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The Curly Clinician - Physical Therapy + Lifestyle

PTCAS Essay 2020-2021/2021-2022/2022-2023: Initial Thoughts + 5 Tips

June 25, 2020 Physical Therapy , Pre-PT , PTCAS & Planning

Hi friends! Long time no personal statement post! PTCAS updated their essay for the 2020-2021 cycle, so I figured I’d give you guys my initial thoughts on the essay prompt and share a few tips to help you get started on crafting a winning essay!

PTCAS Essay Prompt : Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that “help” others, please go beyond your initial interaction or experiences with physical therapy, and share the deeper story that has confirmed your decision to specifically pursue physical therapy as your career.

In my opinion, I think this is a great essay prompt! It is way better than the one I had to answer when I applied in my opinion: “What is professionalism in the context of being a student in a doctor of physical therapy program?”…yea bleh. This prompt isn’t too vague; it’s just specific enough so that you know exactly what admissions committees are looking for, but you still have free range to make it personal and add your own flare.

1. Answer the prompt, period.

I know this may seem obvious, but I have edited many essays for pre-PT students, and have come across essays that didn’t even answer the prompt. This is a sure-fire way to stop someone from reading your essay, so follow directions, and try not to deviate too far from the prompt.

2. Wanting to “help others” is not enough.

Almost everyone wants to be a physical therapist because they want to help people, or because they had an awesome physical therapist when they were injured. While this is great, admissions committees want to hear why you want to become a physical therapist (which is why they explicitly included this in the prompt) as opposed to an MD/DO, a PA, an OT. Really think about WHY you want to help people. What are your passions? Pull from your life experiences (healthcare and/or non-healthcare related) to make your essay more personal.

3. What is your s tory?

Everyone has a story. Like the prompt requires, you must go beyond your initial experiences with physical therapy. Did you have a really impactful patient? A family tie? A childhood experience? Whatever it is, tell it! Your story will always be enough. This may require a bit of brainstorming (and deep thought), and that’s fine. Remember that admissions committees aren’t looking for this extravagant story though, they just want to know you and why physical therapy is the right fit. This is your personal statement…make it PERSONAL!

For example, my “PT story” includes the lack of representation for Black women in academia in general, but especially in the physical therapy profession. I began my essay discussing my first real experience with representation: receiving a Holiday Barbie doll that was Black every year for Christmas as a child. This was a piece of my story, and I used it to explain why physical therapy was the career choice for me, and how it made me a great applicant.

4. Make sure your essay has structure.

You need to have an introduction (with a captivating opener to engage the reader), and a conclusion to bring your essay full circle. I began my essay with a childhood memory (as mentioned earlier), but you could begin with a quote (kinda cliché, but you could make it work), a question, a general idea, or something else. You want to grab the reader’s attention immediately !

5. Show, don’t tell!

Use lots of examples. Show your story, don’t just tell it. The reader must be able to visualize your words, so that your story can come to life. You can achieve this by having a “theme” that you incorporate into your essay.

Alright guys, I hope this was helpful, and is a good start to helping you craft an awesome essay. Remember that I am available for editing (this essay, supplemental essays, and resumes), so click here if that is something you are interested in! Also feel free to check out this post for more tips on writing your essay(s)!

Special thanks to my sweet friend Yusra . She wrote a post like this on a past PTCAS prompt, and it inspired me to write one with my thoughts for this year’s prompt!

Reader Interactions

July 2, 2020 at 1:10 pm

Hi, thank you so much for these helpful tips! Do you think it best to discuss one personal experience when writing the personal statement or is it okay to talk about more than one?

July 5, 2020 at 3:53 pm

You’re so welcome! And I think it is okay to discuss more than one, just not too many!

July 22, 2020 at 10:20 pm

Hello, I was wondering if you could just glance over my essay and let me know if the structure is fine?

July 25, 2020 at 12:36 pm

Hi, I offer editing services under my “shop/services” page!

July 25, 2020 at 11:38 am

Wonderful insight! These tips gave me some great ideas for my essay after weeks of being lost with this prompt. Thank you so much!

July 25, 2020 at 12:38 pm

You’re so welcome, good luck with everything!

August 18, 2020 at 10:33 pm

Awesome thank you!

September 13, 2020 at 11:56 pm

What do you think is an appropriate length for the essay. The maximum word limit is 4500 but I’m afraid of writing too much that it might loose the interest of the reader and too little that the reader may not see my personality/experience detail.

September 15, 2020 at 7:42 pm

You should definitely try your hardest to hit the 4500 CHARACTER limit!

