<p>Alright parents I need some advice before I can approach my own parents.</p>
<p>This past semester I took the intro course to my major, kinesiology. My professor said a good way to get experience in the PT field was to go get your PTA license and work for a few years especially if you are not strong in the sciences, or are afraid of not getting into a DPT program. Then you can finish you BS degree while working. I started thinking about how it would be a great back up plan to do this if don't get into a program right away. Here is my problem. My tech school has a 1-3 yr wait-list for the program, and it only starts in January. I've thought about taking the extra 45 credits at the same as taking my BS degree courses but I feel like I would be spreading myself to thin since I only have 3 more yrs left. So I've started thinking about maybe just transferring to the tech school and taking the rest of my general ed courses. I don't know what my placement would be on the wait list because to my understanding you don't get on until you complete your GED courses which some of them I cannot take at the 4 yr university because they don't offer similar courses. I've tried to bring this up to my parents but I don't think they are realizing how serious I am about this option. </p>
<p>How can approach this topic with them? My dad only has a technical degree and he seems to really want me to get a BS because he knows how hard it can be just with the tech. My mother is first returned to school 2 yrs ago to finish her BS, and will be graduating next Spring with an Accounting degree. I understand their points, but at this point I feel like the PTA work experience would be very beneficial for me because I am not strong in the sciences but I enjoy the courses. (As I posted before I have memory, and concentration problems. My dr seems to want to try natural ways of improving before jumping to stimulants, and I agree with him)</p>
<p>I plan on making an appointment with my adviser to discuss this with her.</p>
<p>Kudos to your professor for admitting the PTA degree could really help. Your post is one of the most thought-out posts I’ve ever seen written by a young student on this forum. Is the PTA program at a community college or one of those expensive for-profit schools?</p>
<p>Wow, good for you, you are really smart to go for the PTA degree first. I didn’t quite understand all of your information, but
I think you can tell your parents that you are going to get the PTA degree at the technical school, and then get a further degree after. Try to get your GED courses done first to get on the wait list as soon as possible. The reality is that with a PTA degree you can work anywhere in the country, and you can make a very good wage. Heck, get your PTA degree and go work in Hawaii, or Colorado, or anywhere you want while you are young. You can also find work that would be flexible, in order to continue to take classes toward your other degree. Maybe you need to find some statistics about how in demand PTA’s are, and how much you will be making to show your father. There have also been studies done on how long it takes PT’s to catch up with the wages earned by PTA’s. I can’t remember the details, but it was about 15-20 years, due to all of the extra years and expense of schooling the PT has while the PTA is already out working. It is kind of like the game of Life.</p>
<p>My good friend is a PT and also a clinical instructor at our local community college PTA program, and he highly recommends getting the PTA degree first due to the expense of the PT degree, mainly due to the new doctorate level. Then if you decide you don’t want to go further, or you want to study something else, you have a very good and important job skill.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice. Sorry I haven’t posted. We put my dog down this weekend so I haven’t been ready to discuss this with them. I brought up some of the points you mention to my father. He said to talk to my adviser, and to see if I can talk to the chair of the DPT program on campus. Since I’m not very strong in sciences he thinks it might be best to go get experience while continuing on with my courses. Now on to my mother. She may be the hardest to get because she was very much against me coming home for this major. I will set up appointments at my 4 yr school, and try to get in with the technical school. The technical school is public not for profit. </p>
<p>Only downside is I may no longer get to be employed at the job I just got in our exercise physiology lab. I love it because I get to do assessments (blood pressure, heart rate,) while showing them how to use equipment. It’s a shame I just got hired there but maybe they will make an exception for me. I can only hope.</p>
<p>I’ve also requested a shadow with a PT at a local sports rehab clinic. I know they may or may not give advice on this topic but I hope to see what they think. I’ve talked to one before who said you will learn everything once clinical(s) start so I get the feeling that having PTA experience will be so helpful.</p>
<p>You said you can’t take GED classes at the 4 year university? By GED, you mean prerequisite classes, right? I have never heard of a public technical college not taking credits from a 4 year institution. Maybe you could find out all the classes that would transfer over. Also, find out if transfering would give you any edge in getting into the program faster. If not, you could just stay where you’re at and make your parents happy.</p>
<p>I know I was shocked to see that some of the courses I am signed up for are not transferring over. For instance I have taken Psych. 101 but I need to take at least 2 more Psych courses one specifically being Health Psychology. My university does not offer a course named that, nor do we have one named Abnormal Psych. I used our course transfer wizard to see what, and how courses will transfer. My Chem course is worth 5 credits at my university, and tech school only counts it for 3. This is a very hard course that I am signed up for because if I stay at my university I will need to take it along with another semester of Chem before I can declare my major. I took the prep course for it to which is basically a weed out but they require it before you can sign up for the real weed out courses. </p>
<p>I emailed, and requested information for tech school on who to talk to about transferring. I cannot apply for admission to the PTA program until my pre req’s and general ed’s are finished. Once my application is considered complete then I can be put on the waiting list. I may just have to figure a new fall schedule because I honestly do want to transfer. I feel like it is the path I should’ve been on all along, but of courses when I was a senior in high school and I brought it up to my mom she said no tech, or 2 yr school (she had no valid argument) Now I have a valid reason such as professor saying it was a great path to take for those who are want to be a PT but do not, or can’t achieve a 3.5 or higher all 4 yrs.</p>
<p>I rather get my PTA license, and move to the state I want to settle in than complete my BS degree, stay home to continue on with PTA out of my own money after graduation. I feel like that is foolish. I should go get the PTA, move to establish residence, work while attending school to complete the BS. Then continue with PT if I get in. If I don’t, I know I can work for a year before re applying. I may find PTA to be more enjoying then a PT because of all the paperwork PT’s need to do. </p>
<p>Well in the end both parents took it fairly good. Leaving the choice up to me, but want me to discuss with tech school to see if I would just be better off finishing my 4yr first. If possible they want me to discuss this with the an actual PT someone who knows the ropes. I did set up a shadowing so I may be able to ask that PT. Otherwise it’s completely up to me. I am trying to find forums/websites where I can get current PTA info about my area.</p>
<p>I think the PTA path is a good one. I have a daughter in a 4 year college who may also end up doing something similar.</p>
<p>Our community college also has a wellness certificate, with yoga, massage, reiki, Alexander technique, and other approaches. And practitioners such as chiropractors and acupuncturists also need assistants, with certificate programs that prepare students.</p>
<p>With the big bubble of boomers starting to hit old age, there will be opportunities in all of these fields and, of course in PT itself, so job security should be good, and salary is not bad either, just under $40K to start I think.</p>