For the second consecutive year, PCOM Georgia's Physical Therapy Club is welcoming college students to campus to experience A Day in the Life of a Physical Therapy Student. The March 10 event—conceived and encouraged by the American Physical Therapy Association's PT Moves Me Ambassador Program—gives participants a taste of a Doctor of Physical Therapy (PT) student's academic life.
While attending classes and interacting with professors, each visiting student will be paired with a first- or second-year PT student. The undergraduates (primarily in the Classes of 2025 and 2026) and recent graduates will have ample time to mingle with likeminded peers who could potentially become their cohorts, mentors, and/or professional colleagues. Thus far, attendees have come from schools in Georgia and Florida. Twenty-five students took part last year, and more are anticipated this year.
“This is a very unique opportunity to see real-life classes and interact with faculty,” said Scott Lowe, PT, DPT, an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and the faculty advisor for the PT Club. “I didn’t have any knowledge of events like this when I was in school, but it would have helped immensely in just getting my head wrapped around the rigor of grad school and seeing how much our PT students form into a team. They often feel more like a family because they are progressing toward the same goal for so long.”
Additionally, he said, “Prospective PT students gain access to perspectives and wisdom from peers who have gone through the process of matriculating.” Importantly, too, Lowe offered, “Not every student feels the information they’ve received from their college counselors is adequate to submit a successful application.” Learning sooner rather than later about a science requirement, for instance, can be game changing.
The program, including hands-on participation, is designed to be enjoyable, but nothing is staged. Other than having some extra professors present to assist and answer questions, “things will be business as usual,” Lowe said. “Largely, we will hold labs, but there will definitely be some lectures mixed in.” Attendees will have a chance to see classes, such as: Musculoskeletal, Neuromuscular, Neuroscience, and Clinical Interventions.
Current PT students are looking forward to the day. Israel Ledezma (DPT '27) was one of eight who attended last year and subsequently matriculated at PCOM Georgia. “It was a good way to meet the first years and make connections with them,” said Ledezma, who appreciates the “upperclassmen that I can come to for guidance or help with a certain topic.”
Likewise, McKay Harding (DPT '26), who previously hosted, said, “Last year's A Day in the Life was a valuable opportunity for prospective students to really see what PT school is like. I had a great time meeting the attendees and answering questions about the program.”
From the overwhelmingly positive survey responses they submitted about their experience, prior participants agreed. Without question, they were impressed with the camaraderie they witnessed among the PT students and the benefits of PCOM's relatively small cohort size, accessibility to faculty, and campus culture.
“The culture is something we talk about pretty often at interviews,” Lowe said. “We tell them that the competition is over once you are accepted here. We want you all to succeed to the same extent, graduate, get your license, and do well as a therapist.”
Registration will remain open until all spaces are filled or the deadline of Monday, March 3.
PCOM Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
For general media inquiries, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at 215-871-6300 or communications@pcom.edu. Visit our media relations page to view contact information for public relations personnel.
© 2025 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine