IHS salary?

[GarnetandBlack]

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I'm interested what Indian Health Service typical salary is for physical therapists..Website only states that you receive $20,000 towards your student loans but this isnt that great if there salary is $20,000 below the average everywhere else ha.. Anyone been employed by IHS or know someone who has for PT?

 

[GTT4DPT]

Data!

http://php.app.com/fed_employees11/...=PHYSICAL+THERAPIST&statename=%&Submit=Search

 

[GarnetandBlack]

Well done. Thanks!

 

[nikitaraqs]

I would be interested to know if anyone has applied for this loan repayment option. According to their website, 14 new awards are given out per year for Rehabilitative Services, which includes Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Doesn't seem like great odds for being chosen.

 

[jblil]

You guys scared me s...less for a second... I thought the US job market for PTs was so saturated we had to go find jobs in India.

 

[nikitaraqs]

You guys scared me s...less for a second... I thought the US job market for PTs was so saturated we had to go find jobs in India.

Clearly there are still jobs out there to be had, but I really like the idea of working for the IHS and using their loan repayment option. I'm just wondering if anyone knows how difficult it is as a physical therapist to get that award.

 

[Myosin]

Clearly there are still jobs out there to be had, but I really like the idea of working for the IHS and using their loan repayment option. I'm just wondering if anyone knows how difficult it is as a physical therapist to get that award.

I'm just a future PT student, but I also have some very brillant friends who work in finance. I'll share with you some of the things they have taught me.

Choosing a job just for a repayment plan is not a wise choice. It's also not smart to depend on programs such as federal loan forgiveness programs.

If you were to significantly cut your lifestyle after you graduate, you could actually pay down the vast majority of your debt within 3 years and all of it within 5.

If you have a loan of ~$100,000 and you put at least $20,000 of your net towards it a year, you can easily pay it down in half the time loan forgiveness programs pay it off.

This shows you how the measly $20,000 that IHS gives you isn't anything special. You can pay off your own loans AND have a higher paying job if you go a different route. I don't know what their base salary is though. If you're payed significantly less than other PTs, then it's not worth it. If it's comparable, then you actually get a decent deal

Just something to think about.

 

[nikitaraqs]

I'm just a future PT student, but I also have some very brillant friends who work in finance. I'll share with you some of the things they have taught me.

Choosing a job just for a repayment plan is not a wise choice. It's also not smart to depend on programs such as federal loan forgiveness programs.

If you were to significantly cut your lifestyle after you graduate, you could actually pay down the vast majority of your debt within 3 years and all of it within 5.

If you have a loan of ~$100,000 and you put at least $20,000 of your net towards it a year, you can easily pay it down in half the time loan forgiveness programs pay it off.

This shows you how the measly $20,000 that IHS gives you isn't anything special. You can pay off your own loans AND have a higher paying job if you go a different route. I don't know what their base salary is though. If you're payed significantly less than other PTs, then it's not worth it. If it's comparable, then you actually get a decent deal

Just something to think about.

Yeah, from what I can tell, if I'm offered a job that pays about the same as any other private sector offer, having that 20k go directly to my loans (with taxes partially paid on it, up to 20%) still seems beneficial. According to the IHS website up there, average salary seems to be hovering around 60k. If I start at 55-60k a year, that extra 20k going toward my loans OUTSIDE of my salary allows me to live without struggling like a college student. The idea is to get out of school and start living more comfortably, not strap myself to a lifestyle that I've already been living for a decade for another 5 years.

With a contract extension, I could potentially have 60k of loans paid off in 3 years without having to live so frugally.

Plus, I've got enough American Indian Studies classes in my undergrad work to qualify as a minor, so the population I'd be serving already interests me.

Just trying to research ALL my options so I can make informed decisions down the road. I think hearing about personal experience with the IHS would be helpful.

Of course, this is all SO far ahead of me that it's just speculation at this juncture.

 

[obeshy]

IHS has a great program. If you don't mind small town life, it's doable. Generally the IHS locations in cities rarely have openings. I'm applying for the IHS scholarship for PT school; my wife had it for dental school and is now starting her payback next month. I don't know how difficult it is to receive for a non-native American but you should definitely consider it. I just assume if there's openings on the ihs website, then why wouldn't they accept you.

 

[nikitaraqs]

IHS has a great program. If you don't mind small town life, it's doable. Generally the IHS locations in cities rarely have openings. I'm applying for the IHS scholarship for PT school; my wife had it for dental school and is now starting her payback next month. I don't know how difficult it is to receive for a non-native American but you should definitely consider it. I just assume if there's openings on the ihs website, then why wouldn't they accept you.

That's fantastic, thank you! I hope you get the scholarship!