iDance

Hey! I have a few serious chronic digestive system issues and I applied/will again (told you guys I'd still be checking to make sure everything's going okay ). Basically I researched how I'd get my meds and handle it while I was there, and even some alternative treatments that we don't have here in the US. I contacted Fulbright about it to make sure it wouldn't eliminate me after I got rejected this time, because I didn't want to work on revamping my app just to get rejected again because of an illness. Basically, you just have to get a note from your doctor saying you are healthy enough to complete your proposed project (everyone has to, not only people with illnesses). I don't think you have to disclose it specifically, but I would tell the person you're working with most closely, especially if it's something that you might need help with. Good luck!

If it helps, I've felt like that at times. Although this article doesn't really apply in my situation and it's slightly different than yours, it's nice to hear someone else talking about their experiences as well. http://www.apta.org/Blogs/Pulse/2017/01/ImposterSyndrome/ Sometimes it doesn't feel real. The things you put on paper just seem like words that don't apply to you, even when you're writing them about yourself and your experiences. When you're in classes, you can feel like everyone there is better than you, even if you know logically they're not. That's when I like to go dance or workout. It kicks my butt and reminds me that progress happens, even if it doesn't feel real. You can't fake achieving that new move or setting a new PR. You saw it happen. You felt your body doing it. You can feel the work it took in every blister and other frustrating moment. That's usually enough to get my mind out of the self-doubt/impostor feelings I get scholastically. Talking it out can help too. You got this. Keep your head up and believe in yourself.

I can't speak to med school, but PT school takes your pre-reqs, GRE (a lot of the time, not all), and recommendation letters into account. However, many PT schools are upping their GPA reqs because they can (one told me they wouldn't even look at applications with GPAs under 3.8). There is a pre-req GPA that is taken into account, though. So say you took a pottery class that you failed--sucks on your overall GPA. However, without it, if your science GPA is high, you stand a chance. This is the case for PT school and PA school. Shadowing PTs is important--if it's fun, but not something you can see doing for the rest of your life, save yourself the debt. They're requiring the DPT now, which is not cheap, and the pay doesn't quite reflect the cost of the degree (yet--hopefully it will soon). It's worth it if you love it, but if you're thinking it's fun but not the best for you then you should really consider your options. You also need over 100 hours of shadowing to apply at many schools, and some specify settings in which it had to be completed (at least 20 of mine had to be inpatient for one school). I had close to 400 hours overall when I applied, but I only chose to use about 200 of them in my application. A lot of mine were in orthopedic clinics, and I just didn't need to use all of them to show I had that base covered. So I'd take some time to think about it if I were you. You can also take pre-reqs at community college to try to boost up your overall GPA, and improve your applicant profile by shadowing or being a tech at a clinic. That would improve your chances at getting in everywhere, and the networking is invaluable. Good luck!

A lot of people in my class were techs, but not all of us. Good letters of recommendation, a well-written admission essay, and personal contact with the programs were all helpful. I received an email back from a program in Texas saying they wouldn't even look at any other components if your GPA wasn't a 3.8. Other than that, persistence. Vary where you shadow and make sure you have enough hours and that certain programs don't require a certain amount of hours (for one of mine, you had to have 100 hours, 20 of which had to be inpatient). I ended up with well over 300 hours in various settings. Even though this is late, good luck!

Man, I hit my arrow limit again. Thanks ? Congratulations on making it through!!!!! Don't think I won't be checking in to make sure you all make it!!! Just because I'm out doesn't mean I'm not still rooting for you guys!!!

Rejected. Dammit.

I am going to implode. No news. All I want to do is email my adviser.

Or you could look at it like something not-so-great happened today, so you're due a good one!

Ugh. Kind of grateful, kind of more stressed. Thank you for sharing!!!

This is my "green arrow" to you since I'm all out again.

Basically my big worry, especially with the email that the FPA got. The email-to-grad cafe-to-actually check whats going on in class-back-to-emails pattern is real today. >_< Please let it be today!!!

My FPA got an email that they are trying for before Friday. I don't know how to feel now lol. Fingers crossed, guys!

Starting? LOL My mind's been gone for awhile now. But I seem to have gotten to a kind of zen point except when I actually open my inbox (then I panic a lot and come straight here to see if anyone has gotten theirs). Random--does anyone know how they're sent out? By name, country, whether or not you're going on, etc.? I assume they can't send out thousands of emails all at once (but who knows).