September 24, 2020 at 11:24 am

Hello, I am having the hardest time starting on my personal essay. I know exactly what I want to say, I just do not have right words at the moment. When I first read your tips, I had the perfect flow going but now I am stuck.

September 24, 2020 at 3:40 pm

Hi Alicia! My biggest piece of advice for when you are stuck is to take a break. Coming back to your essay later with a fresh pair of eyes can be a game changer. I hope this helps!

January 5, 2021 at 4:20 pm

Hey girly! Thank you so much for all the info! It’s been really helpful exploring your blog! I’m a little confused on the how often the prompts change for the personal statements. Is it every two years that a new prompt gets put out?

January 5, 2021 at 5:41 pm

You’re so welcome! And yes typically they change every 2 years!

July 28, 2022 at 10:40 am

Thank you so much for all this info! It’s been super helpful as my college also did not have a Pre-PT club. When writing the PTCAS essay, is it okay to use “PT” instead of physical therapy or things like “PT school”? I am right over the 4500 character limit and am trying to cut some things out! Thank you for all of your help!

August 18, 2022 at 10:36 pm

You’re so welcome Sarah! Yes, that is totally fine!

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The Ultimate Guide to Writing PT School Application Essays

Here are some pointers for writing essays when you apply to physical therapy school. Please know that there isn’t a single best way to write your essays and everyone will answer each prompt differently, so do what works for you!

Essays are challenging to write, especially without any guidance. I had about 10 revisions of each of the 7 essays I wrote, had several people read them each time, and still had trouble writing some of them.

How to Start Writing Your Essay

1. Organize Your Thoughts

Write down the essay prompt, either on a computer or by hand. Read it a couple times, even out loud, until you have a good idea of what it is asking.

Then write down any thoughts that came to mind. They can be related to the prompt, or you can just write down what you like about the physical therapy profession or any specific experiences that stand out to you.

It doesn’t matter if you’ll actually end up writing about them. Don’t worry about your grammar or if it is written well. Just write down all of your thoughts into bullet points, or just a few words or a sentence for each idea.

If you are having trouble coming up with ideas, there is a section at the end of this post just for you. There are a lot of questions that may help you come up with ideas for your essay, so go check them out!

2. Turn your ideas into paragraphs

Write more about each point that you wrote down. Try to form a paragraph and relate it back to the prompt. If you’re struggling on writing more than a sentence or two about the bullet point, then maybe one of your other ideas will be better to include in your essay.

3. Choose 2-3 things to talk about

Now that you’ve written as much as you can about each bullet point, you should start to see a general direction to keep writing your essay. What are your favorite topics? What ideas can relate to each other to make a cohesive essay? What ideas answer the prompt the best?

4. Form a Complete Essay

Now that you’ve chosen your favorite paragraphs, format them into one essay. Now you can add an introduction paragraph that briefly mentions these paragraphs and your overall topic. Then you can add a conclusion.

5. Edit Your Essay

Now that you have a complete essay, you can read it from beginning to end. If it doesn’t flow well between each paragraph, add some transition sentences. If you don’t answer the prompt very well, rewrite some sentences. Keep editing and rewording until the essay is finished.

How Do You Format Your Essay?

You can format your essay however you like! I recommend that you have an introduction, some body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, you don’t need your typical “5 paragraph” essay. Some supplemental essays may also have a shorter length, so you might only write two paragraphs.

You can indent each new paragraph, or just put a space between paragraphs instead of indenting, unless the school states that there is a specific way they want you to format your essay.

General Tips for PT School Essays

I know that writing your essays is not as simple as those 5 steps. It can take weeks and be mentally exhausting. However, I’ve included a bunch of tips to help guide you to writing a great essay.

