Experience

Competitive applicants to physical therapy schools are well rounded and have pursued a wide range of experiences to develop not only their scientific background and skills, but also interpersonal, teamwork, and leadership skills, and professionalism.

Observation Hours & Internships

Most PT schools require students to observe physical therapists in a variety of settings and with a variety of patient populations: inpatient and outpatient, pediatrics to geriatrics. A minimum of 50-100 observation hours is recommended by the time of application, but requirements vary by program. The Smith Career Center maintains a contact list of Peoria area physical therapy clinics where students may observe.

Volunteering

Volunteering and community service, whether or not it is in a healthcare setting, demonstrates your commitment to serving others, as you will as a future physical therapist.

Get Involved

Becoming a leader in a student organization, job, etc. gives you experience working with teams, communicating, and working together to share responsibility for accomplishing shared goals. Consider joining organizations such as HSO or Alpha Epsilon Delta honor society, and working your way toward an executive board or other leadership role.