By Meredith Haas ‘24, editor
The LVC physical therapy program has continuously grown, drawing in driven students seeking to earn their Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT).
What makes LVC attractive to students is the ability to complete their doctorate in a shorter amount of time than most other institutions. Nicole Honrade, a senior physical therapy major, cited that opportunity as the main reason she committed to LVC.
“I 100-percent chose LVC because of the ability to do the accelerated program,” Honrade said. “I think a lot of people would say the same.”
Another senior physical therapy major, Sam Lill, saw even more added bonuses to the program.
“I came to LVC because I could get my DPT in a short amount of time, which also means saving money,” Lill said.
Physical therapy programs typically consist of four years of undergraduate courses and three years of graduate courses, whereas LVC offers a unique three and three option for students directly admitted into the program.
For members of the Class of 2023 and DPT Class of 2025 who have closed the chapter on their undergraduate years, the feeling is bittersweet.
“It’s exciting but it’s sad at the same time,” Honrade said. “It means we’re really starting to grow up.”
With the start of graduate-level courses comes an even heavier workload, one that even begins over the summer. Following the students’ junior year, they remain on campus for most of summer participating in cadaver lab where they dissect the human body.
“Cadaver was definitely my favorite class so far,” Natalie Osiecki, a senior PT major, said. “I really liked how hands-on and relevant it was.”
The regular school year in full swing, these first-time grad students are already feeling a noticeable difference in the workload. Classes are much longer, with two three-hour classes a day.
“It’s harder than I expected it to be,” Lill said. “There’s more content to be learned, but less free time outside of class. Time management has become so important.”
Despite the hard work that students acknowledge come with the adjustment to graduate school, many of them will likely say the benefits outweigh the challenges. The consensus was simple: Natalie, Nicole and Sam cannot wait to help people in their communities and do meaningful work.