Just like with any job as a therapist, you will not be allowed to practice without an active license. This means that for every state you are currently working in you MUST have your license up to date. Additionally, if you have other licenses in other states that you plan to return to, you must keep these licenses active as well. So, let’s dive into everything it takes to managing licenses in each state as a travel therapist!

UNDERSTANDING THE LICENSING PROCESS

If you’re unfamiliar with how initial licensing occurs, please reference THE PT COMPACT- HOW TO GET LICENSED IN UNDER 10 MINUTES. This post covers the difference between getting licensed via examination versus endorsement. This post also mainly covers the PT Compact and how licensing under the compact works.

Now that we’re up to date on how to obtain an initial license in a state, let’s talk about managing licenses in each of those states. 

A LICENSE IS EXPIRING… NOW WHAT??

So, let’s lay out a scenario to give a real-life example of how this process works. Let’s say I obtained my initial license via examination in Missouri. After passing the NPTE, filling out the initial license, and paying all necessary fees, I was granted a Missouri PT license. WOOHOO! 

Every state has its own rules on when their licenses expire. For Missouri, their PT licenses expire on even years on the last day of the month that the licensee was born. That’s on January 31st for me. For most states, their licenses expire every 2 years. However, each state will have its own rules on exactly which day the license expires. This info can be found in the rules, regulations, and laws of each state.

So, January 31st, 2024 rolls around, what options do I have for what I could do with my Missouri license? I could renew my license, let it expire, or in some states, you can make it “inactive.”

OPTION 1: RENEW YOUR LICENSE

For initial licensing, you must fill out an entire application. This typically includes several forms about your personal demographics, school and work history, jurisprudence exams, and paying the appropriate fees. Every state is different with the cost of these fees, which range from <$100-$500+. The cost of these licenses will be directly mentioned on each state license application. Additional costs may also include forwarding your NPTE scores to each state board, verifying other state licenses, notary services, and sending transcripts from your school to the state board. As you can see, this can be a lot to handle and, not to mention, costly. Luckily, as a traveler, most travel companies will reimburse you for initial licensing fees or renewal fees.

As for renewing a license after the 2-year active period, there is much less to do than the initial license described above. For most states, it’s just a matter of sending in your payment to cover the renewal fees. Again, the cost of renewal varies from state to state. This cost may be the same as the original license fee or may be slightly less. But, as long as you make the payment before your license expires then renewing is as simple as paying renewal fees! And unlike initial licensing, there is no delay in this license getting processed. Whenever they receive your payment, you’re license is renewed for the next 2-year licensing period. BOOYAH! However, you also must remember to keep up with all necessary continuing education units required for each state. More on this later.

OPTION 2: LET THE LICENSE EXPIRE

If you accidentally let a license expire, meaning you did not make attempts to pay the renewal fee before the expiration date, then that license will no longer be valid. If payment for renewal is not received before the expiration date then you will not be legally allowed to practice in that state. 

As a traveler, sometimes you’re going to a state to work for 3-6 months and then you leave. There have been multiple occasions where I’ve gotten a license in a state and I have no intentions of returning to that state for work again. It is in these circumstances that one may purposely let a license expire. In those cases, if you were to let the license expire, you would have to go through the entire initial licensing process to re-obtain a license in that state. Thus, I always recommend that if you have ANY intentions to return to a state that you’re already licensed, then you might as well just renew it versus letting it expire to save you the time and energy later. 

OPTION 3: MAKE YOUR LICENSE “INACTIVE” (WHEN AVAILABLE)

There are a select few states where there is an option to put your license in an “inactive” status. In these cases, these states will not require the typical renewal fee each renewal period like an active license. And unlike a license that you let expire, upon activating your license again, there are fewer hoops to jump through. This may mean no jurisprudence exam is required and no full application paperwork process.

Instead, an inactive license could just be reactivated with the normal renewal fee, and boom you’re back into active status. Not many states offer this option. Thus, if there is a state that you may plan to return to in several years but don’t want to pay the renewal fees, it would be beneficial to see if that state offers an “inactive” license status.

WHAT ABOUT COMPACT PRIVILEGES?

Each compact privilege is valid as long as your home state license is active. For me, my home state license is in Missouri. I currently have compact privileges in North Dakota, Colorado, Georgia, Texas, and Washington. As stated before, I have to renew my Missouri license every 2 years at the end of January. Thus when I renew my Missouri license, I will also have to renew each compact privilege that I still need. The process to do this is just as simple as obtaining the initial compact privilege. Go onto the PT Compact website and purchase the compact privilege that you need. Each renewed compact privilege is valid as long as your home state license is active. For those that are not renewed or re-purchased, those are now expired and no longer valid.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS 

Another consideration for managing licenses as a traveler is continuing education units (CEUs). You’ll find that most states require up to 30 hours of CEUs per renewal period. Most states have renewal periods every 2 years, as previously stated. Some states will require CEUs in different categories or delivery methods. This means some states require a certain amount of CEUs in person vs online courses vs other methods (CI, journal club, publishing papers, etc). This is up to you to read through each state’s rules and regulations to determine what they require.