Truth--but as @Mossy.artist hit right on the nose, it takes up a lot of space. I think I managed to balance it out in the end, as only 2 people involved in my process were directly connected with my field and everyone else understood it and seemed interested. It's just kind of disheartening when you hoped someone at least connected to your field would read it. I'm not doing a huge impact thing like cancer research or something really intriguing like moss (not being sarcastic--I think that's an epic topic and you sound really excited about it--I'm excited to see where it goes!). It just makes me more nervous. Imagine an English proposal only being read by only physicists, mathematicians, and biologists. They still could understand it and be excited by it (maybe even more so since it's out of their range of expertise),but it's still a little nerve-wracking on the person being judged. And yes, I know you could argue that people outside your area won't be able to critique and find faults that experts could, but stress is still overruling logic a bit in my mind. Along that note, not too many people in clinical sciences are accepted from the info I've found. The trick is we can't work with patients, so it has to be approached in an unusual way. I'm planning to interview dancers about their perceptions of their dancing, injuries, and recovery. Considering factors more than just "where does it hurt" is important for a "whole person" approach to treatment, which arguably increases good treatment outcomes. There's more in the proposal, but I'm just nervous that people who aren't in health sciences are going to discount it. It's not what I've found to be the case at school so it's kind of an illogical fear, but there you go. If you search my degree (Doctorate of Physical Therapy) with Fulbright, some professors pop up as recipients, but no students. It just eats away a bit. It stems from overthinking, but until the answers are out this kind of stuff just fuels the doubts. Thanks for reading my drivel. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but they're just little things that plague me when I'm trying to sleep lol. Obama just assigned 2 new people to the Fulbright board the other day--it was on Twitter. I'm hoping this means it won't be touched by Trump for the foreseeable future.. I'm hoping he doesn't abruptly stop funding it, because I could see that being something he'd do. Ugh. I can't believe we're in this situation. Although if he does mess with it, perhaps my next proposal will be to Russia lol (sorry, couldn't help it). Fingers crossed that we're all in the position where we actually have to worry about that impacting us, because that means we got the grants! Good luck guys. Less than 3 days.

I am right there with you. I'd green arrow it but it's still saying I've used all of mine up for the day. Although my topic is interdisciplinary, it's got a lot to do with profiling patients in a specific sect. I was lucky--my FPA and mentors told me to take out the jargon. Reading over the list of judges, I'm so glad they did that because none of them are even close to medical science. In some ways that's good, as my project is pretty qualitative and medicine is in a quantitative preferential state right now, but at the same time I'm not sure if most people would understand the need to know your patients to work with them for the best outcomes. I think my app is strong enough that that shouldn't be a reason if I'm eliminated since I worked with people in the humanities to expand my knowledge lacks, but it's still kind of a let down. But yeah, I found the lack of any health science and minimal (sorry humanities folks) "hard" science people on the boards a little disheartening. Maybe we'll be on them one day!

Mine told me to let her know when I hear something (although I assume she'd get an email too?), so I don't think she knows. I'm also applying through a really small college that's never had a student get one before, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. My email checking is getting to the point of being overly obsessive. But I can't stop. Like, I know it probably won't be today and if it is it'll probably be after 9am PST just so at least the continental US is all awake, but my logic has been overrun by nerves.

I am both thankful and stressed because you pointed this out lol. It would be awesome if it were tomorrow just to end the waiting no matter the answer, but, at the same time, the 20th isn't too far away. I have so much nervous energy I feel like exercising for DAYS. Instead... class.

I felt like the last part of last semester went so fast, but since January 1st I've been obsessively checking my email lol. I know it's not going to be there for a bit yet, but I can't help myself. I'm really hopeful and excited, but I'm also scared to get my hopes up. Even though the semester just started up again, I feel like this is my biggest source of stress lol. Hopefully less than a week guys!!!! I'm rooting for all of us!!!

That makes me feel slightly better, thanks! I hope you get it--I decided that now that everything's in, I'm not looking at my stuff again until I hear something. I've started looking at other ways to do the proposal; unfortunately, I'm on that line between medicine, hard science, and social science, so I'm trying to figure out who to apply to where I have the best chance. I really hope you get it! Thank you and good luck to you too!

Nah, I meant more the waiting. I've accepted that the news won't come for awhile, but I'm just trying to figure out what to do in the meantime to keep my mind off it, if that makes sense. I was hoping for advice on that front, but that's really detailed about the rest, thank you! That's more info than I had. (Sorry I think I'm going to do two responses in a row because I can't figure out if I can quote 2 different people in one response).

Do you remember how it went the first time around? I'm still in the first year of my doctorate, so there isn't enough going in my classes to fill the time. It's a clinical doctorate, so we do not even start "official" research for another year and a half. My university is not big enough and my program is not old enough to have other outside research going. My attempts to get potential ones started seem to be met with general disinterest because the program is still new and the professors are very busy. I never thought I'd be so grateful because my school has a very short winter break, though!

Added my info to the sheet! How is everyone else not going stir crazy, or is anyone else going stir crazy, after so much work going into the application and then just... It's all over? Is it bad that I actually feel like my doctoral work isn't enough after all the hectic prep of the research and everything? How are you all handling it? Any advice from those who have been there before?

Hey all! I just found out about these while googling basically "what do I do now I feel empty since I don't need to do any more edits." I turned in my study/research grant for New Zealand a few days ago. Good luck to everyone!