Eight Critical Items To Consider Before Selecting A Physical Therapist Position

Congratulations, as you read this you are about to graduate from physical therapy (PT) school, have recently graduated or recently realized that you are looking for a better situation.  No matter what your story, I am confident that you have worked hard to get where you are and today is a new beginning for you.  As you embark on your job search, please be sure that you do not lose sight of your own reasons for choosing physical therapy as your profession in the first place.  It can be easy to get caught up in a myriad of details that take you away from who you are and what you represent, the “why” of what you do.

In regards to physical therapy, you should know that the first three years of your physical therapy career are critical for you to establish yourself and put yourself into a group that will support you as a clinician, allow you some freedoms and autonomy in your practice, while providing you with guidance and support to help you develop your skills (soft – people skills and hard – PT skills).  Your name will be on many physical therapy progress reports to physicians and it will be difficult for you to become an “expert” in their minds if you are working for a physical therapy practice or organization that is not towards the top of their referral list.  Physicians and the public have clear ideas of how each clinic/organization in their area is perceived.  Beginning your career with a clinic/organization which is not reaching for the stars as you hope will limit you until you are able to break free of that image.  Often physical therapy clinics might offer you a higher salary or benefits to help get you on board, but they do not provide you the support staffing you need to truly put your best foot forward.  These benefits cost time and money and will pay off for you down the road even if not straight to your bank account up front.  High levels of care, overall experience and results are achieved through a comprehensive approach to quality care.  The proper resources need to be available so that you can focus on the things you love the most.  The good news is that there are many organizations nationwide that are redefining physical therapy.  If you opt for an organization which is sticking with the “what we’ve done successfully for years” approach which demands a high-volume approach, you and your practice will fall by the wayside in the years to come.  Ultimately your salary and benefits will stay the same or retreat rather than advance year after year, all while treating more and more patients per week and increasing documentation.