to the room with the rest of the interviewees.  It really felt like a holding pen for livestock.  The tension in the room was palpable, but I was relieved to be done with my actual interview.  During the waiting time, we were given a tour of the facility by students, and had a time to ask questions to both current students and prospective students.  I really had a good time during this because there was no more pressure on me, and I could ask whatever I wanted.  However, I was always aware that the interview could actually still be going on.  There could have been someone planted in the room just to look and see what we were up to, and how we were handling ourselves in a big group of people.  I was pretty excited when it was all over.  If they had offered me a spot right then, I probably would have taken it. 

Now, I have to take sometime to think about this decision, and weigh my options.  I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to do it, but I'll be updating this blog as I move forward in my process...

First Inverview- Drexel

Ok, let's see what I can remember from my interview at Drexel...

First of all, here is some statistics from the visit.  Drexel has a rolling admissions process.  As soon as the admissions committee identifies you as a person they would like to interview, they will send an interview invitation.  All the interviews were done on Fridays throughout the month.  We were told there were approximately 1000 applicants for 50 spots.  Personally, when I signed up, I was number 76 I believe.  I'm not sure how many interviews they granted. 

In my particular interview, there were about 10 of us.  The interview was scheduled to last 2 hours, mine went over, so plan on more than 2 hours for your interview.  The first hour was the Program Director talking to us about the different aspects of Drexel's DPT Program, and what we could expect throughout our education.  The second half of the interview was a half an hour interview with a faculty member and a half an hour tour of the facilities.  Everything was very relaxed.  The actual interview was more of a conversation.  I was even asked if there was anything I wanted the interviewer to know. 

I left this interview thinking, there is no way I did not do a good job.  I was very confident going in and even more confident when I left.  A lot of this confidence is credited to the two people I had for a practice interview.  Both are professors where I work/go to school, and both of them did a great job firing questions at me and preparing me for this interview. 

I found out about a week and a half later that I got in.  They sent me an email, and a letter of acceptance withing 2 days of each other.  It was a huge relief to know that I actually got in somewhere, when all I had heard was how competitive it was, and how hard it was to get in. 

I'll be going into detail later about what I learned during the information session, and how that compares to Shenandoah.  But for now, this is it. Goodnight...

Acceptance # 2

I got into Shenandoah today!!!  I received the email while I was at work this afternoon.  In the next few days, I should be getting an acceptance letter in the mail.  According to Shenandoah, I have to respond and either accept or decline their offer.  So, In the next few weeks, I'll be posting how I'm actually going to make this decision.  Pros and cons of each school, comparisons of the programs... etc.

There was a small part of me that was hoping that I wouldn't get accepted to Shenandoah.  It would have made the decision a lot easier.  But, in reality, the more I think about it, I am glad that I have to make this decision.  It will allow me to really search through the schools and find which one is going to fit me the best.

I know I said I was going to start comparing the interviews at Drexel and Shenandoah today, but I've been at work for 10 hours so far, and I still have an hour and a half left.  We had a party and I came in early.  On the bright side, I got to make a Mayan Temple today for a display.  Haha... It took me about 6 hours to complete, using old card catalog cards. I got a little lazy at the end with the steps, but it still looks pretty sweet Haha. ... well that's all for tonight.  I'll write more tomorrow hopefully.

New Year... New Drive...

Alright, well I've been extremely lazy when it comes to writing in this blog.  Once again, I plan on updating this more often.  So, since I last wrote, a lot has happened!  Overall, I've applied to four schools, Drexel, Shenandoah, Arcadia, and Franklin Pierce. I have heard back from and had interviews at two (Drexel and Shenandoah). 

Good news! I got in to Drexel!!  I'm supposed to hear back from Shenandoah in the next couple of days.  I plan on writing again tomorrow and going over the two interviews I had and what it was like.  Both interviews were exhausting, but in different ways. I'm sure I'll get a great education, regardless of where I go, but both schools seem to offer completely different things.  But I want to hold off until tomorrow. 

An update on Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up... I'm not going to be doing it this year.  There was no way I could come up with the money.  I am however looking forward to doing this someday when I do have the money and a chance to make a difference!

Until tomorrow (hopefully)...