Thanks for creating this site! Few questions..

Just starting out as a traveler? Traveling questions or experiences to share? Here's the place.
ktachiba
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 1:12 am

Thanks for creating this site! Few questions..

Unread post by ktachiba » Wed Feb 18, 2015 2:03 am

I am about to begin PT school in August, but am already thinking of which field I want to work in. I am definitely thinking about doing a year of residency after PT school and either obtaining my GCS or NCS as I believe an acute care or SNF setting fits my personality. I then plan to become a Travel PT after getting my specialization. Would obtaining a GCS or NCS provide me with enough leverage to negotiate a higher starting salary right out the gate?

Also, is it easy to find PRN jobs in the location that you are doing your traveling assignment? For example, would I be able to find PRN home health or outpatient jobs on the weekend to supplement my salary as a travel PT?

Hobohealth
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Re: Thanks for creating this site! Few questions..

Unread post by Hobohealth » Sat Feb 21, 2015 2:05 pm

Hello!

I like your early motivation to get involved in specialty practice and that you're thinking about travel. But, please keep an open mind as you head into PT school and let opportunities present themselves to you, you may end up taking some paths you never expected. As a guy who originally planned on going straight into professional sports (and had the opportunities to do so), I have taken a drastically different path and been exposed to a huge amount of our total scope of practice... so, that's just my 10 cents on keeping yourself open to paths you may not have yet considered - and becoming a good, solid generalist before honing your specialist skills.

OK, off my soap box :-) On to answer your questions.

I think a specialist certification is a great way to increase your marketability and add some negotiation skill. When I got my OCS, I was 4 years out of school and the average time for some obtaining specialist certification was after 7 years of practice - residencies may have brought that average down a bit since then. I will add (back on my soap box) that a residency program isn't necessarily something you have to do straight out of school, especially if you're still trying to refine exactly what your interests are as a clinician. Also, residencies come in a lot of different forms from onsite "hired" learning to distance programs that are mostly done through online education combined with mentorship from an expert. I suspect by the time you are out of school, we'll see an even greater variety of options.

As far as PRN jobs, yes PRN is pretty easy to find, whether you do it through a recruiter, or just cold-call local clinics. Assuming the PT market continues to expand as predicted, I think it will be really easy for you to find extra work if you want it.

Hope this helps! ...and I hope my unsolicited advice wasn't too pushy!

-James

ktachiba
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 1:12 am

Re: Thanks for creating this site! Few questions..

Unread post by ktachiba » Sat Feb 28, 2015 12:31 am

Thanks for the advice! I will definitely keep an open mind going into PT school, as I am aware that my preferences might change by the time I'm ready to graduate. But it feels good to hear that the job market will continue to grow, and that there are PRN jobs available to supplement your income, even as a travel PT!

Thanks again, and I look forward to reading future posts! :D

ktachiba
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 1:12 am

Re: Thanks for creating this site! Few questions..

Unread post by ktachiba » Wed Mar 04, 2015 9:46 pm

Hi, I had another question. By my estimations, working travelling PT and doing ~10-20 hours of PRN jobs on the side could potentially net a new graduate ~130-150K. Am I off?

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