Mission Statement
The mission of Travel Therapy Mentor is to be the primary resource for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech language pathology students, new graduates, and experienced therapists alike who are interested in pursuing travel therapy to achieve financial stability, embark on amazing adventures, and manage dissatisfaction and burnout.
Travel Therapy Mentor is comprised of two Doctors of Physical Therapy, Jared Casazza and Whitney Eakin, who work as traveling physical therapists and have several years of experience in this role.
Travel Therapy Mentor creates an environment that fosters confidence around the travel therapy experience, empowerment regarding a strong financial foundation, as well as positivity and mutual learning. We achieve this goal by providing strong mentorship, support, and sharing what we have learned over the years.
Background: Why We Started
Travel Therapy Mentor
Written by: Jared Casazza, PT, DPT
Burnout Among Healthcare Professionals
Over the past few years, I have witnessed increasing levels of reported burnout and job dissatisfaction among all allied healthcare professions. These reports seem to correlate directly with the meteoric rise in tuition prices for both undergraduate and graduate programs alike over the past decade, while compensation has remained relatively stagnant.
In many cases, especially for graduating Doctors of Physical Therapy like myself, this can mean an insurmountable debt burden ($150,000+ in student loans) relative to new graduate income ($60,000-$70,000 average for full time permanent positions). This is a travesty not only for the many therapists in this position, but also for communities at large, because some prospective students choose other career paths, amplifying the shortage in allied health professionals already seen throughout the country.
There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight as far as rising tuition prices go, which means there needs to be a strong focus on the income side of the equation, as well as minimizing expenses before and after graduation.
Where Travel Therapy Enters the Equation
My girlfriend and fellow physical therapist, Whitney, and I were in the situation mentioned above not so long ago upon graduating physical therapy school. Faced with the high debt burden and relatively modest pay offered to new graduate therapists, we chose to take the road less traveled, so-to-speak, and pursued travel therapy to drastically increase our income potential.
We encountered many therapists and professors that tried to deter this choice, with the argument that travel therapy is not a good idea for new graduates since experience is limited and mentorship is not readily available. Four years later, I can confidently say that choosing travel therapy as a new grad was among the best choices I have made in my life.
In a short time, I have had incredible experiences moving and exploring all over the east coast, while also achieving a financial position that has allowed me immense freedom now and into the future.
Travel therapy is definitely not the only solution to increasing income as a new grad therapist, thereby making the student debt burden much more manageable, but it is a powerful one that should be considered.
Many Sources of Motivation
Of course, finances are not the only reason that therapists decide to pursue travel therapy. The adventures, experiences, and broadened prospective gained from traveling to various places around the United States are advantages that are not to be overlooked, whether it’s only for one contract or over the course of several years.
Being able to explore new areas on the weekends throughout the country, while not having to take time off of work, is a luxury that not many are able to have, and we feel very fortunate to be able to have a lifestyle that supports this as a travel therapist. Additionally, working contracts as a travel therapist allows freedom and flexibility in scheduling, making additional time available to take extended vacations between contracts if desired.
No matter what an individual’s primary motivation is for considering being a travel therapist, the many perks are hard to beat.
Mentorship: The Key to Success When Pursuing Travel Therapy
When Whitney and I graduated in 2015, there were limited resources for education and mentorship regarding travel therapy. This has improved over the past few years, but I believe that there is still a gap in mentorship available to those interested in following a similar path as us.
Starting the journey to become a travel therapist can be confusing, from learning the lingo, to talking to recruiters, to choosing between geographical locations and job settings, to navigating phone interviews, to understanding contracts and pay packages. Additionally, an area of mentorship which we feel very passionately about and that we believe is underserved is learning how best to allocate the increased income offered by travel therapy.
Whitney and I created this website to help to fill this gap in mentorship.
The Ultimate Goal of ‘Travel Therapy Mentor’
We want this site to be the primary resource for therapists seeking to become travel therapists. We strive to provide sound mentorship and support to therapists seeking this path, by providing them with information from our experiences and research.
Please feel free to contact us for more information, and let us help guide you on your travel therapy journey starting today!