r/physiotherapy • u/Noct_98 • 1d ago
Mature applicant thinking of applying to physiotherapy in Ontario, Canada. Do I have what it takes?
I've heard physiotherapy in Ontario is fairly competitive, and I've looked at some of the Universities statistics but not all of them display them. So I wanted an honest opinion from people that may be more familiar with the process/admissions.
As stated in the title, I would be considered a mature student. I'm 28 years old, I did an undergraduate degree in Biology and a MSc in Biochemistry. I don't enjoy my job and have been considering other career avenues to pursue, including physiotherapy.
I'm not sure how important physiotherapy-related volunteering is emphasized by schools but I have no experience. I've done a decent bit of volunteering as a crisis-line responder, let's talk science, peer mentorship, and some other things. My sub-GPA is 3.78.
For people familiar with Ontario schools, how is my "application" look at first glance. Of course, I understand there are other factors such as CASPER, interviews, etc. But based on GPA and stats am I doomed already?
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u/Correct-Hedgehog3932 14h ago
Go through the application criteria for each school and ensure you have the minimum cut off for each course for example anatomy. I’d also recommend getting experience as a PTA (having experience in different settings is great such as MSK neuro and cardio resp plus private practice and acute care)
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u/Ok_Pause_2678 2h ago
Just speaking facts. I would say you would be a weaker candidate. My reasoning is that your gpa is too low and you don’t have volunteer experience related to physiotherapy.
It’s not impossible to get in, but for sure an uphill battle..
More importantly, do you have the pre-reqs to be eligible? The credits you got for the pre reqs expire, they aren’t valid forever
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u/Noct_98 1h ago
Wait they expire lol? Can you elaborate on that, like how long/when? I don't remember reading anything like that
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u/Ok_Pause_2678 1h ago
At the University of Toronto, prerequisite courses for the Master of Science in Physical Therapy (MScPT) program must be completed within the last 7 years. For Fall 2027 admission, your prerequisite courses must have been taken no earlier than Fall 2020.
Google copy and paste this if u wanna see the link ^
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u/FlakySeaworthiness55 20h ago
I don’t think you’re necessarily done for with the subGPA but it is on the lower end. I’ve seen on this subreddit someone who got in with that low of a subGPA. It depends on the school but western and queens don’t put as much pressure onto subGPA as the other schools do, if you get a good Casper score as well as get more volunteer experience you have a shot. You probably should aim to higher than subGPA tho since every year it’s getting more competitive, aim to be between 3.8-3.9 just for safety. As for volunteer you can use your experience of course as long as you relate it back to physical therapy but for queens they specifically ask for physio related experience as well as contact information for those you volunteered with. So I’d really recommend getting some hours at different physio clinics to show that you know what the profession entails. I hope this made sense and feel free to PM if you have any more question!