Four STC Alumni accepted into doctoral program at UTMB-Galveston
Left to right Aaron Gonzalez, Brandon Cardenas, Desi Reyes, and Zachary Garza are graduates from STC’s Physical Therapist Assistant Program who were recently accepted to the prestigious Physical Therapist Assistant to Doctor of Physical Therapy Bridge program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston beginning this May.
At the age of 33, Desi Reyes says he relished his unofficial title as the elder statesman among an elite group of students dedicated to success as they fought through the rigorous challenges of STC’s Physical Therapist Assistant program.
Two years after graduating, Reyes is now among those few graduates set to enter a doctoral program in Physical Therapy and reflects on a journey nearly 10 years in the making when he first completed an undergraduate degree in 2012.
“I think that anything worth doing is worth overdoing,” Reyes said. “You have to dive in headfirst. Nobody is going to get it for you except you. You might have people along the way to help guide you, but it’s up to us as students to continue on that path. To be successful in this program you have to go for it, and you have to want to do this because while it’s not easy, the journey itself is so worth it.”
Reyes is among four STC graduates recently accepted to the prestigious Physical Therapist Assistant to Doctor of Physical Therapy Bridge program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston beginning this May.
“I think that anything worth doing is worth overdoing. You have to dive in headfirst. Nobody is going to get it for you except you. You might have people along the way to help guide you, but it’s up to us as students to continue on that path. To be successful in this program you have to go for it, and you have to want to do this because while it’s not easy, the journey itself is so worth it.”
Aaron Gonzalez, Zachary Garza, and Reyes, all alumni of STC’s Physical Therapist Assistant Class of 2019, and Brandon Cardenas, from STC’s Class of 2017 are now set to enter the 28-month program, part of the oldest Physical Therapy Program in Texas, where they will be trained in everything from patient management, evaluation and treatment, application of evidence-based practice, leadership, education and research.
When asked about the journey that led him to this point, Garza indicated prior to joining the STC PTA Program, he was denied acceptance into a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program despite having an undergraduate degree. Similarly, once enrolled as a student PTA, he faced unexpected academic challenges.
“For me, it was also realizing that failure was ok. Failure led me here,” said Garza. “It’s a hard pill to swallow definitely because no one likes to fail but it’s part of the learning process. It’s ok to fail and it’s ok to be wrong but what matters most is how you get back up and recover from those failures. It's easy to stay down, but it's how you rise that will ultimately determine whether you will be successful or not. It definitely feels good when you can rise up, look back and feel proud of the work you have accomplished. This was a big part of my own growth."
The South Texas College Physical Therapist Assistant Program entered into an agreement with the Doctor of Physical Therapy Bridge Program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in December of 2015.
The agreement affords the PTA program at STC the opportunity to recommend up to two well-qualified graduates from each cohort for the Bridge Program at UTMB, a two-year and four-month hybrid-based program with minimal on-campus requirements for Physical Therapist Assistants to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Whether recommended under the articulation agreement or not, however, qualified graduates are encouraged to apply to the Bridge program via the traditional route. The four STC alumni represent entry into the program at Galveston via both routes.
“Anybody can have the potential to reach their goals but you have to understand that nobody is going to help you get there except you. At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself how much you want it. One thing I learned after graduating was that once you conquer the biggest obstacle in life up to that point it makes you even hungrier for success. Once you reach the top of the mountain, it’s time to find a bigger mountain.”
Students must already have a bachelor's degree and a current Physical Therapist Assistant license with two years of experience in addition to 44 semester hours of prerequisites.
When asked what advice they could offer someone considering a career in Physical Therapy, Gonzalez said, “I would say the first step is to commit to it and move forward. There are a lot of things that can knock you down but the one thing we all have in common here is the drive, the commitment and the passion. As students in the PTA program, we knew that if anything got in our way we were going to get through it one way or another. Applying to a doctorate program is no different. There isn’t one specific way to do it. There’s no magic bullet. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and the Physical Therapist Assistant program at STC helps you see those and molds you through them. Stick with it. Keep going and everything will fall into place.”
UTMB Bridge students participate in patient simulation labs and standardized patient experiences to prepare them for four clinical internships, which begin during the fourth semester and are available primarily in Texas.
UTMB’s Physical Therapy Program was established in 1944 and started its DPT curriculum in 2008.
“Anybody can have the potential to reach their goals but you have to understand that nobody is going to help you get there except you. At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself how much you want it,” said Cardenas. “One thing I learned after graduating was that once you conquer the biggest obstacle in life up to that point it makes you even hungrier for success. Once you reach the top of the mountain, it’s time to find a bigger mountain.”
For more information about STC’s Physical Therapist Assistant Program, please visit nah.southtexascollege.edu/pta/.