I’ve found that most states are pretty similar. However, some require up to half of your CEUs to be at a live in-person course. I have typically taken one in-person course, like Rocktape or Dry Needling, per renewal period. Each of which satisfies a large majority of the 30 hr requirements. **FYI- With each in-person course, you must verify that this course qualifies for CEUs for each state you need. You can do this by asking the course instructor or reaching out to the appropriate person in the state board.

As for the rest of the CEUs, I usually complete online Medbridge courses. Medbridge is an incredible place to get some relevant up-to-date, evidenced-based CEUs. They have courses in a variety of categories and topics covering multiple settings in the therapy fields (ortho, acute, etc.).

I also love MedBridge for their HEP platform, which has great descriptions and pictures of a large variety of exercises that you can print or send (email or text) to patients, and quickly integrate descriptions into your documentation. So, if you’re looking for a great CEU and HEP resource, you can use my link here to save $150 on your initial annual Medbridge subscription fee!

CEU AUDITS

Be sure to keep track of your total CEUs and keep the certificates of completion saved. Each state has the right to audit you and check to see if you completed the required CEUs. Thus, if you do not have the proof of completion your license may be suspended until proof of completion is submitted.

KEEP IT ORGANIZED

If this all sounds like a lot to keep organized, IT IS!! Thus, I highly recommend keeping an ongoing document or spreadsheet with all the necessary info. Be sure to list each current and past license, renewal/expiration dates, and required CEUs, with a running tab of CEUs completed/needed. The more you travel and the more often you move, the crazier this list will get. So, start it early and don’t let it get out of hand!

FINAL THOUGHTS ON MANAGING LICENSES

Managing all the licenses that compile as you travel can be a daunting task. But if you keep things organized from the beginning, it can be easy. Just keep tabs on all upcoming expiration dates and decide whether you will need that state license in the future again or not. If not, let it expire and move on. If yes, pay the renewal fee and ensure that you’ve completed the necessary CEU requirements in case you get audited. Keep it simple and keep it organized! You’ve got this!

If you have any further questions or insights for managing licenses as a travel therapist, please comment below, contact me through my website, or direct message me via Instagram.

The post A SIMPLE GUIDE TO MANAGING LICENSES AS A TRAVEL THERAPIST appeared first on Trails of a Travel PT.

HAWAII APPLICATION

First things first when applying for travel contracts is to make sure you can get that state’s license in time. Some jobs are willing to wait for the license to come through, but just to be safe it’s better to already have the contract underway when applying for your next contract.

After changing plans from Alaska to Hawaii, I knew a potential set back in securing a Hawaii travel position would be the fact that I didn’t already have a Hawaii license. Hawaii is not a part of the compact so you must file for a full state licensure. Luckily for me, the Hawaii licensure is one of the shortest and easiest applications I’ve applied for! However, that doesn’t mean it has the quickest processing time.

I was told repeatedly by my recruiter that it would take a bit of “pestering” to get the Hawaii state board to process the license quickly. Since I had a job on the line, I did not mind doing that at all. I updated the board every step of the way. I made sure to email when all appropriate forms where in the mail or important documents were being sent via email.

Unfortunately, the biggest hang up with getting the license approved was needing licensure verification from every single state that I currently or have ever been licensed. Fortunately, many of the states I’ve worked in have been compact states and don’t fall in this category. But even still, that required 6 other states to then send Hawaii a licensure verification or provide instructions on how to verify online myself. This was a tedious process, especially when each state has different rules.

As tedious as this process is, the other states processed things fairly quickly for me and I was able to get a Hawaii license approved and issued in 2-3 weeks. I was originally told to expect 6-8 weeks. You never want to be overbearing when reaching out to state boards for “expediting” your license, but I’ve found that establishing a line of communication early on and letting them know that you have a travel position lined up soon has helped me get most licenses processed much faster than the expected timeframe.

WHAT NEXT?

So, you just got hired for your first Hawaii travel therapy contract and secured your Hawaii license, now what? Do you ship or rent a car? Do you rent a furnished or unfurnished apartment? Should you ship all your belongings or check multiple bags on your flight? What is going to be the most cost-effective strategy? These are all great questions to be thinking about! We didn’t have anyone telling us what the best solutions were. But that’s why I’m here, to help you so you can go into your Hawaii travel therapy contract with excitement instead of stress.

RENT OR SHIP CAR

As soon as I signed my Hawaii travel therapy contract, I started looking at what the best option would be as far as having a car on the island. Because I signed a home health contract I HAD to have a vehicle. That was non-negotiable. I looked into the cost of renting a car for 6 months. The total was near $7000. Ouch. It would have been nice to put miles on someone else’s vehicle, but I couldn’t afford that. Luckily, we were living in California and to ship a car from Long Beach, CA to Honolulu, HI was around $1,500 (one-way). There are a few different companies you could go through, but we ended up booking through Car Shipping Hawaii.

