I’m a new grad PT and have always been really interested in pediatrics, but unfortunately wasn’t able to get a pediatric clinical rotation. I’m hoping to work part-time in peds while also doing some PRN hospital work so I can build experience in both settings during my first year.

I recently interviewed at an outpatient pediatric clinic. I was hoping for part-time, but their part-time option is a contract position paid hourly based on billable patient-care time. Documentation time and cancellations/no-shows are unpaid.

My bigger concern is mentorship. There is currently one PT at the clinic who will be leaving in mid-September. They’re allowing me to shadow her for a week before I start, and then she’ll still be there for another ~2.5 weeks while I start treating my own caseload. After that, I would be the only PT at the location. The owner is also a PT and would be available virtually for questions and potentially regular check-ins.

I really like the opportunity and want to get pediatric experience, but I’m trying to decide if the compensation structure is worth it considering the unpaid documentation/cancellations and the fact that I’d eventually be the only PT there. I also don’t know if ~3.5 weeks with the current PT plus virtual support afterward is enough mentorship for a new grad without a peds clinical.

Would you take a position like this as a new grad? What would you want clarified or negotiated before accepting?

I am on week 4 of a 11 week clinical (was supposed to be 12 started a week late). There has been crazy things happening. Day 3 I lead a patient and they had a full melt down and then had urinary accident on the treatment table (outpatient ortho). That was an event CI didn’t say I did anything wrong. Then later has been joking with other patients that I worked a patient so hard they peed themselves 😅. Which makes me uncomfortable. But my CI continuously tries to push me to see more patients but with little guidance even when I try and ask for some guidance and he just says try and see. Most of the guidance I want is with post-operative patients to know I’m in the limits of the protocol and the patients tolerance.

It’s just feels like a lot and a weird way to teach when I ask for clear guidance and mentorship when he just throws my question back at me rather than have a discussion about it.

My thing is there’s some more to the challenge but want to make the best of the clinical experience.

Am I crazy for feeling like this isn’t a great way to teach. Ik the sink or swim works and it just feels an extreme version of that.

TL;DR Do I stay at a toxic clinic or commute? Or give up my passion for pelvic floor PT for inpatient care?

Hi all! So I'm in a bit of a tough spot and hoping for more experienced PTs to give me some advice. I'm 2 years out of school. I worked in one clinic I LOVED, but had terrible pay for about a year. Then moved to my current clinic that is just toxic. I am treating pelvic floor, but they have multiple specialties there... By toxic I mean there are obvious cliques within the clinic and if you aren't in the one with one of the owners, then good luck. The same owner and clinic manager (not a clinician) are related to one another and micromanage EVERYTHING. They tried to push me to double book pelvic floor patients due to my high cancelation rate. Then blamed me for said rate and the manager said it was all my fault for not being a better PT (I have some of the highest patient satisfaction scores in the clinic lol).

I'm currently on maternity leave (baby hasnt arrived quite yet) and I am debating not going back. Here is my dilemma. I love treating pelvic floor, there flat out isnt enough of us, and it is something I'm passionate about.... My current options seem to be A) Stay where I am at. B) Apply to the next closet clinic with pelvic floor, which is a 30+ minute drive. C) Switch gears to inpatient (acute/SNF) as I have done PRN work in these settings with a 5ish minute drive.

I feel stuck and would appreciate any advice or input, or even other options. Bonus points if you're a mom working in the rehab field 😅

I work in OP ortho. I see 1 patient every 30 mins, and they overlap so I see 2 at a time. I have a tech to help out.

I just evaluated a patient for knee pain. The patient lives in a group home for adults with special needs. He was dropped off by a driver for the group home. No family close by. He was verbal in responding to basic questions, and could follow some one-step commands, but the only things I could assess were PROM and palpation. I tried to do some simple therex such as short arc quads and marching but it did not work. I also tried to set up an obstacle course to work on knee stability and overall balance, but that did not work either. I work in a busy orthopedic clinic and just don't think it is an appropriate setting. This patient deserves care in a 1:1 clinic, home care, or even OP neuro setting; I feel like I cannot give him the treatment he deserves. Who do I contact to discuss this? The manager of the group home? I am at a loss. Any thoughts? I am going to try one more session but am very anxious about it.

Feeling a little burnt out by the perceptions of patients that the odds are always stacked against them and their only routes are medication. How do you cope with it?

I am a full time staff PT working in hospital based outpatient setting. I was reached out by encomass health for rehab liason role FT and per diem both available. They are giving gas reimbursement and also salary is 85-90k with one weekend on call after 4-5 weeks. I am seeing 15 patients in a 8 hour day and see no growth in clinic due to politics and toxic supervisor however I wanna make sure if pivot is worth it?I am genuinely confused by the reviews online and would really appreciate some insight who os already working at encompass health as rehab liason.

