We talk so much about student loans, but hardly ever talk about building wealth.  While most of us didn't get into the profession to get rich, it is still an interesting question.  Is it possible to make a lot of money as a physical therapist?

Networking gets a bad reputation.  No one wants to be the person forcing small talk or awkwardly trying to start a professional relationship with a stranger.  Yet most of us want to surround ourselves with other people who make us want to be better.  How do we meet them?  How do we start a relationship with them?  

Jenna: So I know that you have had contact with so many different people over your career and you've met so many people that have probably impacted your career and helped show you where you want to go.  I want to know where do you think you met people that had the most influence on you? Where or how did you meet these people?

Phil:  So I think I could probably answer the how more than anything else.  It almost always was because I was introduced to them through a mutual party who just knew I had done something really well or with excellence in a certain area.  And so I think about getting introduced into professional...

Is PT everything you wanted it to be?  For many new grads, it doesn't live up to expectations. You're not alone. You're not doomed to dislike your career.

You wish you had a better situation at work. 

You want to see more of a certain patient.

You wish you could have flexibility in your schedule for things that are important.

You want to make more money than you are now, but you aren't sure how to take action or what to do next. 

In this video, Jenna and Phil discuss why change can be so hard in our career.

Phil:  All right, Jenna, I've got a question for you.  A lot of times in people we coach and people we work with, it really takes a lot for change to occur. Meaning they'll be in a situation that they don't like, with patients they're not really excited about seeing, or they don't like their employer, they don't like their manager, whatever the case may be, but they don't do anything about it. But they're frustrated beyond all belief. Why is change so hard? What makes it so difficult to be able to make that leap?

Jenna:  I think part of it is knowing what the leap is. Okay, I don't want my caseload or I...

Dear PT Students (or should I say new PTs),

Those four letters have been thrown around for the last three years of your life.

“You’ll need to know this for the NPTE”
“This will definitely be on the NPTE”
“Make sure you review this for the NPTE”

For a while the NPTE was so far in the future that it didn’t seem real. Something you would think about, but quickly forget. But for many of you, right now the NPTE is all you can think about.

I’ve heard from a lot of students about the stress, uncertainty and worry that they’ve been feeling as the test quickly approaches. Many who have been studying and preparing daily for weeks and months.

I’ve heard things like ‘I’m not a good test taker’ and other narratives that are all different shades of being afraid of failing. And that fear is understandable. That fear is real, but….

Here’s what I know and what you should know

1. No matter how ‘bad of a test...

Did your PT school tell you an average salary to expect after graduation? Was it accurate?

Sometimes that salary projection may have been spot on, but for others it may have been very different. It isn't your PT school's fault. Salaries are not always accurate when you find them online.

Sure, you can look up the average salary for a PT, but that number varies depending on where you are, your experience, and in what setting you work.

This is exactly why we created the salary calculator, to take real data and make it available to PTs. So you're paid what you're worth... and also, not surprised by a co-workers salary like I was.

Find out what a physical therapist salary is by years of experience, setting, and region with the PT Salary Calculator

Stepping Out

While there aren’t many things more terrifying to people than public speaking, what is worse is public speaking in front of your peer group. This weekend we had a communication course for all of the University of Evansville Residency Programs (Sports, Ortho, Neuro, and Acute Care). 

In our course, you stand in front of everyone and give a persuasive talk while you are recorded. The recording is played back as you sit there. You then get to critique yourself, then your colleagues give feedback, then finally the course instructors give their two cents. Then you have an hour and a half to redo your presentation and implement all the feedback and give it again after lunch.

It is beyond exhausting. It is beyond terrifying. 

But I couldn’t be more proud of the people who came and engaged in the process. Here is why I think these people are so awesome:

1) They put themselves in an uncomfortable situation in order to be...

Dear PT Students,

“Do you think students will be prepared after a year of their education being affected by COVID?”

You are over a year into navigating your education since COVID.  

I don’t know how you’ve done it.  I’m impressed.  The adjustments you’ve had to make, the constant changing and the lack of certainty only adds to an already difficult program.

I hope you know how awesome you are and I hope you know that while I’m sure it wasn’t enjoyable, it has already made you a better physical therapist.

Being a PT is ALL about being able to pivot and change course when needed.  It is about constantly wondering and assessing whether you are on the right track.  It is about taking it one session at a time and knowing that you may have to adjust daily.

So yes, I think PT students will be better prepared for their careers than ever before.  I think the fact that...