Do You Receive Mentorship as a Travel Therapist?

October 8, 2023October 8, 2023 ~ Travel Therapy Mentor ~ Leave a comment

A common question we get is whether or not you’re able to receive mentorship as a travel therapist. This most often comes from new grad therapists or students considering travel therapy right out of school. Occasionally, this question also comes from an experienced therapist who wants to take a travel therapy contract in a brand new setting, but who is fearful he/she won’t be able to succeed without some guidance.

As with just about all things therapy related, the answer is “it depends.” It depends on the particular travel assignment that you choose as well as on what you mean by mentorship, as we’ve found that this can often mean different things to different managers and therapists.

Choosing the Right Travel Assignment for Mentorship

Every job as a travel therapist can be completely different, so if mentorship is important to you, then this is something you’ll have to prioritize when searching for the right travel therapy assignment. You’ll work alongside your travel therapy recruiter to identify facilities that may offer mentorship. Then, you’ll need to ask questions during your phone interview with the facility to determine what type, if any, mentorship is available.

Whitney and I found out the hard way during our very first travel therapy assignments that not all of them will be a supportive environment with mentorship for new grads.

Our Experience with New Grad Travel Therapy Mentorship

Whitney and I both started travel physical therapy right away as new grads in 2015. When we started, we both had about the same level of clinical skills and the same level of knowledge about travel therapy. We started working travel PT jobs as our very first jobs as clinicians, and we took jobs less than 30 minutes from each other. Based on this, you might guess that our experiences as new grad travelers were pretty similar. That was not the case at all. Whitney had a very difficult first travel assignment with a lot of hardship throughout the 13 weeks, whereas mine was wonderful. The interesting thing about this was that before we started the jobs, we both thought that her job would be great and that I would struggle at mine.

Much of this is because we were naïve new travel therapists that didn’t know how important the facility interview is, and therefore we didn’t ask the right questions. By, essentially, luck of the draw, she got a travel contract that wasn’t supportive or helpful at all, whereas mine had a lot of support.

At her contract, after a 30 minute orientation on the first day, she was expected to jump right into to seeing a full day of patients at the large retirement community, which included several different buildings for skilled nursing, long term care, assisted living, and independent living. The facility was new to her, the patients were new to her, and she was unfamiliar with the documentation system, yet the regional manager still expected her to achieve 90% productivity in her first week. That’s completely unreasonable for a new grad, or really for anyone starting their first week in a new place. To make matters worse, she was told there would be another PT on staff there to help her and answer questions, but it turned out that she was actually filling in for the PT who was out on medical leave, so she was on her own.

On the other hand, my contract which was at a small rural hospital, knew that I didn’t have any acute care experience, and the manager was very accommodating and wanted to help me succeed in the new setting. She let me shadow a current PT there for an entire week before I ever saw my first patient. After that, I had a week long ramp up to a full caseload. I wasn’t on my own with a full caseload until the third week, which gave me plenty of time to get aquatinted with the facility and the documentation system. I didn’t have many issues, and if I did, there was always another PT there willing to help and answer my questions.

What Can be Expected on an Average Travel Contract?

Since these first assignments, we’ve learned a lot about what can be expected when starting a new travel job. The truth is that there’s a wide range of what’s normal in terms of travel therapy mentorship. Both of our first jobs were outliers on different ends of the spectrum.

It’s not often that a travel therapist is thrown right into a full caseload on day one like Whitney was, and it’s fairly easy to avoid those jobs with a thorough interview. Being at a facility with unrealistic expectations is no fun, and we advise therapists to avoid those places at all costs. However, it’s also not common to get a full two weeks of orientation, shadowing, and ramp up like I received.

Most travel jobs are somewhere in the middle, and it’s very important to use the phone interview with the facility to determine if the support provided is adequate for your needs as a new travel therapist. Picking the right contract, especially for your first one, is vital in having a good experience as a travel therapist.

Do Travel Therapists Really get Less Mentorship?