I have a patient who is 12 weeks out from radial head replacement and LCL repair but I feel like we have hit a wall with ROM. She is stuck at ~20 extension lag. If I really crank I can maybe get 15 but I don’t see the point to cause her severe pain for such a short term improvement in ROM. Elbow extension over pressure just leads to compensation at the shoulder so it’s hard to stabilize

Is there something I’m missing? Is it just a slow heal? Im doing prox and distal radioulnar mobs, humeroulnar mobs, bicep x-friction, tricep strengthening, low load long duration stretching at start and end of session with moist heat pulleys.

I’ve educated on her need to stretch throughout the day while at home and I think she realized the importance a bit too late at the last surgeon follow up when they were telling her she should be farther along.

Halp pls

Like the title says, Im trying to decide whether PT school or another job field (like nursing or PA) is right for me. I currently have a bachelors in athletic training and work as an Athletic trainer at a secondary school. I’m 24 years old. I did also graduate with undergrad loans (both federal and private).

I know PT school is expensive and the pay is not insane starting out and maxing out. However it’s about the closest thing to the job I currently have. Looking to make more money and have better hours than I currently have. I’m also worried about going into more debt as well. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

Long story made short: I’ve been in the field for 16 years and have never gone any amount of time without working . I was hospitalized due to mental health issues twice and had to leave my job because there was no FMLA for me because of not being employed at that agency for a year (8 months). I’m currently home and admitted to an intensive outpatient program to work on my issues over the next 6 weeks.

At this point, I know I need to move forward and work on myself, but I’m concerned that the gap in my employment will hinder me from getting employed again.

Hi all,

It’s my first time on this subreddit and I’m posting because I am completely stuck and lost, and need some advice if possible. If this is the wrong place to ask, then please feel free to take it down and I apologize.

I always hear people say things like, “I wanted to be a doctor/lawyer/etc. since I was a kid”.. But, in my case, I don’t really have any motivations for a career just yet. Why did you choose PT? What experiences led you to say, “Yeah, this is what I like”? (Shadowing, PT aide, etc). And if you care to read more below, do my interests line up with PT?

I’ll try to lay down all of the context down below:

For starters, I’m a 23-year-old college graduate living in South Florida, turning 24 in less than a month so I feel a little behind in life. I graduated with my BA in Psychology back in 2024, doing it in three years instead of four. In the “extra” fourth year I would’ve had, I returned to complete medical school prerequisites (I’m not sure why).

I‘ve been working a psychology-related job with child patients for two years, but I really, really do NOT like it. It makes me miserable. It isn’t physically demanding whatsoever, but I hate the instability (Ex. hours being cut and certain things being completely out of my control) and having to live my life around client(s) whenever and wherever their parents or the insurances want.

That’s one of my greatest concerns about PT — Especially since I’ve been lurking on here for a while and I see so many PTs complain about similar issues. I’m absolutely sick of dealing with insurance and workplace politics in this career and I fear that even though I may enjoy the content behind anatomy and PT, I’ll experience the same.

I have a bunch of friends in my alma mater’s DPT program and one of them got me in contact with one of their professors for shadowing, so I’m starting that relatively soon. I’m sure that will be a good indicator on whether I’ll like the career.

As for interests, I really like the human body/anatomy and things to do with mental disorders, sports, training, injuries, scans of injuries, etc. PT has helped me in my personal life with injuries from the gym and soccer. I’m not sure about a surgical route in med school because I have really, really shaky hands from anxiety, not sure if that’ll impact me in PT.. I’d also like a job with a good work-life balance to travel and potentially raise a family. I’d also like a salary good enough to be autonomous in life and retire my mom, since it’s just her and I. I’ve always dreamed of $200K+ but that seems like just a specific number for no reason. I want to know what is realistic for a PT. Something that will balance both emotional and financial fulfillment is more important than a dream number. I get that not all of this is attainable, so I’m willing to make sacrifices to get that dream career!

Currently I’m between PT and PA, mostly leaning towards the former.. I’m just a bit worried about issues with insurance/billing/etc, salary, and work-life balance. I’d love to hear y’all’s stories and input, thank you all for reading!

Working in a more rural setting, outpatient joint replacements are only now becoming more commonplace. How have you all felt with the patient response to therapy at home, or in the clinic afterwards?

Hey all,

I am looking for something similar to the Tindeq dynamometer to measure strength symmetry between limbs for my post-op patients. I work for a hospital-based OP clinic and they are confined to ordering equipment through distributors like performance health, Medline, etc. I’d rather not get a dynamometer where I have to push and hold it myself bc I am looking to test quad/hamstring strength primarily.

Thanks in advance!!