A FEW THINGS TO BE AWARE OF WHEN SHIPPING A CAR:

SHIP YOUR CAR FOR SURE

Working with Car Shipping Hawaii was such a great experience for us! We had absolutely no problems and they walked us through every step of the process. I would highly recommend using them! Shipping our car to the island was a no-brainer. The total cost will be about ~$2,500 (it’s cheaper to ship back to Cali).

WHAT TYPE OF HOUSING SHOULD I RENT?

Oh, the dreaded housing search. This is our least favorite part about signing new travel therapy contracts. Packing up our belongings, finding a new temporary house that is within our budget, reasonably close proximity to work, and makes us feel safe is a lot harder than it seems! Especially when you have to commit to a place before you really get to see it or the area it’s in. This is ultimately one of the big reasons why we purchased our RV, “Georgia”, three years ago. It gave us some sort of stability through this dreaded process. Yes, it’s fun to live in new homes, but sometimes those homes can be cockroach infested, have bad landlords, make the commute to work extra-long, or out of budget. Check out my blog post TRAVEL THERAPY HOUSING PROS AND CONS for more insight. So, what should you do in Hawaii?

UNFURNISHED APARTMENT

The main benefit of renting an unfurnished apartment is that it is going to be the cheapest option. I would hope because there is nothing in it. We played around with the idea of this. We could save more money by signing a 6-month lease on an unfurnished apartment with a full kitchen, bath, gym, pool, extra amenities. The downfall is we would have absolutely no furniture. No bed, couch, tv, pots and pans, kitchen utensils, washer/dryer, you name it. However, we were planning on bringing our backpacking equipment: blow up mattress and sleeping bag. Maybe we could get away with no bed??

The average monthly cost of an unfurnished apartment that we were seeing were around $900-$1,200. There are companies on the island that will rent furniture month-to-month. If you do the bare minimum, you were looking at around another $300/month. Now you’re at $1,500. You can find furnished apartments and not have to sleep on a mummy mattress for $1,500/month. Thank God!

FURNISHED APARTMENT/AIRBNB

Luckily, there are quite a bit of furnished apartments on Furnished Finder, as well as great options on Airbnb. I found that Furnished Finder had cheaper options month-to-month vs. Airbnb. The average cost of a furnished apartment varied depending on location but ranged anywhere from $1,000-$3,000/month. Obviously, there are some really nice homes you could stay at if you wanted to ball out, but I think most of us are going to look for budget-friendly options.

Another thing to consider is are you looking for a shared house or a separate unit? I travel with my wife, and we have done shared housing before, but for an extended period of time we find we will pay extra for privacy. If you are traveling alone, then a shared housing unit really isn’t too bad for cost of living in Hawaii (we just lived in California and Washington, so our “too bad” is relative).

In the end, we went with a furnished beach front studio condo for 6 months at $1,400/month. The apartment complex comes with a pool, small gym, full kitchen (we will have a full-sized fridge which we are very excited for, RV’ers IYKYK). Because we could only move in on July 1st, we still needing housing for 19 days.

Finding housing for that long was turning out to be VERY expensive. I mean its Hawaii, if it was cheap everyone would be here all the time. But we found the cheapest option was to book 1 month on Furnished Finder in a shared housing unit. We have a private bedroom/bathroom and share the kitchen with one other person. There are other tenants, but they have a separate floor/shared living space. And honestly, we are loving it. The tenants/landlords are kind, there are fruit trees in the backyard that we can help ourselves too, we stare at a beautiful mountain out our bedroom window, and we’re just across the street from the beach. For 19 days, $1,200 was manageable.

HOW DO I GET MY STUFF TO HAWAII?

You’ve landed the job, got your license, you shipped your car, you have your housing figured out, now you just need to get there! But how do you pack for 6 months and how do you get it there? Fair question. We struggled with this one because we are both over-packers. If you don’t have too many things and live out of one suitcase you can just skip this part, it’s not for you. But for my over-packers, keep reading.

Honestly, I didn’t even look into what the cost would be like to ship your things via UPS or USPS. I figured those rates would be astronomical. We booked our flights through Southwest, which means you get two free checked bags, a carry-on, and a personal bag. That’s already 4 bags per person! However, don’t get carried away and go over that 50lb weight limit on the checked bags because that will be an extra $100/bag. I would suggest purchasing a luggage weight. It helped us tremendously. We were able to pack our bags to the tenth of a pound and didn’t have to deal with the frantic last-minute “stuff clothes in your carry-on” situation.

Alright, you know you can have two large bags and two smaller bags, that’s still not a whole lot of space for the over-packer, especially when you want to take camping gear, hiking gear, snorkeling gear, and paddleboards. Yes, we could just rent some of those things in Hawaii, but at the rate at which we will be using said gear just doesn’t make sense for us. But also, the rate for each additional checked bag is $125. Getting to Hawaii is adding up quickly and I don’t really want to spend all my money on getting clothes there. I laid out everything I wanted to take and quickly realized there was no way I could take all that. After sifting through and removing more items about 5 separate times I finally could fit what I needed for my Hawaii travel therapy contract.

