Getting ready for my new life in San Antonio

I know that it's been a long time since I updated this blog, but not too many other Army-related things have happened since I last posted.

I've been waiting for such a long time for things to finally get moving, but now that we're under two weeks out from moving me down to San Antonio, it's starting to feel a little overwhelming.

Over the past several months I've been battling a number of injuries that have me worried for the PT test we'll have to take within a short time after arriving. I first injured my rotator cuff in mid-March when bench pressing and then reinjured it during the first week of June after trying to come back to benching too soon. Since then, I suffered a groin strain a little over three weeks ago (while squatting) and today, a pain consistent with low-level plantar fasciitis has begun in my right foot. I'm certain (*touch wood*) that these aches and pains will go away and that I'll be able to at least pass the tests, but still, I'm worried.

I would like to keep updating this blog through the PREP and BOLC courses, posting once weekly, but I know that once I take the plunge into training, it'll probably be all I can do to eat, study, train sleep and talk with Ishani.

After reading a few blogs here's what I expect the next few months to look like:

September 3rd: Move into new apartment
September 6th: Swearing-in ceremony
September 23rd: BOLC PREP course begins (there will be a diagnostic PT test sometime during this two week-course)
October 7th: BOLC begins (there will be a PT test during the first week; PT will happen 3 times a week at approximately 0530 for those who pass their PT test)
November 4th: Field training begins
December 2nd: AOC-specific training (Welcome from the PT program and a preview of what to expect when the semester starts on January 6th) 

And ... I GOT IT!

I just wanted to post a quick update letting everyone know that after over a year of direct preparation and over two of preparation in general, I've been accepted to my first choice, the US Army-Baylor physical therapy doctoral program at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, TX! 

I've spent the last couple of weeks very very stressed and have worried if there was more that I could have done to improve my application. I thought about what I would have to do to improve my application if I had to apply next year again (since I turned down my two other civilian options). 

On the morning of Thursday, February 21st someone posted to a PT school forum (on Student Doctor Network) that he had been selected for the program. I spent the next several hours worrying and wondering if I would be called. After waiting most of the day, I finally called up the SFC whose office I had traveled to to sign the last form that was needed before my application was submitted. I asked him if it would be alright to call my recruiter to ask about the board results. After responding what I could have sworn was annoyance, he checked with his superior officer and coming back on the line said "I don't think I saw your name on the list." I was so sad at that moment and was already planning how I would thank him for looking into this for me, what I would tell Ishani and how I would make my application un-refusable next year. He paused for a second and then said, "Nah, I'm just messing with you. Your name's right here. You're on the list. Congratulations." I didn't really believe him at this point and I had spent so much time worrying about not being admitted, that I really didn't hear him, and the news I had wanted to hear so badly didn't exactly stick. 

I then immediately called Ishani (who of course was ecstatic) and then spoke to my recruiter. She told me that she had been unsure of whether to tell me the results due to chain-of-command issue with her superior officer. She told me how excited she was for me and (and this may change) that she'll be making every attempt to come out (by car, so 11 hours one way for her) for my swearing-in ceremony. That should happen once my security clearance has gone through and my provisional acceptance is changed to a full admit - so in about 1-2 months. 

I'm so happy to be moving forward and to know where I'll be going in the fall. I also can't wait to talk to other admits from the NE Region (where I'm now living) when a meet-and-greet hopefully happens in a few weeks. I'll provide updates on this later. For now, aaaaaahhhh! I got it!

PS: Ishani and I got a Samsung Galaxy SIII as a reward for getting in after so much hard work. It's wi-fi connectivity in our apartment has been problematic, but hopefully with a replacement phone (due in this week) or a new router, we'll be able to solve the problem. This being my first smartphone, though, I'm more than impressed with what I can do. 

Interview update

I just wanted to provide an update on how my interview for Army-Baylor went. I woke up on the morning of the 24th (Jan.) and saw had an e-mail (sent only about 15 minutes before) from a LTC Gill (who, as it turns out, is the new deputy director of the physical therapy program at Army-Baylor). He was e-mailing about 5 people who hadn't responded to his previous request to sign up for an interview timeslot to let them know that today was the last day to interview for the program if we were still interested. I don't know how I could have fallen through the cracks. My only thought is that maybe he initially made a mistake entering my e-mail address and only later caught it when he didn't hear word back.

I quickly signed up for an interview timeslot about 5 hours from then and confirmed with him via e-mail that my name was in fact on the list for that time. I got Ishani ready for work and spent some time adding to a Word document I had started a few days before. In it, I included responses to questions I was nearly certain he would ask (based on accounts from current and past applicants) as well as detailed examples of how I embodied the key Army values (many of which didn't exactly fit). I also spent some time working with my father-in-law to craft a good answer to the "biggest weakness" question and finally I added some final points I wanted to make and questions I wanted to ask.

When he called me (only 1 minute past the scheduled time), I was ready, organized and calm. The first part of the interview was a little rocky as I, for some reason, delved immediately into why I chose to leave philosophy in response to the question: "What have you been doing for the past couple of years." From there though, the interview started to go much better and I warmed up. I began to share the reasons why personal training appealed to me (the one-on-one client interaction, not a strictly selfish pursuit like philosophy tended to be) and made the transition nicely to a discussion of why the scientific model of systematic testing and evidence-based practice appealed to me. From there it was an easy transition into his question: "Why physical therapy in the Army." Opportunity to work with individuals at a high level of conditioning, marriage of strength and conditioning topics with rehabilitation, preventative care, the difficulty of practicing with minimal equipment in the deployed environment. I was also able to highlight my military-specific shadowing experience at Fort Knox (and the initiative I displayed setting it up and continuing to volunteer there) in response to his question about military observation.

I did a lot of talking, but with the exception of the first minute or so, the conversation flowed nicely and I felt completely in my element, not artificial. I felt that I left him with my genuine and enthusiastic desire to be a part of Army physical therapy and he (unasked) told me that my interview was the best of all the applicants he'd phoned. While he advised caution (it took him two times to be accepted to the program) he told me that if the rest of my application was as stellar as my phone interview, that I stood an excellent shot of being accepted this cycle.

The only thing I can do now is wait. Wait to see if my medical waiver (for syncope) will be approved; SFC Thomas said that the closer we get to the Feb. 12th Board date, the more the medical waivers are rushed to be included in the packet. And I also have to wait for an admissions decision. In years past, one week after the Board finishes meeting, applicants start hearing word back (at least those accepted do). So potentially, with any luck, I might hear word back on February 21st.

The only other update I have is that I just contacted a local sports training center (akin to Force Fitness and Performance in Bloomington, IN) about an internship opening in strength and conditioning. The original listing (posted on Jan. 4th) was for an assistant S&C coach for their 4-person facility, but the bottom of the ad mentioned an opening for this internship. I really want to perfect and apply the basics of Olympic lifting (which they specialize in) and this looks like a perfect opportunity to get hands on. I will be purchasing the CSCS materials (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) from the NSCA soon and will take the exam later in the summer. This internship would help immensely with the video practical portion (as well as the test questions on form) and will put me that much further ahead if/when I head to Fort Sam for training.

Well, that was a lot longer than I intended it to be. Thanks for your patience and I should have some more news for you in about a month's time.