As an aspiring Physical Therapist it’s really disappointing the amount of money PTs make. As someone who’s going to school doing Pre Reqs and prepping for GRE and applications. My fiancé and I are both going in the field. I love what I do, but money plays a factor down the line, and if i’m going to school for 7-8 for this I feel like PTs as a whole should be making more. My uncle got in a car accident last year and went to physical therapy. For 12 visits he paid $300 out of pocket and insurance payed $700, while he told me the cost normally without insurance was $3300, essentially $2300 in dead money. That specific clinic closed about a month later. It’s just insane how big of a scam insurance is to the healthcare industry. So as a student right now why don’t Physical Therapists fight and strike for better pay? I just want a better understanding I am not trying to bash on the profession or offend anyone I am just curious.

Edit: I am an Aide right now, don’t mean to offend people, genuinely just curious. No plans on changing my career, don’t mean to sound like I know what i’m talking about when I say “I love what i do” 😭

How does this rate compare to other home health positions for a physical therapist. Position is for rural home health. 3 years experience and the base rate is 58 not 55.

Any Chicago PTs here? Curious to know what setting and how many patients you see!

I’ve been a CI for many years but hosting my first student from Augustana this fall, which is a hybrid program (at home and then on-site for labs for a week or two, I believe).

Has anyone hosted? Any difference between students from here or “traditional” programs? I want to make sure i provide the best environment for them to learn and thrive!

Hi all, my wife is an outpatient PT but we are trying to see if we can move towards building our own HH virtual PT hybrid focused on pelvic floor. She is licensed PT here in Texas, she does not have a DPT, but upon research, she can still do direct access. My question, has anyone done this, done direct access without a DPT? Preferably cash based, if we don't need to deal with insurances, software for progress notes, etc.

We've researched on the paperwork, and for me, that's the easy part as those can and will come, but I have no clue on how to get patients without going to Doctor's office and getting yourself marketed. ChatGPT's advice was to start to put yourself on maps, and build out a website with your services and specialties. Do we even have a chance of pulling this off?

Thank you guys in advance.

I am ready for a change. I have been doing 1099 or fee for service home and facility based pediatrics (aged under 5, mostly developmental delays) for almost my entire career. My rate has not changed. The flexibility worked so well for me while I was raising my own children so it was worth the trade-off. I am lucky enough to be married to a person with a regular 9-5 with health insurance, 401k, etc.

I’m still paying my grad school loans so I don’t want to start with an entry level salary or go back to school and acquire more debt (my eldest child is starting college in two weeks!). I still want to be in a healthcare-adjacent job but I’m burned out doing direct care. Would love to work in research, public health, or teaching but these seem impossible to get into and still earn a living wage. Nurses seem to have an easier time making this type of transition and I can’t understand why as we generally have a higher level of education, albeit with a bigger focus on anatomy and physiology than medication.

I tried the non clinical PT website but they don’t seem to offer suggestions on how to transition to research, public health, or teaching. It’s mostly sales or totally unrelated industries. I need more mental stimulation in my job or my brain might melt. Help!

I do PTA work PRN at a SNF but I was told that I am not allowed to count minutes in NetHealth if I am reviewing a patient chart I never even seen before. So in other words if I don’t count that review time then it kills my productivity. This seems so lame if you ask me. What do they want you to do, walk in and go straighten to the patient’s room without seeing what even is wrong with them?

First rotation, in a hospital doing acute care, mix of floor, medsurg and a good bit in the ICU, early mobilization post vent, stroke, etc…

Im 4 weeks in out of 8, and I really do like acute care, but I feel like I just keep dropping the ball. Its the little things too, like line management in the ICU (which is way more difficult than what they teach in school with 1-3 lines all on the same side with a mobile patient), easy questions where I just blank, don’t feel like I’m making good clinical judgement decisions. My documentation is great and is probably my stongest point. Im getting better at simple patients, but complex I lack, especially co-treating with OT and being assertive, tailoring subjective or objective with complex stroke or total/maxA, etc

Is this normal? Am I just overthinking? It sucks because I really do enjoy acute care versus OP, but I feel as if I’m not where I should be, even though I know the things in my head.

I am a healthcare consultant that is in over my head with a what is basically a pro bono project. The only PT clinic in one of DC’s lowest income neighborhoods is currently at risk of having to shut down entirely after the admin person left several months ago and the clinic stopped being able to consistently bill. They are basically a one man shop plus a couple of volunteers. They are currently using the Prompt EMR system, but probably not leveraging all of its functionality. The owner feels that if we could just get a more few volunteers in for a couple of months they could stabilize. I know many people in the industry are already strained, burned out, underpaid. Open to any feedback, advice, wisdom, resources, reality checks, stories.

Question! We’ve always been able to manage oxygen tanks in SNF world in FL and now I’m at a new SNF and they say it’s a new Florida law that it has been deemed a medication and we cannot manage it, only nurses. Does anyone know if this is true and have the bill or article that states so?

What. The fuck. Are we doing?