Students review graduate school literature at the Gustavus Health Professions Fair.
Ten Gustavus Adolphus College graduates seeking a career in physical therapy began graduate programs this fall at various schools across the state.
According to the Office of Career Development, all six applicants from the College’s graduating class of 2016 were admitted into physical therapy programs beginning this fall. Four out of the five applicants from previous graduating classes were also admitted, bringing the admission rate for Gustavus graduates into physical therapy programs to over 90 percent, a significant step above the national average of 47 percent.
“Tracking the admission rates is just one part of our efforts to have the most current resources and up-to-date information that enable us to advise students and future applicants in the best way possible,” Director of Health Professions Advising Heather Banks said. “And this past cycle’s physical therapy admission statistics specifically caught our eye as an impressive validation of these Gustavus students’ success in the pre-physical therapy field.”
One of the Gustavus alumna who began physical therapy school this fall is Samantha Paripovich, a current student at College of St. Scholastica.
“Utilizing the resources and attending the workshops in the career development office were the most important steps I took as a student to prepare to apply for graduate school,” said Paripovich. “I was able to use advice and resources from advisers and peers that proved very beneficial.”
Heather Banks (left) talks to a Gustavus pre-health student.
In addition to admission information, the Office of Career Development also gathers material that helped shape each student’s process in the pre-health track including the major of each applicant, GPA averages and ranges, and the number of schools applied and admitted to by applicants. This information enables the advisers in the career development office to build a collection and network of resources and run a pre-health faculty adviser training program for all current and future Gustavus students pursuing a path in health professions after graduation. In recent years, the office has expanded the coverage of this network to include all pre-health fields, including physical therapy.
“Our goal is to be able to assist a student from their first year on campus through his or her completed application to a graduate program in the health field,” Banks explained. “We want to provide the resources and guidance each student needs to become the most competitive applicant they can be.”
To achieve these ends, Banks works directly with identified students on any of the pre-health tracks to create effective four-year plans, explore new experiences in the field, prepare letters of recommendation, prepare for interviews, and professionally navigate the entire application process.
“Beginning with the analysis of an interest inventory in my first year, the career development office offered so many resources as I prepared for the application,” Paripovich said. “Being able to see what previous students had done before and get advice about different parts of the process was very valuable.”
To learn more about the Gustavus Office of Career Development, visit the department website.
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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510