• Be careful what you write about patients. If you choose to write about a patient, don’t include any specific personal information like their name, ethnicity, or occupation, or you will be violating HIPAA. Describing their general age, condition, gender, what setting you observed in, general occupation if it relates to your story, and what interventions were used is perfectly fine.
• Don’t use contractions.  I just did, but that’s besides the point! Contractions are too casual, so avoid them if possible.
• First-person speech.  It’s ok to say “I” and talk in first person. You’re writing about yourself, after all! Just make sure that you vary your sentence structure so that you don’t begin every sentence with “I”. There is never any reason to say “I think” in any sentence. It sounds unprofessional, so just delete it.
• Focus on the positives.  If you had any negative experiences, setbacks, or mistakes, don’t spend too much time writing about them. Explain yourself in a couple sentences, but focus on what you learned and how you’ve bettered yourself. Don’t dwell on the past, but try to focus on the positive results.
• Try to avoid clichés.  Almost everyone can write about how they want to be a physical therapist because they love to help people, or because they got injured and need physical therapy. You can briefly write these things, but you need to have other, more personal experiences that you can write about. Be sure to set yourself apart from others.
• Why have you chosen each school?  For supplemental essays for a specific school, make sure to mention why you want to go to their school, if it fits into the prompt. It’s good to show that you’ve done your research and are excited to attend their program for specific reasons.
• Answer the question.  It’s self-explanatory, but it’s so easy to get caught up in what you’re writing and go in a direction that doesn’t answer the original prompt. Make sure everything that appears in the essay helps to answer the prompt in some way.
• Have others read and edit your essay. Family members, friends, classmates, college writing center, or people on the Student Doctor Network Forums can all help your essay. It’s so beneficial to have an outside perspective on essays, especially because the admissions committee reading your essay won’t read it in the same way that you do. Try to have as many people critique your essay as possible.
• If you ask for help online, don’t post your entire essay for everyone on the internet to read. Make a new thread or comment on a current essay thread, and send an email directly to the person willing to read your essay. There are people that might steal your essay and use it as their own, so be careful who you send it to.
• Take a break from writing. Constantly thinking about your essay, rewriting, and editing is exhausting. It’s helpful to take a few days from working on your essay, and then come back to it with a fresh start.
• Try writing in different environments. I wrote mostly at home, but found that I got stuck with my writing. I started to write at coffee shops, which helped me be more productive. Try working at a library, outside, at a friend’s house, or in a different room in your own house.
• Essays can take weeks to write.  Make sure you start early enough so you aren’t stressed out from trying to meet an upcoming deadline. Start working on your essays as soon as possible.
• Be careful when writing multiple essays.  The PTCAS essay is sent to every school, so don’t copy and paste the same paragraphs into any supplemental essays. However, if two different schools have an essay prompt that is similar, then feel free to similar paragraphs.
• Essays are weighed differently by each school.  Some might not even read the PTCAS essay, others care more about their supplemental essays, or some schools do not care much about a well-written essay.
• Maximum character length.  You don’t have to write 4498 out of 4450 characters for your essay to be great.  Shorter is fine if you can get your point across. Aim for the character maximum, but it’s fine to have several hundred less than that.
• What if you wrote too much?  Worry about the essay length after you have written your thoughts down. When you are finalizing your essay, remove the repetitive information and anything that does not support the prompt, for starters. Then you can try rewording your sentences so they get straight to your point.

Tips for Specific Essays

If you’re stuck with writing your essays, see if you can answer these questions. You don’t need to answer all of them or any of them to write a great essay. A lot of these questions will overlap and be useful on other prompts, so make sure to read through everything if you need help.

Hopefully these questions will get you out of any writers block you may have.

PTCAS Essay

You can find the essay prompt on the PTCAS Essay page , or on their Facebook page once it is released. When I applied in 2014, the essay prompt was released in early June, and the PTCAS application opened in early July. This gave me an entire month to write my essay before I could even start my PTCAS application.

The essay prompt changes every year or every several years, so I can’t give great advice for this. These are some tips from past essays, so hopefully they help.

• How have your life experiences shaped who you are?
• What observation experiences can you talk about?
• Are there any patients that have influenced you?
• How has an experience impacted how you want to want to practice physical therapy?
• Who are the most influential people in your life?
• When did you know that you wanted to be a physical therapist?
• When have you been on a team or worked in a group? How was the team approach better than working by yourself?
• Where do you see the field of physical therapy going, and how do you fit into that picture?
• What sort of physical therapist to you see yourself being?
• How would you treat your future patients?
• What dream goals do you have?
• What character traits are important to have as a physical therapist
• What experiences have strengthened those traits for you, or what traits are you currently working on?
• How has your time spent as a patient affected how you will be a physical therapist?
• Are there any specific therapists that you wish to be like, or any therapists that you don’t want to become?
• Why will you be valuable to this profession?
• Are you interested in teaching, research, owning your own business, traveling, working for a nonprofit, or volunteering in another country?

