As a PT major I wanted to share my feelings on some of the statements made in this article. I understand that this was an editorial piece that’s based on opinion rather than facts, however I feel as though anything published in affiliation with the school’s newspaper should consider all perspectives and be selective in the way it speaks about other students.
Above all, I felt greatly disrespected by the statement, “LVC’s liberal arts students are thriving while many physical therapy students are struggling to make it to the next semester. No, this is not due to the different levels of difficulty, but simply because The College chose the wrong people to meet its quota.”
I don’t think that it’s fair to compare the curriculum of a graduate program to undergrad courseload. They each have their own, unique challenges and it’s hurtful to discredit the time, effort, and sacrifices made by any student – regardless of their major. I have struggled and I have seen my classmates struggle but we continue to persevere and pursue our education and that doesn’t make us any less-deserving of the school’s resources.
I’m aware of the cuts that have been made to many of the BA programs. Although I’m not directly affected, I can only imagine the stress and frustration this must create for hundreds of students and faculty and I do think that it’s an important issue that needs to be addressed. Even as a PT major, I’m thankful for the liberal arts education I received in the undergrad portion of my degree. My language classes gave me the ability to hold basic conversations with Spanish-speaking patients and my English and writing-process classes helped to streamline my writing so I can create effective and professional treatment notes.
I think that this article sparked an important conversation, however I don’t think it was necessary to paint the PT program and its students in such a negative light in order to highlight the concerns of other departments.
Thank you,
Julia Brewer
LVC ’19 DPT ‘21