Pros And Cons Of Being A Traveling Physical Therapist
Becoming a traveling medical professional is a life-changing decision.
Sure, you may not end up being one for very long, but the experiences you will accrue while doing this job will certainly change your perspective on life and your profession as a whole.
Don’t believe us? Well, we talked to experts in the field of recruiting traveling medical professionals, Ventura MedStaff. They shared some of the biggest pros and cons of becoming a traveling physical therapist.
So, if you are considering plunging yourself into this lifestyle, read what experts have to say first.
Pros Of Being a Traveling Physical Therapist
1. Traveling Physical Therapists Earn More Money
Let’s start with an obvious one – all traveling medical staff, physical therapists included are paid higher wages than their staffed counterparts. The reason is simple – supply and demand. Traveling staff is hired when the regular staff is in short supply.
They are needed quickly, so hospitals and other medical facilities are willing to pay extra to attract talent. And while that might not be the biggest draw for you, it certainly is a nice boon.
2. Explore New Surroundings
Young physical therapists typically cite this reason as the number one driver for their decision to become a traveler. With short-term contracts, you will be able to travel to different locations for several weeks at a time.
In one year, you may get to visit four different locations, or possibly even more if you have shorter contracts. The typical contract for a traveler is about 13 weeks.
What this means is that potentially you could experience everything from living in a big city to somewhere in Alaska to sunny places like California or Florida to the mountains of Colorado, all while working and getting paid. During your days off, you can explore any number of fun activities depending on your preferences.
3. Grow As a Professional
One of the aspects of being a travel therapist that is not talked about quite as much is professional growth. While most people may think that traveling from place to place and never quite settling in one location might be a bad career move, that is far from the truth.
In fact, as a traveling therapist, you will be exposed to a number of different practices and techniques that you might not be able to see and learn if you worked in just one facility.
Thanks to the diversity of practitioners of physical therapy you will encounter as a traveler, you are much more likely to learn new things and grow as a professional. Oh, and one more thing.
Once you decide to settle in a single location and become an on-staff physical therapist, having traveling physical therapy in your resume is always a plus. Hospital administrators love hiring travelers – they know they are getting an experienced and resourceful person on their staff.
The Downsides of Traveling Physical Therapist Career
While there are many benefits of being a traveler, there are can be some downsides as well, just like in any other career. For instance, the lack of job security is a turn-off for many people.
You sign a contract for a certain duration of time, but this contract can be canceled by the hospital, and you might find yourself without a job. Fortunately, the kind of people who go after this career is resourceful and able to think on their feet.
Plus, when you have the right recruiter in your corner, they are able to find you another contract as soon as possible.
And that is another downside of the job – you will constantly have to learn and relearn new rules, new practices, and guidelines for each of the facilities you work in.
And you will have to do it quickly – you are getting paid a lot of money to do important work and to do it well. Quickly adjusting to a new situation must be among your strong suits if you want to succeed in this world.
Knowing what to expect from a career change is important. People often focus solely on the positives and neglect to think about the downsides. We hope we presented a balanced view of the traveling physical therapy profession. Exciting and rewarding, but not perfect. Think whether this career would suit your lifestyle and character.
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