Autobiography Essay

• What challenges have you overcome in your life?
• What are some of your major accomplishments?
• Why do you want to be a physical therapist?
• What things have you done that helped you grow as an individual
• What activities have you participated in?
• Who are some influential people on your life?
• How have your family, friends, or peers shaped who you are today?
• How would other people describe you?
• What 5 words describe you the best?
• What character traits are important for a physical therapist to have? Do you have these traits, or how are you improving them?
• What is important to you?
• How will your experiences make you a successful physical therapy student/physical therapist?
• How did your upbringing shape your personality, and how will that make you a better physical therapist?
• How have your experiences led you to the physical therapy career instead of other health care careers?
• Is there a central theme about your life experiences?
• How can you contribute to the field of physical therapy and your future patients?

Diversity Essay

• Describe your life experience as it is related to your culture.
• Is it hard to understand others who are from a different culture?
• Do you have a culturally different perspective than your peers?
• Does your culture have a different set of health care beliefs, or have you encountered another culture with different beliefs?
• Have you had an experience in life where you felt like your culture created a barrier for you?
• Have you volunteered for an economically disadvantaged population?
• Do you have trouble relating to higher socioeconomic classes?
• Have your experiences helped you relate better to certain people?
• Have you witnessed any social, cultural, or economic barriers when observing in a health care setting?
• How have you learned from any of these experiences?
• How does recognizing, understanding, or appreciating diversity make you a better physical therapist?
• Have you worked with individuals with disabilities?
• How do these experiences support that you will be able to work with diverse patients when you are a physical therapist?

Reapplicant Essay

• Have you retaken any classes?
• Did you retake the GRE?
• Do you have additional observation experiences?
• Did you observe in any new settings or see a different patient population?
• Did you have any additional work experience?
• Where you involved in any groups or team sports?
• Did you volunteer?
• How are you more prepared to be a successful student?
• Have you improved any personal skills?
• Have you worked with individuals that are different or gave you a unique perspective?
• What have you learned and how have you improved?
• How did these new experiences change your perspective, improve your application, change your personality, taught you something new, made you grow, or support your desire to become a physical therapist?

Does Your Academic Record Accurately Reflect Your Capabilities?

Most people say that you should only answer this section if something major happened in your life that was out of your control, like an illness, personal injury, family emergency, death of a loved one, etc.

Don’t use this area to write a list of excuses for why your grades weren’t as good as you wished. Examples of excuses: Explaining that you weren’t mature enough, didn’t study hard enough, partied too much, took too many difficult classes, or went to a challenging university. Those are excuses because you were responsible and they could have been avoided or handled better. If you are eager to explain yourself, you can try to add a sentence or two into your PTCAS essay.

A lot of people had lower grades at the beginning of their college career, so if your grades improved over time and your transcript shows that, you don’t need to write an essay to explain yourself.  It takes a while to learn how to succeed in college, and admissions committees understand that.

Additional Resources

Unfortunately there isn’t much information about physical therapy school essays. I found these resources for general essay writing, grad school essays, and med school essays, but they’re mostly applicable to physical therapy school too!

PTCAS Essay Prompt Essay Workshop 101 Writing the Personal Statement Personal Statement Before You Write Your Personal Statement, Read This Writing Your Medical School Personal Statement: Tips and Myths Writing the Personal Statement for Medical School

Student Doctor Network Forums:

Supplemental Essays character limit   PTCAS Essay question for 2015-2016 application cycle! Essay   This year’s personal statement prompt? Should I or should I not write about this in my essay? Re-applicant essay Does your personal statement have to be 4500 characters? 

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Pingback: PTCAS: Personal Statement/Essays

The link you set for the reapplicant essay doesn’t lead to that blog post. I wanted to ask if you know if reapplicants should submit the same essays if the essay question is the same this year?

Sorry for taking so long to reply! I just saw your comment this morning.

Thank you for letting me know about the link. Occasionally blogs are taken down, so I’ll have to go through and make sure to remove all the links to that site.

That’s a tough question, and I don’t think there is really a correct answer. If you read the Student Doctor Network forums , you can find others who have run into the same situation. Do you know why you were not accepted the first time around? If you didn’t meet the GPA or GRE requirements, your application may have been automatically disqualified and your essays might have never been read. You can choose to use the same exact essay, but hopefully they haven’t been read by the same program already. You can also choose to edit your essays a little bit, and maybe add any new experiences that you’ve had since you last applied.

Best of luck this application cycle! 🙂

Hi Katie! I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and I really appreciate it!!! I’m just wandering if you know any PT personal essay editing service?

Hey Lauren! Sorry for the delay in my response, and I hope it isn’t too late.