OUR TRAVEL NECESSITIES

We ended up spending $250 on two extra checked bags. That’s 10 bags total. Honestly, it’s still probably too much and we could have made 8 bags work, but you know, we’re over-packers, it’s what we do.

IS THERE MORE?

Everything I’ve said up until this point are really big items to cross of your list for getting to Hawaii for that travel therapy contract. You will definitely come across smaller expenses you may not have been prepared for, but it happens. You don’t have any food or condiments, so you are starting fresh there. Because Paige doesn’t have a car, she has to get a bus pass which is $80/month. If your car isn’t in Hawaii yet, you may need to rent a vehicle for a while. And I’m sure more unexpected expenses will pop up, they always do. Is it all worth it to be living in Hawaii for 6 months? Absolutely!!

As I said earlier, everyone has a different experience and will do things differently than I did. We planned our entire trip in under two weeks, not because we wanted to but because we had to. I’m sure there are more cost-effective ways to do things and by all means comment below and let future travelers know! If you have any other questions regarding the process of getting to Hawaii for a travel therapy contract, please contact me here. Goodluck and be sure to follow me on Instagram for some epic Hawaii adventures. Mahalo!

The post GETTING TO HAWAII FOR THAT EPIC TRAVEL THERAPY CONTRACT appeared first on Trails of a Travel PT.

Before fully convincing you that this is the road you should take, you should definitely check out some of these other posts to make sure that becoming a Travel PT is right for you!

• The FAQs About Travel Physical Therapy
• Is Travel Therapy Right for You?
• A Student’s Guide to Becoming a New Grad Travel Therapist
• Travel Therapy Recruiters: Choosing Whose Right for You
• Travel Therapy Housing Pros & Cons

#1 LIFE IS SHORT, TAKE THE LEAP!

It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you have been in the same job for 1 year or 10 years, it’s never too late to change gears. Becoming a travel PT lets you see the world in a way you can’t do over 2 week vacation periods in a normal job. You get to live in an area for months at a time and really explore every nook and cranny that place and surrounding places have to offer.

You can choose to live by the ocean, in the mountains, downtown in New York City, or anywhere your heart desires. That’s what is so AMAZING about becoming a travel PT! You can literally go anywhere you have dreamed and soon you’ll find out that this is your reality and it’s pretty incredible to be living your dream life!

#2 FORM GENUINE RELATIONSHIPS

The hardest part about being a travel PT is being away from family and friends from back home. Luckily, I travel with my wife. She’s my best friend and we have so much fun together every day, every weekend, all the time. But as much as I love my wife, it’s nice to have other friendships and relationships outside of my marriage. But how do you meet people and form those relationships if you are leaving in 3-6 months? By the time you finally get to know someone, you have to say bye to them. It was hard in the beginning until I changed my mindset.

It’s very easy to have the mindset that it’s okay to be alone or with your partner all the time. You love them, so why bother meeting new people if you’re leaving soon anyways? Well, that can get a little lonely even when traveling with your partner. But once you switch your mindset to allow yourself to be fully invested in someone else’s life because you know that you won’t get much time with them, you actually can form a deeper connection a lot faster than you think! Having that mindset has allowed me to form countless relationships with co-workers and patients of mine.

Once I made that shift, traveling got exponentially better! I put myself out there in hopes to attract like-minded people. I’ve gone to dinners, special events, birthday parties, etc with co-workers and friends because I truly valued our relationship and our time together. Becoming a travel PT I knew I would meet new people and hopefully make friends, but I didn’t know the impact that those people would have on my life. Even for a short period of time, knowing I may never see them again, I created genuine relationships with people that I will cherish forever. And I’ll be forever grateful for having met them on this journey.

#3 BRANCH OUT OF YOUR NORM

All grad programs are different, but mine consisted of having to take clinical rotations in multiple settings. So ideally you should know what you like and dislike about certain settings before you graduate. However, things change, your interests change, and that’s OK! Coming out of grad school, I knew I wanted to work in an outpatient orthopedic setting. My first three jobs though, mid-pandemic, were in skilled nursing facilities. Those were really the only jobs hiring at the time. At first, I was nervous, and yes I was still itching to get into outpatient. However, looking back it was kind of nice. This forced me out of my comfort zone and this is where the most growth as a person and clinician will take place.

Since then, I mainly work in outpatient settings, but I’ve also done home health. I’ve learned so much more about what I like and dislike about different settings, different companies, and different managerial styles. Not all jobs are created equal and I think that is something that has really played a huge part in a lot of my decisions. I’ve worked in multiple different clinics and seen how a great clinic can be run. So if you’re stuck at a job that you don’t particularly like, just know that your contract will end soon and you can change things up!

That’s another AWESOME thing about becoming a travel PT. If you’re not happy with where you’re at you don’t have to stress about finding another job right away. Your contract will end soon enough and you can change settings, clinics, and even STATES! Now you have even more questions to ask during an interview, things to look for when searching for your next job, etc. And hopefully, your next contract will be better!

