Thinking about Travel PT as a new grad?

*Article written by Jared, April 2016. Updated by Whitney, May 2018. We have now been traveling for 3 years since graduation in May 2015!

 

Considering Travel Therapy

Beginning to read and learn about travel physical therapy can be very scary, especially for a new grad. When I first started, I was nervous to say the least. The allure of increased pay and traveling all over the country was enticing, but I had so many questions. Where will I live? How will I get there? I hate packing and moving, how can I possibly do it every three months? How do I know which recruiter and company to choose? What if I hate the clinic that I am placed at? What if I don’t know enough, as a new grad, to be effective at treating the patients?

Those are only a few of the questions that I had. I was lucky enough to have met a travel PT in my first clinical and was able to talk to him for a couple of hours and get answers to most of my questions.

I want to write this post for current PT students or recently graduated physical therapists that are considering traveling and answer some of those tough questions.

Pros and Cons
To start off, here is a list of pros and cons to consider about travel physical therapy:
  • Pros:
    • Better pay
    • Adventure
    • Experience in different settings
    • Meeting new friends
    • Learning new skills
    • Seeing different parts of the country
  •  Cons:
    • Moving often
    • Setting up housing each time
    • Adapting to new job environments
    • No paid time off
    • Possible tax law issues

Even considering the cons list above, I would highly recommend travel PT. The experience has been very rewarding for Whitney and me. The pay is amazing, seeing new areas is thrilling, and interacting with people from backgrounds all over the spectrum is enlightening.

For a more in depth look at the Pros & Cons of Travel Therapy, check out this article.

Confidence is Key

Another consideration when beginning to think about travel PT is if you are confident in your physical therapy skill set as a new grad. If not, it may not be a complete deal breaker for travel, but it could make your first couple of assignments more difficult. Some locations that you may go to will be very accommodating and helpful. This may include an orientation, several days of shadowing, and a light caseload in order to get accustomed to the new documentation system and environment. Other clinics will be the complete opposite and expect you to handle a full caseload your first day and learn everything on the fly. Unfortunately, this was Whitney’s experience with her first contract. She called me crying at the conclusion her first day because she was thrown into a full caseload after only a brief introduction to the manager and some of the staff. In the event that you have to jump right in, being confident in your evaluation and treatment skills is essential. If you feel that you may need more time and would like to have someone to rely on if needed, then let your recruiter know that being placed at a new grad friendly facility is non-negotiable.

How to Get Started
Finding a recruiter/company:

This leads to the next step, finding a travel company and a recruiter that will help you and be in your corner. The companies/recruiters that I have taken contracts with have been very helpful, but I believe that you should talk to several and find the ones who you feel the most comfortable with and that you feel like you can trust. For my recommendations, feel free to contact me and I will give you their contact information.

Side note, you do not have to have just one company that you work with. When looking for jobs, we are always talking to at least two recruiters from different companies in order to have a better shot at getting a job in the area and setting that we want.

Recruiters will act like they are your best friends because they want you to take a job with them, but this can lead you into a false sense of security. Remember that their ultimate goal is for you to take a job with their company, so you still need to be vigilant and not accept any job that isn’t a good fit for you.

Questions to ask a travel company/recruiter:
  • Do they offer referral bonuses?
  • Do they offer license reimbursement?
  • Do they offer travel expense reimbursement?
  • Do they offer 401k enrollment and when are you eligible? What about 401k matching?
  • What does the benefits package include and when does your insurance start?
  • Do they offer a finder’s fee if you bring the job to them?
  • Are there any opportunities for paid time off?
  • Do they offer any continuing education support?

Choosing Locations:

Now that you have a recruiter, or two, that you can count on, pick a few states where you would be interested in working, and ask your recruiter for a list of jobs in those states. You’ll likely find that some states seem to have a plethora of jobs while some states seem to only have a few. Keep in mind, you have to get licensed in each state where you want to work, and each state has different procedures, fees, and lengths of time to get licensed. Your travel company should be able to assist you with  the licensing process.

Narrowing Down The Job Search:

Next, consider in which settings you’d be willing to work and which ones you are not willing to take (i.e. SNF vs. outpatient vs. acute). You can’t always have your cake and eat it too, so you may have to settle on either the location or the setting. For example, you may be set on only working in acute care to start with, so you may not get the exact geographical location that you desire. Or, if you are set on working in Denver, you may have to take a job in a setting that isn’t your first choice. Determine what is most important to you. Is it the location or the setting that is the real deal breaker for you? You may get lucky and get exactly the setting you want in your ideal location, but don’t count on it. Remember that the amount of jobs available is finite. However, it is a lot easier to find jobs you want when you’re traveling as an individual. It’s much more difficult traveling as a pair and trying to find 2 jobs in the same geographical area, and also trying to choose your ideal setting. Whitney and I have had to make some sacrifices on jobs because of that.

Phone Interviews:

Once you and your recruiter have found a few potential jobs, now begins the barrage of phone interviews. The first one is always intimidating, but remember that as much as it is the manager interviewing you, it is also you interviewing them to determine if this clinic will be a good fit. Be prepared with a list of questions that hit all the important areas. Here is an example of important questions to ask:

  • Will there be other PTs in the clinic or are you going to be the only one?
  • How many PTAs?
  • What hours/days of the week will you be working?
  • What is their documentation system?
  • How many patients will you being seeing in a day and how many of those will be evaluations on average? How much time is allotted to each patient?
  • When are they looking for an applicant to start working?
  • What is the primary population, if applicable?
  • Is there a guaranteed 40 hour work week?
  • Is overtime an option or requirement?
  • What is the productivity expectation?

