Advice for new grads

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DPTgrad

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Hey -- Question for practicing clinicians, not sure if there were other posts similar..

I am graduating in May with my DPT and was hoping anyone could offer some advice on some of the things we don't necessarily learn in school/on clinical... things like how to begin assimilating into the workforce, applying for jobs, balancing job and home life, gaining confidence, or the types of continuing education you found most helpful early on.

I have thought about residencies but I am still so unsure about where I would like to practice that I do not want to specialize right away. I am leaning toward acute rehab, however.

For the past 3 years I have been so eager to get out and start working, but now those 4 walls, sweatpants, and study groups are such fond, comforting memories.

Anybody else feel the same way when they graduated? :confused:

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Hey, I graduated Aug '08 with my DPT. There definitely will be a transition period from school to being a clinician. In general I would just take it one step at a time. After you graduate focus on studying for the boards. After that, in my opinion it would be a good idea to travel and get experience in a wide array of PT areas. Many people will tell you to get a permanent job first though. I started my first job as a traveler and there wasn't any problems from a competency standpoint, it was in inpatient rehab and acute hospital combined. It is amazing how much overlap there is and how much you can learn about the whole picture in terms of function if you travel or contract jobs. I've done acute, inpatient rehab, SNF, home health, outpatient ortho, ALF. From the standpoint of student loans I would strongly discourage putting them on forebearance any longer than you have to. Start paying your loans down as much as you can early on and get used to making the payments. As far as the DPT, be prepared for people who are disrespectful and unprofessional about it. As far as confidence goes. I wouldn't worry too much about that. Just put effort into your treatments and be thorough in the evaluation. Pay attention to the patient and do the best you can for them.
 
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This is exactly the type of response that I was hoping for.

I am thinking acute/subacute rehab possibly with per diem home health. From conversations with my CI I do know that I should consider looking for places who are supportive of new grads, offer mentorships, and that have a team-like atmosphere amongst the PTs.

I never concidered the traveling option but it seems interesting. How often did you spend in each setting and which have you settled into now? And by travel, do they mean distance or between settings. This is obviously a new option that I have not looked into as of yet.

Thank you so much
 
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Hi,
I graduated in "08 with my DPT. I chose to work in a SNF because the salary was very appealing to me as a new graduate with a lot of debt. I worked in a SNF for 2.5 years and I loved treating patients. However, there is a lot more to do than just treat patients. I eventually left because I was burnt out, was tired of getting told to "get more minutes" with the patients, and hated the lack of respect from older PTs who were content to sit back and sip coffee while they told each patient (no matter what the dx) to do 3 sets of 20, etc.
I now work in a rural environment and cover in-patient, out-patient (this is my primary area), SNF, and high school coverage. I love it and am so happy. I am pursuing the MTC through St. Augustine as well as seriously considering residency options (EIM) and then fellowship; this is the route PT is moving toward I believe. There is a lot of junk continuing education; choose wisely and choose something you can take away day 1.
You may not know exactly what area of PT you want to practice in and you may have to practice in a few different areas before you find your niche. Give it time. Do not be lured by salary; your happiness is more important. You have chosen such a great career with a lot of opportunity no matter where you choose to work. Just follow your gut and you will be fine, really.
 
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Hey,

Sheldon I've encountered the same thing in the SNF setting as far as the "go get more minutes" mentality (some more so than others as you know). And you're right, there definitely is a lack of respect. DPTgrad I've been thinking more about your original question for over a week now and thought up some more things, hope I can remember all of it.

1) Keep up with your own exercise routine, if you're a gym buff now I suggest keeping it up. 2) You have to keep work and home separate at least to a point. 3) Don't get caught up in a single line of thinking (or guru), try to be well rounded, and this is probably especially true within orthopedics. 4) Pay attention to what other clinicians do as far as treatments or even ways to interact with patient's, to pick things up from them.

I know I forgot a lot of the thoughts I had but here's some more if you want.
 
This is exactly the type of response that I was hoping for.

I am thinking acute/subacute rehab possibly with per diem home health. From conversations with my CI I do know that I should consider looking for places who are supportive of new grads, offer mentorships, and that have a team-like atmosphere amongst the PTs.

I never concidered the traveling option but it seems interesting. How often did you spend in each setting and which have you settled into now? And by travel, do they mean distance or between settings. This is obviously a new option that I have not looked into as of yet.

Thank you so much

Be careful with potential jobs that use the slogan "team member" or any of that. In my opinion it is bull. Check out the clinic website if there is one, and review the literature on the site to see if you agree with the philosophy or commentary on it. Meet all the people who work there. Find a place where you like the atmosphere and patient types, and the employees. Don't worry as much about how they advertise the position. I would strongly suggest finding a clinic that demonstrates they will respect your hard work, and you as a clinician. Trust me, there are many places you can go where this is not the case.