When I was applying to schools, I sent my essays to 3-4 of my friends (including an English major), so I got tons of feedback from them. There’s also the Student Doctor Network forums, and there are DPT students and PTs that offer up their spare time to edit essays! Just be cautious when sending your essay to strangers on the forum – make sure that they have a decent number of posts on that site.

I’m not sure if there is an essay editing service online, specific towards PT admissions essays.

If you need any last minute help, feel free to email me your essay and I can give some comments! Best of luck with getting into schools! 🙂

I’m almost finished with my PTCAS application process and I found this. Super helpful, I’m making some edits to my essay now. Thank you!

You’re welcome! I’m glad I could help! Good luck with applying and everything.

Thank you, that was so helpful!

You’re welcome! Thanks for the nice comment 🙂 glad I was able to help!

Why I Want to Be a Physical Therapist, Essay Sample

Essay about why i want to become a physical therapist.

When I think of what a physical therapist does, the first thing that comes to mind is helping people get back on their feet after an injury or an illness. While that is true, there is much more to it than that. A physical therapist has many responsibilities and duties they must abide by in order to keep the public safe. The four main things they must be able to do are: diagnose and treat injuries, teach how to prevent those injuries from happening again, treat diseases related to movement, and serve as expert witnesses for injured workers.

In this essay, which I write with the help of a custom paper writing service , I will share my reasons for pursuing a career in physical therapy, highlighting the key factors that motivate me to take this path. 

Reasons Why I Want to be a Physical Therapist

Physical therapy is an absolutely enormous field – one of the largest in the healthcare industry. But, when I think about what I love most about being a physical therapist, it’s that it’s so versatile. The type of work you do can be tailored to fit whatever you enjoy doing most. Some people really enjoy working with athletes; others like making older adults feel as comfortable and mobile as possible. You can choose to focus your efforts on one age group or another, find a great mentor in someone who works with your preferred area of focus, or even become a specialist in a specific sport.

Inspiration from My Therapist

From early childhood, I enjoyed playing sports and working out. But all of that changed when I suffered a serious knee injury during my senior year of high school. After the initial shock and pain, I was faced with a difficult decision — either let it heal on its own or face months of physical therapy and rehabilitation. 

My physical therapist worked diligently to get me back on my feet, helping me understand how important it is to move our bodies for healing purposes. She showed me exercises designed to strengthen my muscles around the knee joint and increase my range of motion. With each activity, she carefully monitored my progress and pushed me to do more than what was comfortable to help my body heal faster. Her guidance helped me regain strength and mobility in my knee much quicker than if I had just left it alone to heal on its own. 

The experience of going through physical therapy inspired me to pursue a career as a physical therapist myself so that I can help others who are struggling with injuries or chronic pain find relief through movement, as I did. 

Positive Impact of Physical Therapy on Patients

The positive impact that physical therapy can have on patients is one of the most compelling reasons why I want to become a physical therapist. Physical therapy can help alleviate pain, improve range of motion, increase strength and flexibility, and prevent future injuries. It can also enhance the overall quality of life by promoting independence, confidence, and self-esteem.

For example, physical therapy can prove invaluable for those recuperating from surgery, such as a knee replacement. It assists in restoring patients’ strength and mobility and reduces the risk of complications like blood clots and infections. Additionally, physical therapy can be a game-changer for those with persistent conditions, like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson’s disease. Physical therapists collaborate with their patients to create tailored treatment plans that manage symptoms and enhance their overall quality of life.

Variety of Specialties

One of the reasons I am drawn to physical therapy is the wide range of specialties within the field that allow PTs to continually broaden their knowledge and expertise. For example, PTs can specialize in areas such as neurorehabilitation, aquatic therapy, and pediatrics.

Pediatric physical therapy, in particular, appeals to me as someone interested in working with children while also gaining a deeper understanding of how adults function. Working with children requires a unique skill set and approach that can be both challenging and rewarding.

Alternatively, geriatric physical therapy may be a good fit for those seeking a more relaxed environment. This area of specialization involves working with older adults to improve their physical function, mobility, and overall quality of life. Regardless of the specialty, the opportunity to continually learn and grow as a physical therapist is an aspect of the profession that excites me.

Building Relationships with Patients

Another aspect of physical therapy that I find rewarding is the opportunity to build relationships with patients. Unlike other medical professions that may only see patients briefly, physical therapists often work with patients over an extended period of time. This allows for a deeper understanding of their needs, concerns, and goals, and the chance to establish a bond built on trust and mutual respect.