To be honest, Whitney and I were both nervous to start out as new grad travel therapists. We’d heard some good things about travel therapy and knew we wanted to see more of the country and to earn more money, but we’d also heard a lot of negative stories from professors and clinical instructors.

There were no resources for travel therapists online back then, so we had no way to know how to choose the right travel companies and recruiters, which was also a big impediment to our success.

We thought about taking a permanent job to get mentorship and experience before traveling, but we were really eager to start exploring. Many permanent jobs in our area advertised mentorship to new grads but were vague as to what that really entailed. As we later found out, in most cases mentorship didn’t really mean much at those jobs.

After a couple weeks at my first travel contract, I talked to many of my PT school classmates to hear how their first jobs were going. They all took permanent jobs, so I was very interested to see how their experience would differ from mine. To my surprise, I actually got more mentorship at my first travel contract than all but one of them did at their permanent jobs. It turned out that most of the clinics that were offering mentorship really just meant that they would get a week ramp up period to a full caseload and have another PT in the facility to answer questions. So much for the “mentorship” I thought I was missing out on as a travel therapist!

As we’ve gotten further into our careers, we’ve learned that our area wasn’t an anomaly. While there are some facilities that offer a dedicated mentorship program, most facilities that advertise mentorship for new grads really just mean an orientation, a ramp up to a full caseload, and another therapist in the facility to ask questions if needed. This is exactly what most new grad travel therapists get as well, so the difference between permanent job and travel job mentorship is often minimal.

Different Types of Mentorship as a Travel Therapist

In addition to the mentorship that travel therapists receive being similar to that of permanent therapists in many cases, I believe that travel therapists receive a different type of mentorship that is more valuable.

In my first two years as a travel therapist, I worked alongside several dozen different therapists at different facilities all over the country. I learned from all of these therapists and got a broad view of the different treatment styles and therapy perspectives out there, which made me a more well rounded clinician. Had I worked at the same permanent job for those two years, I would have had a much more limited perspective.

I also got to learn what I liked and didn’t like about the policies and procedures at the various different facilities. Some were run extremely well, whereas others needed a lot of work. That taught me what I would want to look for in a future permanent position to have the best possible work-life balance.

On top of the above, I also got to thoroughly try out a variety of different settings and learn from each about the various stages of healing and rehab. This gave me a much better view of the patient as a whole and the progression from acute care to outpatient therapy. Trying out different settings also made me realize that although I loved outpatient, a future permanent job in a different setting might be better for me long term. I probably would have never given any other settings a try if I had taken a permanent job right out of school, and I wouldn’t have known what I was missing.

Mentorship and growth as a clinician comes in all shapes and sizes. With all things considered, I think what the average travel therapist receives is more valuable than what the average permanent therapist receives.

Types of Mentorship to Ask About as a Traveler

When it comes time to search for travel therapy jobs, you’ll want to keep in mind the different forms of mentorship you can receive and be sure to ask about these.

As we’ve already discussed, the most common type of mentorship will be another clinician on staff who can help you and whom you can ask questions. Be sure to ask if there will be a clinician of your same discipline on site, full time, at the same facility with you. Also be sure to ask about training/orientation and ramp up time as well, especially if the job is in a setting that is unfamiliar to you.

In addition to on site mentorship, you can also ask your recruiter if there is a mentor available by phone through the travel company. Often they will have clinical staff (sometimes called a clinical liaison) who works for the travel company and can help you in any tricky situations at your travel therapy contract. They may also be able to connect you with a mentor who is an experienced travel therapist who you can talk to and get advice from.

Is Travel Therapy Right for You?

If you’re considering travel therapy and are concerned about the mentorship aspect, I hope that this article sheds some light on what’s available. If you’re relatively confident in your skills as a clinician and pick a good first few contracts based on your phone interviews, then you’ll be in good shape.

On the other hand, if you aren’t confident and feel that you need more in depth help starting your career, then searching out a permanent job with a more structured mentorship program might be a good idea. While most mentorship programs at permanent jobs are minimal, we have seen some over the years that are very thorough and helpful for new grads that need to build skills and confidence.