#4 IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE

Most contracts start off at 13 weeks long. What do you do when a contract ends? Whatever you want to do! If you’re ready to hop right on into the next contract, great! Do you want to fly home and visit family for a week, great! Or how about taking a month off and going backpacking through Europe, GREAT! The point is, you get to choose! You have complete control over your time off. Depending on what companies you work with, you may even have built up a few days for PTO.

We like to take at least one week off in between our contracts. Most of the time our commutes from one contract to another have been quite a journey anyways. So we take it slow and visit any National Parks, State Parks, popular destinations, or anything that piques our interest! That also then leaves a few days to get moved in and settled before starting work again. It’s just another added benefit that travel PT provides. An exceptional work/life balance that is strictly up to us!

#5 MAKE MORE $$$

Okay, the last one’s a no-brainer, you make more money! Who doesn’t love more money? Whether you are trying to pay off your student loans, save for a future home, or just simply want more money to spend more money, becoming a travel PT will help you do all of that!

A huge factor when it comes to pay is location. Depending on the area that you signed a contract can depend on how much you make. California pays pretty well, but housing will be more expensive there. Contracts in the middle of nowhere Kansas will pay well, but there won’t be anything to do. We try to go with medium pay and a highly rewarding location. Location is everything to us! We want to see as much as we can within a 4-6 hour driving range of an area. So, if that means we aren’t getting paid the most, that’s okay because it’s worth it! And even a lower-paying travel job is typically (not always) more than you’d be making as a permanent employee at that location. But one of these days we may just take a contract in the middle of nowhere, save up, and do nothing. Sounds kind of nice too.

DID I CONVINCE YOU??

I don’t know about you, but I just convinced myself to continue to keep doing travel PT for a few more years! In all seriousness though, there are a lot of things to consider about becoming a travel physical therapist. And hopefully, with the other posts I recommended, this one was the cherry on top for convincing you to take the leap and join us! I would love to help get you started and answer any more questions you might have! Contact me for any recommendations on travel PT or just travel in general! Good luck and have fun!!

The post 5 REASONS YOU SHOULD BECOME A TRAVEL PT TODAY! appeared first on Trails of a Travel PT.

Getting licensed in each state you practice in is one of the most inconvenient aspects of being a travel therapist. The inconvenience comes with the inconsistency of license processing time frames from state to state. However, if you’re a planner like me, and know approximately how long it will take to get licensed in a particular state, then you can apply early with enough time to avoid delays in starting your next contract. For that reason, I have collaborated with my amazing recruiter, Jessica, at Delta Healthcare Providers, to assemble a post outlining the licensure process and a time frame for how long it takes to process each state license for physical therapists!

Normal PT Licensing

Before we dive into the licensing time frame of each state, we must understand the licensing process as a whole. Normal licensing for PT’s occurs either via exam (a.k.a. via “application”) or via endorsement (a.k.a. via “reciprocity”).

Licensure by Exam

Licensure by exam only occurs for one’s very first license. When applying to take the NPTE (National PT Exam), each candidate must declare which state they intend to get licensed following passing the exam. This ensures that your scores are immediately sent to the appropriate licensing body for the state you intend to be licensed.

**NOTE: This is the only time you won’t have to pay to have those scores transferred to each respective state.

After passing the NPTE, you then go through the normal state licensure application process. Each state will have different requirements and processing times, but overall, with slightly fewer hoops than with licensure by endorsement/reciprocity.

**PRO-TIP: There are some states that allow you to practice on temporary license before you get your board results back!

Licensure by Endorsement/Reciprocity 

Licensure by endorsement or reciprocity is the process that will occur when applying for any other subsequent state license following the very first. As it sounds, you will be applying via endorsement from another state licensing body. First, you will still provide proof that you passed the NPTE, and you will have the extra steps of now going through the normal licensing application process, as well as obtaining licensure verification from each state you are already licensed. As one’s travel career goes along and many licenses are held, this process can be quite cumbersome and time-consuming, as one can imagine.

 Time frame for verifications to another state board

When applying for licensure via endorsement, a majority of the state boards want you to verify your active and/or inactive licenses you have ever held. Each state has a different licensing time frame when it comes to verifying another state license to another state. Each state time frame is listed below:

• 1 week to verify: AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT< IA, ID< IN, LA, MD, ME, MO, MS, NC, MD, NE, NM, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WV
• 2 weeks to verify: DE, FL, KS, MA, KY, MN, MT, NH, NH, NV, NY, SD, UT, WA, WI WY
  • ****Currently NY is taking about 4 weeks to process their verifications (as of 9/1/22)
• 3 weeks to verify: AK, DC, IL, MI, NJ

**PRO-TIP: Sometimes you can speed up the verification process by asking the following state you are applying to:

• Can you have the state board email them your verification?
• Can you have them look up your verification online?
• Always use certified mailing with tracking so you can always know where your application is when requesting verifications.
• Sometime the state board will take prepaid shipping labels. You can again use these to track where your verifications are, so always ask if they can use prepaid shipping labels.
• Can they take one active verification instead of needing all of them? MD, SC, VT are currently some states that are doing this.