Through my experiences as a volunteer in physical therapy clinics, I have seen firsthand the difference that a physical therapist can make in someone’s life. For example, I worked with a patient who had suffered a severe stroke and was unable to walk or talk. Through months of physical therapy, she regained her ability to walk and communicate, and her quality of life improved dramatically. Seeing her progress and the positive impact on her life was incredibly rewarding, and it strengthened my desire to pursue a career in physical therapy.

As a physical therapist, you’ll be able to continue helping people in need of your expertise. You will be able to specialize in areas such as orthopedics and sports medicine or work with elderly patients who have arthritis or balance problems. In addition to working with patients in hospitals and clinics, physical therapists may also work in schools where children learn about fitness and nutrition.

Physical therapy is more than just working out and rehabbing injuries. It can involve helping with various issues, including managing pain, improving movement and range of motion, increasing strength, alimentation, and even preventing injury. I believe that physical therapy is a field that will allow me to continue helping others who are in need and make a difference in their lives.

Tips On Writing an Essay About the Reasons Why I Want to Be a Physical Therapist 

Writing a personal statement essay about why you want to become a physical therapist can be challenging, but it’s also an excellent opportunity to showcase your passion and dedication to this field. Here are some tips to help you write an effective essay:

When writing an essay on why you want to become a physical therapist, use clear and simple language so that the reader can understand what you’re saying. Don’t use long sentences or complex words.

Highlight your skills

Physical therapy requires a unique set of skills, including strong communication, empathy, and problem-solving abilities. Highlight how your own skills and experiences have prepared you for this profession.

Show, don’t tell

Don’t just tell the reader that you’re passionate about physical therapy; show them. Use vivid language and specific examples to demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment to this field.

Connect your personal story to your career goals

In your personal statement essay, it’s important to illustrate how your life experiences and professional aspirations align with your passion for becoming a physical therapist. Use your essay as a platform to articulate how you envision making a positive impact in this field.

Why Someone Might Want to Become a Physical Therapist

Physical therapy is a rewarding career that involves helping patients recover from injuries and illnesses. Physical therapists work closely with patients to develop personalized treatment plans and help them achieve their goals. In this table, we will list the reasons why someone might want to become a physical therapist, along with a description of those reasons.

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How Do I Write My PTCAS Essay (Personal Statement)?

The PT School application process is challenging, to say the least. But, it’s incredibly rewarding, because at the end of this process you’ll be on your way to starting your career and getting your dream job as a physical therapist.

One of the most important parts of the PT School application process is the personal statement , or the essay . Each year, the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service ( PTCAS ) sets a specific prompt for the personal statement. This personal statement is submitted to every school to which you apply. In short, it’s a chance for you to set yourself apart from the other applicants. So, how do you write your PTCAS essay ? Let’s dive in to learn more about this part of the application process, and learn more about our services to help you with your personal statement here !

What is a Personal Statement?

A Personal Statement is an essay that explains your background and allows you to describe yourself. It’s a common requirement for graduate schools and jobs, so it’s especially important for you to use the personal statement to explain why you want to pursue this opportunity.

A Personal Statement can be a general description of yourself or it can answer a specific prompt . It’s common for graduate schools to ask specific questions for the Personal Statement.¹ In this case, the Personal Statement is a chance for you to show the admissions committee who you are beyond the data in your application . In an essay format, you can expand upon your character, goals, and background, allowing the admissions committee to get to know you.

What Should I Know About a Physical Therapy Personal Statement?

PTCAS Personal Statement prompts can vary in topics, but ultimately they touch on the physical therapy profession. It’s important that you answer the PTCAS question in your essay. But you should also view this as an opportunity to describe yourself to the admissions committees. Keep in mind that these committees are reviewing hundreds, or even thousands, of applications each year. Use this opportunity to set yourself apart .

In your essay, you should explain why you want to become a physical therapist, but try to avoid using a common reason such as “I want to help people.” Show the admissions committee your passion for physical therapy and prove to them why you belong in physical therapy school and why you’re going to become a great physical therapist.

Above all, remember that through the 4,500 characters in your essay, you’re not just telling the admissions committees who you are… you’re showing them.

Contact us today with any questions or for help with your PT school personal statement!

Lab P. The Personal Statement // Purdue Writing Lab. Purdue Writing Lab. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/job_search_writing/preparing_an_application/writing_the_personal_statement/index.html. Published 2020. Accessed July 26, 2020.

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84 Physical Therapy Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best physical therapy topic ideas & essay examples, ⭐ simple & easy physical therapy essay titles, 👍 good essay topics on physical therapy, ❓ physical therapy research questions, 💯 free physical therapy essay topic generator.