If you plan to start as a new grad travel therapist like we did, it’s vital to be prepared and as informed as possible about the process to avoid a first contract like Whitney had. A great place to start your learning is our free travel therapy 101 series. It covers the basics and has links to more in depth learning on important topics. If you want a step by step guide to becoming a successful and financially savvy travel therapist, then our course is ideal for you. If you need help getting connected with great recruiters who are very supportive, fill out our recruiter recommendation form so we can get you in touch! Feel free to message us with any questions. Best of luck in your travel therapy journey!

Written by Jared Casazza, PT, DPT – Jared has been a traveling physical therapist since 2015. He has become an expert in the field of travel healthcare through his experience, research, and networking over nearly a decade.

Travel Therapy as a New Grad in 2023

July 24, 2023July 24, 2023 ~ Travel Therapy Mentor ~ Leave a comment

Is travel therapy as a new grad a good idea in 2023?

In the summer we get lots of questions about whether it’s a good time to travel as a new grad. This is because most students graduate in May and take their board exams in either April or July, then plan to start their careers sometime between May-September.

PTs, OTs, and SLPs considering starting their careers as travel therapists has gotten a lot more popular since we began traveling as new grad physical therapists in 2015. There are a variety of reasons for this, including more exposure to the concept from social media. But, in my opinion, the biggest reason is increasing tuition costs, and subsequently higher student loan debt. With salaries for permanent therapy jobs remaining very stagnant, many therapists are very disillusioned with the debt to income ratio they face upon graduation.

Since almost everyone understands that you can earn significantly more money as a travel therapist, taking travel therapy assignments is enticing for those wanting to pay down their loans quickly or just invest money for their future. Some new grad therapists who are willing to hustle as travelers are able to make multiple six figures in their first year out of school.

The travel therapy job market can swing wildly from year to year, which can make a big impact on the feasibility of traveling as a new grad therapist. So, each summer is a good time to revisit this topic.

Is Traveling as a New Grad a Good Idea?

Before we get into the travel therapy job market and the outlook for travel therapy as a new grad in 2023, let’s address the elephant in the room. Is this actually a good idea for new grads?

Nearly every student considering travel therapy as a new grad is told by professors and/or clinical instructors that it’s a bad idea. This was certainly what we heard when we were physical therapy students. The interesting thing about this is that the majority of those opinions come from therapists who never actually traveled themselves. They’re usually just relaying horror stories that they’ve heard over the years about bad travel contracts. While there are certainly bad contracts out there, it’s easier than ever to avoid those contracts with all of the information available now.

With thorough interviews and asking the right questions, we’ve been able to largely avoid bad contracts in our years of traveling. After traveling as new grads ourselves and mentoring thousands of other new grad travelers, we’ve learned that the truth is that the vast majority of new grad travelers have a great experience, with there being many more pros than cons.

I recently wrote an article for the MedBridge blog discussing the three major reasons that new grads should consider travel therapy, which I encourage you to check out if you’re on the fence about pursuing this path.

With all of that being said, pursuing travel therapy right out of school certainly isn’t for every new grad. You need to be confident in your evaluation and treatment skills, and adaptable to new and changing situations. If you are uncertain or don’t feel comfortable in your final clinical internships, then there’s no harm in working for a year or two in a permanent position prior to embarking on your travel therapy journey.

If you’re on the fence about it, then this article should help you determine if travel as a new grad is right for you.

Pursuing Travel Therapy as a New Grad in 2023

The travel therapy job market has been pretty strong for the past two years, for both new grads and experienced therapists. Many therapists left the field completely in 2020 due to a sudden drop in caseloads, with many being laid off or fired from their jobs, and they then decided to retire or pursue other career options. Once patient census returned to normal levels, this left the healthcare industry with staffing shortages. The shortage of healthcare workers, combined with increasing demand in all settings as the population ages, has meant a huge increase in need for therapists.

