My Story
I Didn't Get Here by Having Everything Figured Out.
I'm Geena Terino, PT, DPT, founder of GET Into Grad School.
And before I tell you about the degrees, clinics I've helped build, or professionals I've hired and mentored, I want you to know something more important:
I've failed. I've questioned myself. I've experienced adversity.
Some of the most important growth in my life happened when I stopped trying to become the person I thought I was supposed to be, and invested the time in understanding who I actually was.
That process changed how I approached my education, career, leadership, relationships, and patients. It's also the foundation of how I coach students today.
From Applicant to Clinician to Leader
My journey into healthcare began as a student pursuing an accelerated pathway into physical therapy.
I learned that strong grades alone weren't going to define my future. I had to learn how to communicate. How to listen. How to accept feedback. How to recognize my strengths without becoming arrogant about them. How to acknowledge my weaknesses without allowing them to define me.
And most importantly, how to keep learning.
I went on to earn my Doctorate of Physical Therapy from MCPHS University and began building my career as a physical therapist.
Eventually, my career expanded beyond treating patients. I moved into healthcare business development and leadership, helping open clinics, build teams, hire and train staff, develop clinicians, analyze performance, and create strategies for growth.
"Being qualified and knowing how to communicate your value are two very different skills."
The Lesson That Changed Everything
At some point in my own career, I realized professional development wasn't simply about accumulating more credentials. It was about self-awareness.
I invested time in understanding myself: my strengths, weaknesses, communication, leadership, motivation, and the kind of professional I wanted to become.
That work allowed me to give a better version of myself to my colleagues, employers, people I led, and most importantly, my patients.
Once you understand that, the application becomes easier to write.
The interview becomes easier to navigate.
And confidence stops being something you have to manufacture.
Instead of asking:
"What should I write in my essay?"
Start with:
"Who am I, and what do I have to offer?"
The Person Who Taught Me to Keep Growing
Much of the way I think about work, leadership, and personal growth began long before my career in healthcare. It began with my dad.
My father spent his career in business and leadership, including executive roles as a CEO and CFO. Later, he founded his own company, GET Advisory Services.
GET represented my initials within his company. Today, those same three letters have found their way into something I'm building: GET Into Grad School. That wasn't accidental.
My dad taught me many things, but one lesson continues to influence how I work with people:
"Listen before you speak."
He used to remind me that we have two ears and one mouth for a reason. You can't lead someone effectively if you haven't listened to them. You can't communicate effectively if you don't understand your audience. And you can't care for a patient effectively if you're more interested in demonstrating what you know than understanding the person sitting in front of you.
My dad is no longer here to see where I'm taking those lessons. But his influence is.
GET Into Grad School is one small way I get to carry that forward, not by recreating what he built, but by applying what he taught me to the work I'm uniquely positioned to do:
Helping the next generation of healthcare professionals become the people they're capable of becoming.
Why Work With Me?
I'm not going to promise you an acceptance. And I'm not going to pretend there's a secret formula for graduate school.
Instead, I bring three perspectives:
The Applicant.
I've experienced the uncertainty, competition, pressure, and self-doubt that can accompany pursuing healthcare.
The Clinician.
I understand what happens after the acceptance letter and the responsibility of caring for another human being.
The Healthcare Leader.
I've interviewed, hired, trained, mentored, and developed healthcare professionals.
My job isn't to turn you into someone you think an admissions committee wants. My job is to help you understand who you already are, intentionally develop who you're becoming, and learn how to communicate both.