• Physical Therapy in Canada and Thai Research indicates that the advancement of technology in medical field has also provided the need for physiotherapy in the field of health.
• The Career of a Physical Therapist The cost of attaining a degree in Physical therapy at the University of Delaware is estimated to be about 9,486 dollars for the in-state tuition fee and 23,186 for the out-of-state.
• Physical Therapy: Overweight or Obese People with Osteoarthritis The abstract is a comprehensive summary of all the components of an article. Analyzed results are found in the results section of the article.
• The Career of a Physical Therapist Assistant The career of a physical therapist assistant is exciting, flexible, and highly rewarding, but students require necessary qualifications to join the profession.
• Negligence in Physical Therapy Even if the therapist owed a duty to the patient and acted outside the standard of care, the plaintiff still has to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that the action of the therapist caused an […]
• Medicine Issues: Physical Therapy as a Profession The aim of this essay is to discuss the profession of physical therapist explaining the role of women in this field.”Physical therapy in the United States was originally an occupation composed almost entirely of women; […]
• Physical Therapy Activities The justification for conducting this particular research was premised on the fact that relatively few studies had attempted to evaluate and address the relationship between physical therapy treatments and outcomes by specifically investigating the individual […]
• Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy in Parkinson’s Disease Hypotension is an “abnormal condition in which the blood pressure is not adequate for normal perfusion and oxygenation of the tissues”.
• Careers in the Health Professions: Physical Therapy The organization is the sole accreditation agency in the United States with regard to education in Physical Therapy. He is married with two children and is undergoing computer course in the hope of landing a […]
• Physical Education: Effect of Phototherapy Therefore, it is evident that the intensity of an exercise directly influences one’s heart rate, breathing rate, skin coloration, sweating, and recovery.
• Analysis of the Physical Therapy Market For this reason, it is possible to admit the existence of a significant business potential related to the development of the MBE Ltd.
• Paraplegia: Normative Model for Physical Therapy Education Adjustment to the way of life and the budget is likely to follow in order for the family to cope with the paraplegic condition.
• Arthritis: The Use of Physical and Occupational Therapy Incorporating credible evidence, the paper expounds on biological factors such as unusual bowel permeability, genetic and microorganism as the causes of arthritis The paper examines the use of physical and occupational therapy, as some of […]
• Funds to Set Up Physical Therapy and Rehabilitative Medicine Department There is a current need to evaluate the provision of physical therapy in society today, taking into consideration the number of people who need therapy, and the people with actual access to the service.
• Legal and Ethical Responsibilities of Physical Therapists In the recent past, as a result of the increased autonomy of physical therapists in executing their duties, there has been an increase in the number of ethical and legal responsibilities of individuals in this […]
• Physical Therapy: Orthopedic Chairs Proposal Being aware of the fact that the received orthopedic chairs are out-of-date and out of service for necessary repair, I have to inform healthcare staff about the shortages of new products, and our administrator is […]
• The Relationship Between Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant Conversely, the training offered to the PTA’s enables them to provide care, support, and physical handling of clients under a management strategy developed by the PT.
• Job Opportunities for a Physical Therapist Assistant Since a range of health issues and disorders are addressed in the specified settings, the assistance of a qualified PTA is likely to be quite welcome in a rehabilitation center.
• Aspects of Geriatric Physical Therapy The authors of the study evaluated secondary data and presented the interconnections of an essential chain of mechanisms reflection on training processes such as enzymes, neurotransmitters, and ion channels positively influencing the cardiovascular system, cardiorespiratory […]
• Dealing With Patient Resistance in Physical Therapy
• Physical Therapy in Gynecological Practice
• Good Physical Therapy as an Alternative to Drugs in Pain Management
• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation: Use in Physical Therapy
• Application of Physical Therapy in Urology
• Discrimination in the Private Physical Therapy Practices
• Exploring the Theory of Expert Practice in Physical Therapy
• Evidence-Informed Physical Therapy of the Musculoskeletal System
• Physical Therapy for Athletes
• Experimental Methods of Physical Therapy Effects on the Human Body
• Code of Ethics of the American Physical Therapy Association
• Treatment Methods Used in Physical Therapy
• Contraindications and Restrictions for Physical Therapy
• Robotic Rehabilitation for Physical Therapy
• The Possibility of Reducing the Dose of the Drug Through Physical Therapy
• Physical Therapy after Triangular Fibrocartilage Injuries and Ulnar Wrist Pain
• Pulsed Radio Frequency Energy as Physical Therapy
• The American Physical Therapy Association
• The Effectiveness of Physical Therapy
• Positive and Negative Side Effects of Physical Therapy
• Advantages of Modern Physical Therapy
• Physical Therapy and Acquired Brain Injury Patients
• Methods of Physical Therapy in the Treatment of Diseases of Various Systems and Organs
• Physical Therapy: The Pharmacological Aspect of Musculoskeletal Systems
• Physical Therapy in Gynecology for the Recovery and Treatment of the Body
• Physical Therapy for Pain Relief
• Contraindications to the Use of Physical Therapy Methods for Treatment
• Post-stroke Balance Rehabilitation of Multilevel Physical Therapy
• The Influence of Physical Therapy on the Human Body
• Viewing the Practice of Physical Therapy From a Professional’s Perspective
• Patient Satisfaction With Physical Therapy
• Accelerating the Achievement of Desired Treatment Results With Physical Therapy
• The Appointment of Physical Therapy for a Certain Range of Indications
• Physical Therapy for Neurological Conditions in Geriatric Populations
• Physical Therapy for Becoming a Licensed Physical Therapist
• Combination of Physical Therapy With Other Therapies
• Effective Methods of Treatment Using Technologies Close to Physical Therapy
• The Downsides and Benefits of an Effective Physical Therapy
• Physical Therapy for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
• What Does Physical Therapy Mean?
• What Is the Main Focus of Physical Therapy?
• What Are the Types of Physical Therapy?
• What Are Things Physical Therapist Do?
• What Usually Happens at Physical Therapy?
• Who Benefits From Physical Therapy?
• Why Do Patients Go to Physical Therapy?
• Why Do Doctors Recommend Physical Therapy?
• Does Physical Therapy Really Help?
• Can Physical Therapy Harm a Person’s Health?
• How Long Does Physical Therapy Last?
• Should a Person Immediately Go to Physical Therapy if There Is Pain?
• Is Physical Therapy Painful at First?
• Does a Person Need to Go to Physical Therapy Often?
• What Happens to a Person When They First Visit a Physiotherapist?
• How Does Medical Terminology Relate to Physical Therapy?
• How Physical Therapy Has a Positive Impact on Patient’s Disease, Deformity, or Injury?
• How Can Clinical Decision Making for a Physical Therapy Assistant Help?
• What Happens After Physical Therapy Is Done?
• What Clothing Should People Wear to Physical Therapy Appointments?
• What Can Not Be Done Before the Medical Examination?
• Should People Take Painkillers Before Physical Therapy?
• What Time of Day Is Best for Physical Therapy?
• Is a Physical Therapist Better Than a Chiropractor?
• How Does Physiotherapy Work?
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• Published: 25 October 2016

