STEPS TO BECOMING A DPT STUDENT

(Click here to view, save, or print these "Steps" )

• Step 1
  • Begin by making an appointment with a Pre-admissions counselor as early as you can but it is recommended no later than the second year of college. (If this is your second career, then make an appointment before you enroll in prerequisite courses.) Call the Allied Health Welcome Center to set up a counseling appointment at (210) 567-8744 or toll free (866) 802-2688. You can also email them at: AHWelcome@uthscsa.edu

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• Step 2
  • Begin working on program prerequisite and core curriculum courses. You must have ALL courses completed by the end of the spring semester prior to matriculation into the MPT program. The applicant Fact Sheets contain information on Admission requirements, Prerequisite courses, Program Costs and MPT curriculum and can be viewed, saved, or printed below. Likewise, a link to applicant's frequently asked questions is listed below.

    • Applying for Fall 2009 admissions
    • Physical Therapy Applicants Frequently Asked Questions

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• Step 3
  • You can begin working on the 100 hours of volunteer/observation experience at any time during the process. All volunteer hours must be done in a PT clinic with a licensed PT as your supervisor. (Tip: We do not accept hours which are supervised by any other health care professional or hours that you spent with a PT receiving treatment. The earlier you start doing your volunteer/observation hours the better .) All 100 hours must be completed by the November 15 deadline and all documentation must be received on or before the deadline. Below are links to view, save, or print the guidelines for volunteer hours and the volunteer form for documenting your hours.

    • Guideline for Volunteer Hours
    • Documentation Form for Volunteer Hours

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• Step 4
  • Consider applying when you have completed most of the required courses and have done at least 75% of your volunteer/observation hours. It is recommended that you have no more than 4 courses left to complete. It is suggested that you have all the math/science courses prerequisite completed when you apply (ex: Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry and Physics). If you have courses to complete when you apply, they could be psychology, sociology, technical writing, speech or the core courses but no more than 4 courses. It is important that the PT faculty have academic information on the science courses when you apply. This is one piece of information the faculty uses when making decisions.

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• Step 5
  • Submit your application packet with Application fee to:

  Registrar’s Office-Allied Health Admissions

  The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

  7703 Floyd Curl Drive - MSC 7702

  San Antonio , Texas 78229-3900

  (210) 567-2660, (210) 567-2645 or (210) 567-2685 FAX

  • The Deadline for submitting your application packet is November 15th.
  • It is recommended that you submit all supporting documents at the same time. It is less likely that these documents will get lost. Do not let people who are writing your recommendation letters mail them. You should pick them up and hand in all recommendation letters with your other documents. Your application packet is not complete until all documents and your fee have been submitted. The documents that make up the application packet are listed below. Links are provided for official forms.

    • Application (Required)
      1. Application Fee
      2. Texas Common Application
      • General Information for Applying to UTHSCSA

    • Supporting Documents (Required)

    1. Two letters of reference (One must be from a Licensed Physical Therapist)
       • Recommendation Form
    2. Applicant Resume
    • Please include previous work experience, honors and awards, extracurricular organizations and activities, and community service experience
    3. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
    4. GRE scores (Beginning September 2007)
    5. Documentation Form for Volunteer Hours
    6. Personal statement addressing your goal of becoming a physical therapist (one page typed, single spaced)
    • Optional Forms (if Applicable)
      1. Request for Waiver of State Required Prerequisites
      2. Petition for Course Review

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• Step 6
  • It will be your responsibility to check to make sure your application packet is completed. Therefore, apply early and submit all documents early. Call the Office of the Registrar (210-567-2660) a few weeks after submitting documents to check on your file. No Applications or documents will be accepted after November 15.

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• Step 7
  • Invitations to interview are sent out in mid-December with the interview dates. If you are selected to interview, you will be asked to call the PT office and confirm a date and time for your interview.

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• Step 8
  • Interviews usually occur in early January. We like to make our decision as soon as possible after all rounds of interview have taken place.

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• Step 9
  • A phone call is made to those applicants who have received a seat in the program with a letter to follow. A response form, which is included in with your letter, must be sent to the department within two weeks of receiving the letter. Once we receive your positive response to our offer, we will hold this seat in our program for you. For us to continue holding this seat for you, we are requiring students to continue communicating with the program through our Admissions Counselor and confirm your previous commitment to our program. You will do this by filling out a REAFFIRMATION FORM which will be sent to you in May. Send this form to P.T. Department Admissions Counselor between May 15 and June 15. If we do not receive your REAFFIRMATION FORM by June 15, your seat will be given to another applicant.

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• Step 10
  • Alternates receive a letter. If a slot opens, the next person on the alternate list is called with an offer to join the program.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

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