Excellence and personal attention

Originally from Sri Lanka, Jithmie Jayawickrema completed her undergraduate degree at Indiana University in Bloomington, closing out a long tennis career that took her around the world.

When applying to schools for her Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, she had three requirements: the capacity to provide an excellent education, an atmosphere that felt like family and a smaller student-teacher ratio with individualized attention.

Trine University checked all three boxes.

“Everyone I met from the start did not treat me like a number but part of the family working toward a goal of producing excellent physical therapists,” she said. “Being far away from home, the feeling of being around people who felt like family and genuinely care about your education and personal well-being was crucial to my success in PT school.”

She also was drawn by the program’s Clinical Application and Reflection Experiences (CARE) program, which gave her hands-on experience starting in her first year of classes.

“I believe this helped all of us become more comfortable in the clinical setting from the beginning,” she said. “Feedback was also taken seriously by the faculty who worked hard every day to create a positive, optimal learning environment.”

“I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to be a part of the Trine DPT program and wish the program continued success for the future.”