EACH STATES’ LICENSING TIME FRAME

Below is an alphabetical list of how long, on average, the typical licensing time frame is. FYI- Sometimes you want to add verification time frames from other states as well (listed above!). You can also click the link below to download an excel spreadsheet version of these licensure processing timeframes to quick reference in the future!

OTHER RESOURES TO USE

Check out each state board website

You can always try to google and keep up to date with governor rulings or board meetings for each state licensure. Also, remember that each state board will have their own website. So, you may have to do a bit of searching to find the appropriate state board site.

FSBPT

When in doubt, check of the FSBPT (Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy) website for resources and information. FSBPT is who therapists take their national board exam through to become a “board-certified” physical therapist. Their website is kept up-to-date with the latest info on licensing, etc. FSBPT provides licensing contact information and board websites and links for verifications. You will also register for JP exams and check out your score results for NPTE or JP exams through their website. Check it out here.

PT Compact

The PT compact is one of my favorite resources as a travel therapist. As stated on the PT Compact website, “The Physical Therapy Compact is an interstate agreement between member states to provide a state-developed collaborative structure to protect the public by increasing consumer access to physical therapy services by reducing regulatory barriers to interstate mobility and cross-state practice.” In short, the PT compact is a way to bypass the normal individual state licensure process for quick and easy access to practicing in the participating member states. The largest benefit of the PT compact is that the licensing time frame is IMMEDIATE!

I’ve written a whole separate blog post covering all the details you need to know about utilizing the PT Compact. Check out the PT Compact post for more info!

TO WRAP UP…

Just to reemphasize, the licensing time frame of each state are AVERAGES! Sometimes things are processed faster or, as of recently since COVID, things may be slower in some states. The best advice I can give a fellow traveler is look at these average time frames, plan ahead, and get started on the paperwork ASAP! That way if there are any delays in processing then you may still get your license processed in time for your next contract.

**NOTE: For any travel occupational therapist, I do have licensing time frames for you all as well, just not listed in this post!

If you have any questions regarding licensing time frames, travel therapy related questions, etc., please contact us or I would gladly be willing to give you contact information to my recruiter, Jessica at Delta Healthcare Providers.

The post LICENSING TIME FRAME FOR EACH STATE AS A TRAVEL PT appeared first on Trails of a Travel PT.

As I got over halfway through my 3rd and final year as a PT student, I finally decided that I was going to pursue travel PT upon graduating. At the time, there was no sort of framework on where to get started in this vast, endless world of travel recruiters and recruiting companies. Furthermore, as a type A planner person, I wanted to ensure I was doing whatever I needed to do as a student to prepare myself to become a highly efficient and marketable travel candidate upon graduation. 

Thus, I wanted to create a guide for all PT students who are planning on diving into the world of travel PT as new grads. I want to give readers a perspective on the route I took to prepare myself to secure a travel job as a new grad in the middle of the COVID pandemic, a time when jobs were slim and new grads were being overlooked. Come along with me as we explore how to become a great new grad travel PT. 

TIMELINE OF EVENTS BEFORE BECOMING A NEW GRAD

I personally used the timeline below prior to graduation to become a new grad PT. I will expand on each point below. Remember this is not necessarily the ONLY or BEST way to prepare to become a traveler PT. However, this timeline gave me plenty of time to ease into the process. And it helped me feel very prepared as a new grad traveler. Keep in mind that I graduated in May, thus the months I reference are with the idea that graduation is in May.

• 1st-Most of 3rd year during PT school
  • Get variety with clinical experiences
  • Test out the travel life
  • Get extra certifications
  • Build your network
  • Find a good mentor(s)
• January (4-5months out of graduation)
  • Reach out to recruiters and get your on-boarding done over the next couple of months while you’re prepping for boards
  • Choose which state you’ll be taking your boards through
• April
  • Take boards, dominate, and await results
• May
  • Graduation
  • Become licensed in the appropriate state and begin the job search!!!

WHAT TO DO WHILE IN SCHOOL

As I mentioned, I’m a planner and like having structure in my life. This includes my time as a student. In general, most of your time in school should be dedicated to learning and absorbing as much as you can to become a great PT. But there are some things you can do during your time in school to prep for becoming a new grad traveler, as well.

CLINICALS

My PT program had clinicals spread throughout the program starting at the beginning of the 2nd year. We applied for clinical spots several months ahead of each clinical but did not know where we were going way ahead of time. Many programs dedicate most of the 3rd year to clinical experiences and know exactly where they’re going for clinicals SUPER early. Regardless of how your program is set up, you can follow these guidelines to prepare yourself for becoming a new grad traveler.

TEST THE WATERS AND TRAVEL

When choosing clinicals, I personally wanted to test the waters on what it’d feel like to travel. So, I went out of state for several of my last clinicals to see what they would feel like. To be in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people and quickly assimilate to a new environment, is the nature of a traveler.