These questions are crucial. Both Whitney and I were adamant on not accepting our first jobs unless there was at least one other PT so that we could ask questions if we needed.

The next steps….

This is just an intro on how to get started with your travel PT journey. I will write more about accepting an offer and the next steps in the process in my next post. Thank you for reading and feel free to ask questions below or send me a message!

Check out the 2nd part to this post:

Thinking About Travel PT as a New Grad: PART TWO!

20 thoughts on “Thinking about Travel PT as a new grad?”

    1. We have used both MedTravelers and Prime Healthcare Staffing. Both of our recruiters for these companies were very helpful throughout the process and made sure that we were comfortable with our assignments. Let me know if you would like the contact info for the recruiters!

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  2. Hey, thanks for your post. I am seriously considering travelling and I have been working with 2 or 3 companies. Do you like Prime? I am working with them right now. I would like to get your recruiter’s contact information. What have you heard about Delta? Also, I have been really worried about trying to find housing in an area that is furnished and that will give you a lease for 3 months. How have you guys done that?

    Thanks!

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    1. Prime has been very good to us. They have been the most helpful company that we have worked with, but it’s possible that it is just the recruiter that we use with them. Elizabeth Lindsay is my recruiter and shes probably the most helpful person I’ve ever met and I ended up not even taking a job from them. She knows a lot and is willing to go above and beyond to help however she can including texting about oppertunities in the evening and at night when shes not even at work. elindsay@primehcs.com
      If you contact her, mention my name and I’ll get a referral bonus if you complete a contract. I’d really appreciate it. As far as housing, read the “Part two” post about travel PT. I talk quite a bit about housing in that post. If you have any questions after you read it, let me know!

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  3. Thank you for posting!! I’m considering this for a couple years down the road. My significant other is finishing up nursing school and we are looking to do travel PT/nursing contracts together. Ever met anyone in that boat? I’ve heard of it before, though I’m sure it’s not as common.

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    1. I’ve never met anyone doing it that way but it would work the exact same as what we’re doing. Most companies work with all healthcare professionals anyway and would be able to help you both find jobs that are close to each other. I think it’s a great idea and that you guys should give it a shot!

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    2. I actually have a classmate that set up a travel job for PT with his nursing fiancee and the companies they were considering were very willing to place them both with jobs in the same location. The only thing they weren’t too happy about was one company only wanted to give them one housing stipend instead of each of them getting the tax-deductible money.

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  4. Hello! Very helpful post. I recently graduated and am in the process of looking for good recruiters to start doing travel PT, but I’m having a hard time. The few I’ve talked to so far have seemed very pushy and “too good to be true”, which I’ve heard can be a red flag. Would you mind sharing the information of your recruiters with me? It sounds like you guys had a great experience, and that’s what I’m looking for! Of course, I’d be happy to mention your name for the referral bonuses!

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    1. Our experience really has been very good so far. There are a lot of pushy recruiters and I think they can all be that way sometimes but don’t let that overwhelm you. We have talked to a lot of companies since we started but the two we’ve had the best success with are MedTravelers and Prime Health Care Staffing. Elizabeth Lindsay is great and she’s the recruiter we’ve worked with through Prime, elindsay@primehcs.com. Jessica Hall is our current recruiter through MedTravelers and we’ve been very happy with her and the company overall Jessica.Hall@medtravelers.com.

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  5. Hello, I am currently working with a travel company but they are having a hard time finding more assignments for me. How do you feel/ go about changing companies? Is it difficult or frowned upon?
    Thanks,
    you can email me if you prefer.

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    1. Changing companies is not a big deal besides all the new hire paperwork and requirements. Whitney and I both need jobs in the same area so we are always limited on job options. For that reason we are always working with at least 2-3 companies in order to have the best chances of finding two jobs. We are always up front with the recruiters and tell them we are working with other companies as well in order to increase our job options.

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  6. Hey there, also looking for recruiter info that you trust. Have a few that are a little too pushy, and not to sure about the others. Thank you!

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    1. We luckily only had to find short term housing once before we bought our fifth wheel which made things much easier. We looked everywhere on that first assignment including: Craigslist, VRBO, AirBnB, as well as calling every apartment complex within a 25 mile radius of our jobs. AirBnB is an option but everything we found was $1,300+/month and we didn’t want to spend that much. Many travelers go the AirBnB route though and if we didn’t have the camper we would always check on there for good, cheap options as well.

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  9. What are your thoughts on doing local per diem work in high paying market instead? I am a DPT student in Vegas and my understanding is you can make 70+ an hour for per diem here since it is one of the highest paying markets in the country, also we own a home here already. Also, I seem to have noticed a stigma about this kind of work when I bring it up with my professors, they seem very anti making money and pro residencies phds etc. They seem to scuff at the jobs in PT that actually pay well. However, it seems crazy to me to bust my butt full time in OP Ortho for what I can make in 6 months per diem. Additionally, it seems like you can make a lot working for federal government as a PT and get a pension etc. But the flexibility seems amazing with per diem travel etc.

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  10. Hey there, great blog! I’m a new grad interested in travel, but it’s been tough navigating things with COVID. Can you pass along your favorite recruiters that are still active? (I know there can be a high recruiter turn over). I’m currently with Core Medical and Jackson Therapy partners, but I haven’t had much luck and am still in the market for recruiters that you trust. I will look to mention you for the recruiter bonus. Thank you!

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    1. Hey, Samantha. COVID has really hurt the travel market right now, especially for new grads. It seems to be starting to get a little better but still much more difficult to find jobs than at any point in the last 5+ years. If you fill out this form, we can get you set up with a couple more recruiters that should give you the best shot of finding something though! https://traveltherapymentor.com/travel-therapy-recruiter-recommendations/

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