Hi everyone!
I am currently a rising senior and just visited SLU for the first time. Loved it! I am really interested in their 6 year direct-entry physical therapy program and would like to have more information on it. If anyone is in it, knows someone who is, or honestly just knows anything about it, please share! Thank you!
I can’t help with the PT program, but my daughter is in the 5 year OT program. Loves it, loves SLU. She’s going into her junior year. If you have any questions about campus or SLU in general, feel free to reply and I’ll try to respond.
I know it has been a couple of months since you posted your question, but I don’t come to CC very often. Thought I would reply anyway in case you (or others) still have questions about it.
My daughter is in the direct entry PT program at SLU. She is a junior so this is her last year of undergraduate work before starting the professional part of the program. She loves the school, the city and the program. She knew she wanted a direct entry DPT and had several acceptances to choose from - she still believes she make the best choice!
Did you get a chance to visit Doisy and someone from the PT program when you were there? I am happy to try and answer any specific questions you have.
Hi! I know it’s been a while since you posted this, but my son was just accepted into SLU’s PT program. He is very excited but we do have some questions. We understand that it is an intense program, but how hard is it to maintain the required 3.0 GPA? Is there time for other activities? What about going abroad? Just curious and thank you for your help!
Congratulations to your son! From my daughter’s perspective (and my observation) I would say that maintaining the required GPA is certainly doable as long as you put in some effort. My daughter hasn’t had a problem and she does not live in the library! She is involved in campus activities, is an officer in her sorority and has time for friends and Netflix in addition to classes and studying.The collaborative environment makes it easier as the students are “in it together” and it is not a cut-throat environment.
One of the selling points for SLU for her was the ability to study abroad. For the PT program, Fall semester junior year is the designated time to go and is easily accommodated with the PT course schedule. She just returned from her study abroad semester (as did a high percentage of her PT cohort) and LOVED it!
Good luck to him with the decision - let me know if you have other questions.
Oh thank you! It is very exciting! He committed last night, so it looks like he is SLU-bound! Though he told me this morning that in the middle of the night he got worried about making it in the program! I will convey your message! Question~Do most PT’s live in a certain dorm? Would you say that the campus is more Mac? or PC? Does it matter? Thank you for your help!
My daughter is in the PT program and is a sophomore. She lived in the Health Sciences learning community her first year. She wasn’t thrilled with the dorm, Rienert, in the beginning. However, she liked living there and with other health science majors as the year progressed. She has a PC and I believe that most of her peers do too. I don’t think that it matters either way. They do have a tech department that can help you. From my understanding there are several different GPAs that the students have to maintain. My daughter has not had a problem maintaining any of them and she hasn’t said that she knows of students having problems. She is very involved at school and has a good network of friends who are also in the PT program. I believe that the students work well together because they are not competing against each other to get into a PT program. She has found the professors helpful and willing to help you when you ask. Actually she has not expressed any regrets or second thoughts about the program. She has not complained about her peers, classes, professors, etc. She has however, had friends who are not in a direct entry program at SLU or any other school complain about just about everything. They also seem to stress over whether or not they will be able to get into a PT program. To me, that is the best thing about SLU’s PT program … the competition to get in was completed before classes began. I think the environment is one in which the students and professors work together well. Congrats to your son.
Thank you SO much! This is really helpful. He is very excited and knows a few other kids going next year too. (not PT, but other programs) I think the transition will be okay. We are only hearing good things and great responses from everyone we have asked. Thank you for your help! Best to your daughter!