Now, just based on the extra cost, I don’t think this is completely necessary; however, having done it the way I did, I enjoyed it and it gave me the confidence that I could run with the big dogs as a new grad traveler.

VARIETY, VARIETY, VARIETY

The most important thing when it comes to clinical experiences is just getting as much variety as possible. The more variety of experience you get, the more likely your experience level will line up with some sort of available job opportunities as a new grad. It is harder for new grads to get jobs in general, but there are lots of jobs out there right now and new grads are doing just fine getting jobs for those with good experiences upon graduation.

FYI- Most outpatient settings are a bit more selective than any other setting. They typically want 2 years job experience, but that is not always the case. I got an outpatient job less than 1 year out of graduation because of the great experiences I had in outpatient clinicals. So, never say never!

EXTRA CERTIFICATIONS/SPECIALTIES

Getting certifications beyond the standard education makes you more marketable as a new grad. Examples of certifications to get may be dry needling, Rocktape/KT tape, IASTM/Graston, Blood Flow Restriction, LSVT Big and Loud, Vestibular Rehab, Fall Prevention Specialist, etc. Whatever you’re interested in, get a couple of extra certifications and build that resume. That way when you’re a new grad you can separate yourself from others with similar experience levels. Also, if done during school, you’ll usually get a student discount for CEU’s too vs paying double when you’re a licensed therapist.

As for how I get CEUs now as a practicing PT, I love to use Medbridge. Tons of great applicable online courses to keep me updated on new research and treatment strategies. Use my referral code for 40% off your annual Medbridge membership!

NETWORKING

During school, you will have the chance to do lots of networking. Chances will include clinicals, job fairs, and conferences like CSM. Take advantage of these moments! Establish relationships and get your name out there. The first recruiter I worked with as a new grad was with a group that I met at a job fair.

Networking opportunities allow you to not only establish potentially useful relationships as a new grad, but also allows you to practice marketing yourself. Practicing making a great first impression will be extremely useful as a new grad traveler since you will frequently be interviewing and meeting new people during your travels.

FIND A MENTOR

Let’s be honest. Being a new grad therapist is a bit scary. You’ve put in all the work to finally be licensed, countless hours of studying and working under the supervision of a CI all coming to the climax of FINALLY getting to work as your own independent PT. Furthermore, you no longer have a CI or professor by your side holding your hand through treating your patients. This lack of support can be a scary thought for many new grad therapists, especially those that are new grad travelers.

I’ve been fortunate to have some great professors during my schooling. I’ve also had some extremely supportive CIs. Both of whom now fill the “mentor” role as I travel. Oftentimes, you’ll have some great coworkers you work side by side with during your travel jobs who you will be able to bounce ideas off of; however, many people get great comfort from knowing there’s a consistent mentor there for them when they hit a roadblock on how to treat a difficult case.

MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT

During school, search for those people who can fulfill this role for you in the future. Ask them questions and develop a relationship that can be sustained during your travels. Be direct and ask them if they’re willing to fulfill a mentor role as needed while gaining experience as a new grad PT and beyond. The nature of most people in the therapy world is one of teamwork, compassion, and empathy. So, most people will be willing to fill this need of yours as needed during your travel if you ask. That being said, I’d be more than willing to fulfill this role for anyone in need of a mentor while traveling. Feel free to reach out via our email, DM on Instagram, or comment below.

Lastly, some travel companies boast that they will have a mentor set up for you as needed through the company. This was not a top priority of mine when searching for a recruiter. I feel that a better mentor is someone you’re familiar with that you found and established a connection with already. However, this is an option that is out there for those interested.

GRADUATION APPROACHING

FIND A RECRUITER

As most travelers would agree, finding a recruiter and recruiting company that is right for you is the most important step in beginning your travel journey. There are many ways to find a good recruiter. My first recommendation is to reach out to current travelers (LIKE ME!) on recommendations for travel recruiters. Send me a message, email or comment below and I’ll gladly send you my 2 phenomenal recruiters’ info. You can also search through your network of people you’ve connected with in the past (as discussed above) and move forward on conversations about working with them as a traveler upon graduation. Check out my blog post TRAVEL THERAPY RECRUITERS: CHOOSING WHO’S RIGHT FOR YOU for more info.

After you find a recruiter, they’ll then begin getting you set up within the company. This is called the on-boarding process. Typically it is just lots of online stuff for you to fill out to get set up prior to them being able to start finding you jobs.

WHICH STATE SHOULD I GET LICENSED IN?

Have an idea of what states you may want to work in after graduation. Furthermore, consider taking the boards through a state that may have job opportunities for you when you graduate. DISCUSS THIS WITH YOUR RECRUITER WHEN THE TIME COMES. THEY WILL TELL YOU WHICH STATES HAVE THE MOST LIKELIHOOD OF JOBS.

I took the boards before graduation. Little did I know only certain states allow you to take the boards early before graduation. Thus, I highly recommend looking into this super early because you have to declare the state you are testing through way ahead of time. Check out the FSBPT website here to see which states do or don’t allow early testing.