Traveling: I've spent 13 weeks at most of the jobs as a traveler. One was a month short because they found a permanent employee, most the time they want you to extend the length. A "traveling" PT is someone who works 50 miles or more away from their permanent home address. So for you, this could be your parent's home. If you could land that scenario, you would make a lot of money. There are also positions with contract companies or with rehab companies that own many clinics. I think they'd call you a "floater." This is where you work in the same general area but float do different clinics day by day. There is also contract positions, where you do not need to be 50 miles from the place you want to work, but at the same time make a little less money than travel.
 
Here's some more:

Be an APTA member if you're not already. And pay more than the minimum on each month's student loan payment.
 
Thank you all, I truly appreciate all of the advice.

And yes, I am an APTA member :)

When do you think I should start applying for jobs if I anticipate a May graduation? I don't want to jump the gun but I want to be competitive as there are a number of schools within a 3 hour radius of me and I do want to start working as soon as I can.

Oh by the way, would you recommend a financial adviser to help me make the best choices with loan repayment? I have about 100k worth of debt. :scared:
 
DPTgrad, as far as talking to an advisor, I called Nelnet (who services my federal loans) and the lady on the other end gave me 40 minutes of good advice on the benefits and downfalls of the different repayment methods. I highly suggest this because she pointed out that even though on option seems really great, it might not be...example: using IBR and doing that for 25 years till it's automatically forgiven sounds great, but if at some point you no longer qualify for IBR, you might be put back on standard repayment and because you have been making such low payments with IBR, your principal is still high and has been collecting interest the whole time.

There is also PSLF (public service loan forgiveness) which is great in theory, but I'd imagine it would be very hard to follow all of the rules for 10 years to be able to qualify. I tried asking her hypothetical questions on this topic, but no one who's eligible for it will apply until 2017, so she didn't want to misinform me since she or anyone she's worked with has ever processed one of those claims.

While I'm on here, does anyone know how easy/difficult it is to become licensed in a new state... say if you move frequently or it is part of your job as a traveling PT?
 
I graduated in '04, if you want to build more confidence it's just a matter of practice, you could also go with a place that has a mentoring program / guidance.
My suggestion to you about when to apply for jobs is after you have passed your NPTE that way it's not a distraction for you.
 
I started my very last rotation on Monday and I have been studying for about 3 weeks, 4 nights a week, for at least 2 hours for the boards. This is pretty much my plan from now until I take the boards, so I do feel that in addition to the prep class I took that I will be prepared to take it as soon as time allows while it is still fresh and life does not get in the way. I do appreciate the advice, however.
 
Hi All,
I am a foreign grad with no experience working in U.S. and have recently passed my NPTE and am looking for jobs. In the interim while i am waiting to find a lucrative offer is it advisable that i try to get an internship?

Thanks
 
Hi there! The best advice I can give is to try lots of different settings, unless you're dead set on a particular career path (peds, neuro, ortho, etc.) Don't pick a residency right away unless you're positive you want to work in that field. I thought I was going to be die-hard ortho, and my favorite setting wound up being acute. I just loved the pace, the camaraderie and the variety of medical diagnoses. I only figured out how much I loved acute by trying it per diem. If you commit to a path too early, you may be limiting yourself. That's why I agree with the posters above... try out some per diem jobs and don't tie yourself down just yet. I also agree about paying down student loans ASAP.

When it comes time to apply to jobs, write a KILLER cover letter for each job. Check and recheck for grammar, spelling and overall tone. Make sure your resume is consistent with its use of tense, periods, etc. Once you land an interview, practice with a friend. Trust me, these are crucial to getting the job you want :)
 
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Hi there! The best advice I can give is to try lots of different settings, unless you're dead set on a particular career path (peds, neuro, ortho, etc.) Don't pick a residency right away unless you're positive you want to work in that field. I thought I was going to be die-hard ortho, and my favorite setting wound up being acute. I just loved the pace, the camaraderie and the variety of medical diagnoses. I only figured out how much I loved acute by trying it per diem. If you commit to a path too early, you may be limiting yourself. That's why I agree with the posters above... try out some per diem jobs and don't tie yourself down just yet. I also agree about paying down student loans ASAP.

When it comes time to apply to jobs, write a KILLER cover letter for each job. Check and recheck for grammar, spelling and overall tone. Make sure your resume is consistent with its use of tense, periods, etc. Once you land an interview, practice with a friend. Trust me, these are crucial to getting the job you want :)
Hi DrEvil518, thank you i really appreciate it. I have already checked out the link for new grads and it was really helpful. Thanks a lot.
 
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Hi, pink purple! I'm so happy you are finding it helpful :)
 
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