IU Prelaw Information Center

INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION FOR

PRE-OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY,

Pre-PHYSICAL THERAPY,

AND Pre-physician ASSISTANT

STUDENTS

Services, tips, and guidelines for new IUB pre-OT, PT,and PA students

The Health Professions and Prelaw Center (HPPLC)provides services to all IU Bloomington students interested in pursuing a career in law, medicine, or another health profession.Our services include individualizedacademic advising and career advising, targeted group meetings, and extremely in-depth online resources. The HPPLC staff guides students through the complex process of choosing a related career path, researching programs, managing the preprofessional process, and completing applications.

• OT, PT, and PA programs: IU Bloomington is home to hundreds of pre-OT, PT, and PA students. The Indiana University programs are housed on the Indianapolis campus. It is standard practice (and stronglyrecommended) for preprofessional students to apply to a minimum of 6 programs in their chosen field.

• Get timely pre-OT, PT, and PA information: During New Student Orientation, tell your Orientation advisor which preprofessional areas interest you (law, medicine, or other health professions), so that you will be put on the related HPPLC email list(s). By doing so, you will receive announcements about important upcoming events, tips related to the preprofessional process, including the application, and more. You can also join HPPLC email lists by following the instructions on our homepage, hpplc.indiana.edu.

• Scheduling appointments with HPPLC:While individual appointments with the HPPLC pre-OT/ PT / PA advisor are not available to prospective or Orientation students (our schedules are full as we work with current students undertaking their preprofessional and application processes), we strongly encourage you to attend the Fall HPPLC information sessions pertaining to these preprofessional paths. Announcements for these meetings will be made via the HPPLC email lists, as indicated above. It is more important for preprofessional students to meet with HPPLC advisors during Sophomore and Junior year, and throughout the subsequent application process.

• Selecting a degree / major:You may choose either a bachelor of arts (BA) or bachelor of science (BS) degree - it doesn't matter which - and work in the prerequisite courses (in addition to other admission requirements, but don't concern yourself with these just yet). It's important that you choose a major which truly interests you, and in which you believe you can excel - one you would choose even if you weren't preprofessional. Almost any major can accommodate the prerequisite courses, and admission representatives from OT, PT, and PA programs consistently tell us they have no preference for a given degree or major! Each year, applicants from 15 or 20 different majors are admitted to a given professional program.

• Choosing freshman year courses:One simple piece of advice: follow the directions posted on the University Division First Steps website (ud.indiana.edu/),as well as within the First Steps Health Professions and Prelaw Center section for your specific area, whether it be OT, PT, PA, or another field. That's all you need to do! UD and HPPLC have written these directions specifically for new students. You will likely enroll in one or two prerequisite courses for your professional area of interest, with the rest of your Fall (and, eventually, Spring) schedule comprised of important general education courses and/or major requirements. Your Orientation academic advisor will help you with final selections.

• Clinical experience:Clinical observation (often called "job shadowing") is the best way for you to determine whether a given career is something you wish to pursue. In addition, most health professions programs require some job shadowing, and these experiences can help build your credibility with program admission committees by showing them that you have thoroughly researched the profession. We urge you to garner some observation experience during the Summer of Orientation, prior to arriving on campus for Fall classes. For information about locating such opportunities, how to log your hours, and how to take observation notes, visit hpplc.indiana.edu/ohp/clinicalobservation.shtml.

• How to become as competitiveas possible for admission to professional programs:Admission to professional programs can be very competitive. While there is more to the admission process than grades, GPA is almost always the most significant factor (especially in admission prerequisite courses, which most programs count twice). Statistics show that students who invest 30 hours per week outside of class on academics (e.g., studying, reading, getting extra help) for every 15 hours spent in class are more successful than students who invest less time. This translates into a 45 hour academic week. The simple truth is that college is a fulltime job, and you must hold yourself to a higher standard than those not seeking admission to competitive programs. For instance, anytime you earn less than an A- on a significant assignment or exam, you ought to talk with instructor,and get help to improve as much as possible. If you earn a B in a class, that's okay, so long as you truly did your best, and did everything you could (within the bounds of ethics, of course!) to best grasp the course material and develop related skills. If you choose not to follow this advice, be aware that you are likely making a decision to be less competitive for admission to programs than you might otherwise be!

• Other admission requirements: We recommend that college freshmen simply not spend time thinking about letters of recommendation, preparing for admissions tests (e.g., the Graduate Record Exam), and so on. You will learn about these admission components eventually, and hopefullydiscuss them with a HPPLC advisor. For now, though, your attention should be focused squarely on your personal and academic transition from your high school experience to the very different college experience.

• Health Professions and Prelaw Center web resources: You are welcome to look over the HPPLC resources for pre-OT, PT, and PA students. The webpages are extensively detailed, so do not let the volume of information overwhelm you! Remember: new preprofessional students should focus on their academic and personal transition to college, and, for now, should not become too immersed in the details of the admission process.

Pre-Occupational Therapy hpplc.indiana.edu/ohp/ohp-ot.shtml

Pre-Physical Therapyhpplc.indiana.edu/ohp/ohp-pt.shtml

Pre-Physician Assistanthpplc.indiana.edu/ohp/ohp-pa.shtml

This information was prepared for Indiana University Bloomington students by the Health Professions and Prelaw Center. Please note that specific requirements and policies can change at any time without notice. Students are responsible for obtaining the most current information directly from application and testing services, and the schools and programs in which they have an interest. Refer to each program's web pages, bulletins, and other publications for the most current information. Students are responsible for understanding degree course requirements, as well as other requirements, policies, and procedures related to the degree(s) they are pursuing; for enrolling in appropriate courses; for understanding IU policies/procedures; and for following through properly with regard to all of the preceding.

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