http://www.netpediatrics.com/physical-therapy-volunteer-hours-best-time-and-types/ Questions and Answers from Real People Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:12:14 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.netpediatrics.com/physical-therapy-volunteer-hours-best-time-and-types/comment-page-1/#comment-1051 mistify Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:49:13 +0000 http://www.netpediatrics.com/physical-therapy-volunteer-hours-best-time-and-types/#comment-1051 I have two ways to answer this question. First, if you are not entirely sure you want to become a PT or that you even understand what the job entails, complete your volunteer hours now. That way, if you make the decision to not persue this career path, you haven't spent 3 years completing your pre-requisties. On the other hand, if you are pretty sure you want to become a PT, then I would suggest you hold off at least a little bit...or that you complete some hours just before you apply. This is because many programs want a letter of recommendation from where you complete your hours (and not just documentation that you completed them). Therefore, it's wise to make sure you are "fresh" in the minds of where you volunteered. If you volunteer at a clinic and five years later you want a letter of recommendations, they may not remember you. Some schools do require that you observe in more than one setting. Pediatrics is a great niche, but I also suggest you spend sometime in an orthopedic clinic, or in a hospital or extended care facility. This will give you an idea of what PT entails in a broader sense. In the end, most programs do not care WHERE you do your observation, but just that you've completed it and have been recommended. I have two ways to answer this question. First, if you are not entirely sure you want to become a PT or that you even understand what the job entails, complete your volunteer hours now. That way, if you make the decision to not persue this career path, you haven’t spent 3 years completing your pre-requisties.
On the other hand, if you are pretty sure you want to become a PT, then I would suggest you hold off at least a little bit…or that you complete some hours just before you apply. This is because many programs want a letter of recommendation from where you complete your hours (and not just documentation that you completed them). Therefore, it’s wise to make sure you are “fresh” in the minds of where you volunteered. If you volunteer at a clinic and five years later you want a letter of recommendations, they may not remember you.
Some schools do require that you observe in more than one setting. Pediatrics is a great niche, but I also suggest you spend sometime in an orthopedic clinic, or in a hospital or extended care facility. This will give you an idea of what PT entails in a broader sense.
In the end, most programs do not care WHERE you do your observation, but just that you’ve completed it and have been recommended.

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