Evaluation of Serum Reaction to Low-Intensity Laser Exposure by Its Solid Phase Structure

• V. V. Shabalin 1 &
• S. N. Shatokhina 2  

Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine volume  161 ,  pages 841–844 ( 2016 ) Cite this article

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The effects of various modes of low-intensity laser exposure on the sera of healthy subjects and patients are studied. It is shown by the cuneiform dehydration method that the serum structure is liable to change in response to certain modes of low-intensity laser exposure. The structure of patients’ sera is more sensitive to low-intensity laser exposure.

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Seteikin AYu, Mitrofanova VI, Malinovskaya OV. Spectroscopic analysis of changes in the physical properties of blood serum samples exposed to low-intensity laser irradiation .Vestn. Amur. Gos. Univer. Ser. Estesv. Ekonom. Nauki. 2007; (37):31-33. Russian.

Shabalin VN, Shatokhina SN. Autogenous rhythms and self-organization of biological fluids. Bull. Exp. Biol. Med. 1996;122(4):967-973.

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St. Petersburg Institute of the Ear, Nose, and Throat, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia

V. V. Shabalin

M. F. Vladimirsky Moscow Regional Research Clinical Institute, Moscow, Russia

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Correspondence to S. N. Shatokhina .

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Translated from Byulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny , Vol. 161, No. 6, pp. 803-806, June, 2016

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Shabalin, V.V., Shatokhina, S.N. Evaluation of Serum Reaction to Low-Intensity Laser Exposure by Its Solid Phase Structure. Bull Exp Biol Med 161 , 841–844 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10517-016-3525-9

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Received : 12 March 2015

Published : 25 October 2016

Issue Date : October 2016

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10517-016-3525-9

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