We saw record numbers of travel therapy jobs at the end of 2021 and into 2022, which gave travel therapists lots of room to negotiate due to the supply/demand imbalance. It became common to see much higher pay packages during this timeframe than in prior years. At the end of 2022 into the first half of 2023, things began to stabilize, with slightly fewer jobs and slightly lower pay, but still elevated compared to the norm. All in all, the travel therapy job market remains strong with lots of open jobs for travel therapists and high pay packages.

To hear the full scoop on the current travel therapy job market, watch our most recent Travel Therapy Job Market Update from July 2023.

Because the travel therapy job market is currently very strong, this summer is a great time to start traveling as a new grad! Facilities are eager to fill open positions, and many will be willing to train and/or mentor new grads as they get started in their careers.

Differences Across Disciplines for Traveling as a New Grad

It’s important to note that the demand for travel positions is not the same across all disciplines. Currently, the demand is the highest for physical therapists, followed by speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapist assistants, and last being occupational therapy assistants.

With this in mind, it means that the disciplines which have lower demand will have higher competition among candidates for travel therapy jobs. This makes it particularly challenging for new grad therapists to out-compete experienced clinicians for travel jobs in these lower-demand specialties.

PTAs & COTAs

This is particularly the case for PTAs and COTAs who have the lowest availability of travel jobs. This makes it a lot more challenging for new grad PTAs and COTAs to find consistent work as travelers, resulting in unwanted and unpaid time off. It also means they may potentially be put into bad clinical environments, because they are desperate to accept any job that will take them.

Because of this, we encourage new graduate PTAs and COTAs to gain experience at a permanent job for at least 6-12 months, if not longer, before pursuing travel therapy. This will allow them to gain valuable experience and boost their resumes, making them more competitive for travel therapy positions. It will also allow them to build up some savings in case of gaps between travel jobs or unexpected cancellations because a travel job becomes filled with a perm candidate.

For a more in depth look at the travel therapy job market for PTAs and COTAs, I would encourage you to read this article from 2020 which discusses the obstacles that PTAs and COTAs have faced in the last few years with staffing. The job market has improved some since 2020 for these disciplines, but this gives a good overview of where the job market has been in the past leading up to now.

PTs, SLPs, and OTs

We do not have these concerns as much for newer graduate PTs, SLPs, and OTs, because the demand for these disciplines is higher, and there will be more opportunities to choose from. This means that the candidates are more likely to have consistent work, and they will also have the opportunity to choose among a lot of job options to find a clinical environment that is a good fit for them as new grads.

I will add that since the demand for OTs is slightly lower than that of PT and SLP, new grad OTs may have to be a bit more flexible on settings and locations when looking at travel therapy jobs. There are currently fewer open positions for travel OTs compared with PT and SLP, so the competition is slightly higher for new grad OTs.

Last, it’s important to note that when we discuss opportunities for “new grad SLPs,” we mean after they have received their CCC’s. Once an SLP has received their full credentials and is an SLP-CCC, the opportunities are numerous, and the new SLP-CCC will have many jobs to choose from. However, when SLPs are in their clinical fellowship year, travel therapy jobs are more limited. There are only certain travel therapy job opportunities that will allow the supervision hours necessary to complete the requirements of the CFY. I would recommend reading this article to further help you decide if traveling during your clinical fellowship year is a good choice or not.

Summary

If you’re considering travel therapy as a new grad in 2023, and you’ve determined that it’s a good option for you based on your own personality as well as the job market prospects for your discipline, then go for it! If you don’t like it, then there will always be permanent jobs to go back to. But, you may end up loving it and traveling for much longer than you anticipated, like we have.

Pursuing travel therapy provides a unique opportunity to explore the country and have new adventures, while setting yourself up for financial success in the future.

Before you jump in, be sure to check out the six ways to ensure success as a new grad travel therapist. Then, when you’re ready to dig deeper into your research, you can check out our free Travel Therapy 101 Series to learn all the essentials to beginning your travel therapy journey!

If you’re ready to get started traveling within the next few months, be sure to fill out our Recruiter Recommendation form so we can help get you connected with the best travel therapy recruiters and companies to help you along your way!

Best of luck to you, and feel free contact us with any questions!

Tag: New grad physical therapy