On the Path to a Career in Physical Therapy
Like many Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program students, Jason Veldman knew from an early age that he would pursue a career in health care. He just wasn’t sure in what field.
Jason grew up in a small, rural town outside of Grand Rapids, Mich., and earned his bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Hope College. While there, Jason had several work experiences that would influence his health care path.
“Working at the Holland Free Health Clinic validated my desire to help people, especially those experiencing barriers to the health care system,” he tells me. “My internship at the Kent County Health Department allowed me to think about health care in a broader sense than what I was used to.
“My being a teaching assistant for the anatomy lab was my favorite experience I had while in college, so I knew I wanted to pursue a career that would help me use the knowledge and tools I had learned doing this.” Spark ignited: Jason was interested in pursuing a career in physical therapy.
“I chose to pursue the UC Berkeley Extension post-bacc program because I didn’t take the required prerequisite courses in undergrad to become either a physical therapist or physician assistant because I didn’t know I wanted to do this until my junior year."
Program Benefits for Aspiring Health Professionals
“I selected your Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program for my continuing education because I was intrigued by the school’s academic reputation and was very interested in moving to the Bay Area after my undergrad,” Jason relates.
“I knew I would receive the education I needed to pursue graduate school. I also loved the idea of being able to complete courses online so that I was able to work while in the program.”
A Journey to Completing Prerequisites
- Medical Microbiology
- Microbiology Laboratory
- Medical Terminology
- Pharmacology
- Genetics
- Spanish for Medical Professionals
- Biochemistry
- Exercise Physiology
Out of the courses he took, Jason believes Spanish for Medical Professionals, Exercise Physiology and Biochemistry made the biggest impacts on his education and career goals.
“Taking Spanish for Medical Professionals helped me learn useful words or phrases that are beneficial for me to know in clinics where I have worked and in interacting with Spanish-speaking populations,” he says. “It also reminded me of my interest in Spanish and has influenced me enough to continue my pursuit in learning the language.
“Exercise Physiology also influenced my decision to pursue physical therapy, as I became very intrigued with the topic and will be able to apply it daily in this profession.
“Biochemistry is an inherently difficult course,” he adds. “Daniel Benjamin’s teaching style and enthusiasm about the material made it easier and was incredibly influential in helping me through the course.”
Program staff also helped Jason reach his career goals.
“Staff was extremely helpful in navigating the graduate school process,” Jason says. “I spoke with Pauline [Alnajjar, academic adviser] frequently to discuss my options and she was very accommodating of my desire to switch from pursuing physician assistant school to physical therapy school. She was able to give me all of the right resources in applying to schools.”
Guidance on selecting post-bacc program courses prepared Jason for graduate school success by challenging and enabling him to think more critically about the information being provided in the classroom. The classes also helped him learn how to balance his schedule and routines in order to avoid burnout.
Jason’s classmates also enhanced his educational experience and career journey.
“I learned a lot from my classmates within this program,” he concurs. “All of the students I interacted with came from very different and impressive backgrounds. I was able to learn even more about the health care system and from other students in classes from their preexisting knowledge.
“I studied and volunteered with another student in the program, and this helped me tremendously in validating my experiences.”
He suggests that future students considering our post-bacc program for their own health care career journeys do their research and contact our advisers to see if it would be a good fit for them. “I know this program prepared me for graduate school and am very grateful for the experiences I had within the program.”
Building a Career in Physical Therapy
Jason is now attending Temple University’s College of Public Health for physical therapy.
“I chose Temple University because I knew it had an impressive reputation for graduate school within the health care field,” he says. “Similarly to why I chose to pursue your post-baccalaureate program, I wanted to experience more diversity. I understood that Temple’s school for physical therapy being housed within their College of Public Health meant that they would have a focus on treating patients holistically and teaching us to consider the wide-scale implications and health disparities that exist at a public-health level.”
And what does that mean for his future in medicine? After earning his graduate degree, Jason plans to take the national physical therapy examination (NPTE) so he can become a licensed physical therapist.
“At this moment, I believe I would like to focus on outpatient orthopedics,” he relates.
“Within physical therapy, I would like to have a variety of experiences that further my understanding and ability to treat patients. I would like to receive certifications and specializations and am also considering doing a residency after graduating from Temple. Given my neuroscience background, I would love to find a way to incorporate that knowledge in an outpatient clinic. I believe there are certain niches that could be explored in the future within this field, such as understanding pain or modifying patients’ mindsets, behaviors and routines to create a healthier lifestyle.”
Read about more of our Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program Class of 2024!