For example, I’m from Missouri. When I was graduating, Missouri did not allow us to take the boards prior to graduation. Thus, I had to take the boards for another state. This doesn’t mean you have to physically be in said state during the exam. This just declares what your first original license will be after you pass the boards.

So here’s what I did…

I knew I was going to want to travel to the state of Maine at some point. And Maine allows early testing. It is super cheap and super quick to get a license in Maine. This makes it a great option for someone just looking to get licensed anywhere. So when I passed the boards I was licensed in Maine. After passing boards, I then immediately applied for a Missouri license so that I could utilize the PT compact.

So, having a MO license then gave me an opportunity to very easily get 20+ other licenses quickly if needed. Therefore, there was a higher likelihood of someone wanting to hire me on short notice if needed.

Remember, you can only use the compact if your home state is part of the compact. Missouri is part of the compact and I maintain a tax home in Missouri so I can claim that as my home state. THE COMPACT IS SUCH AN AMAZING RESOURCE FOR TRAVELERS IF YOUR HOME STATE IS IN THE COMPACT. Check out my blog post THE PT COMPACT: HOW TO GET LICENSED IN UNDER 10 MINUTES covering all you need to know about the PT Compact for more info.

AFTER GETTING LICENSED

Typically ~3-4 weeks after taking the boards, you will get your results on whether you passed or not. After passing your exam, the Board will automatically send you passing test results to the state that you registered for. At that point, you will also have to fill out all other required application requirements for that state. Each state has a different processing time for licenses, but there are several states that are known for being prompt in their licensure processing. Check out my blog post LICENSING TIME FRAME FOR EACH STATE AS A TRAVEL PT for insight into which states process the fastest.

After passing the boards and beginning the licensure process, your recruiter can then begin the job hunt for you! This is when things get exciting! Be sure to make your priorities very clear. My priorities typically include location, setting, and pay, in that order. Everyone’s preferences are different but be sure to be VERY clear on your priorities with your recruiter.

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!

There are many ways to become a successful new grad travel PT. I hope this at least gives you a general idea of what to get started on while in school. Having a general outline and being able to “check the boxes” on certain preparation aspects certainly would have eased my anxiety. As usual, I am also open to any other questions, concerns, or comments on further insights into what else should be included in this guide. So please comment, email, and check out our Instagram for more travel tips!

Good luck and have fun, new grads!

The post A STUDENT’S GUIDE TO BECOMING A NEW GRAD TRAVEL THERAPIST appeared first on Trails of a Travel PT.

TRAVEL JOB INTERVIEW PREVIEW

Before giving you interview tips for travel jobs, I wanted to cover what a typical travel job interview and the process of setting up the interview look like.

PHONE INTERVIEWS

First of all, every travel job interview I’ve had has been over the phone. Surprisingly with the growing popularity of video meetings like Zoom, this has never been utilized during a travel job interview. At least not yet in my experience.

For me, these phone interviews can last anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. It truly depends on the interviewer, the time they have, and what all they’d like to know about you outside of what your resume tells them.

PICK A TIME THAT WILL WORK

Usually, when the time comes to start interviewing, my recruiter asks for the best times that an interviewer may call me. Most interviewers let your recruiter know that they may be reaching out for an interview first, but there’s a chance that certain interviewers may call you during your previously specified time without letting your recruiter know they’re interested. This has seldom happened to me, but it could happen. So make sure you’re being honest when you give your available interview times so you don’t miss a call and miss your chance at a potential job!

I always try to select times either before or after work or during my lunch hour. I always make sure that during the times I request I’m always nearby a quiet and private area with minimal to no distractions. I’ve had to take interviews while driving and find a spot to pull off and that interview didn’t go nearly as well as those that were done in a nice, quiet, private room.

WHAT ALL DO YOU NEED?

Truly all you REALLY need is yourself and your phone to accomplish the interview. However, I try to have my laptop available and open to my checklist of typical questions I ask the interviewer during the interview. The checklist is discussed (and downloadable) below! So, having a place to comfortably have a laptop open is preferable.

Also, there’s been cases where I have difficulty hearing my interviewer over the phone or on speaker. Thus, I typically try to at least have a pair of headphones with a functioning speaker on hand if this occasion may arise. I actually prefer starting with the headphones on and switching to just my phone, if needed. This gives my hands a bit more freedom to scroll through my checklist and make notes about the job, as needed.

GENERAL INTERVIEW TIPS

30-second Elevator Pitch

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received when I was in PT school was to have a 30-second elevator pitch queued up for any moment you may need it. Imagine, you step into an elevator with the rehab director for YOUR ABSOLUTE DREAM JOB. You’re aware there’s an opening for the position and they are actively looking for candidates. You cannot pass up this opportunity to make your first and lasting impression. You have 30 seconds to make your pitch before they get off the elevator. What do you say???

Not only is this useful JUST IN CASE this insane scenario were to play out, but also to dial up what you feel like are the best highlights of yourself for a general job interview. In nearly every job interview I’ve had I’ve been asked, “Okay, first just tell me a bit about yourself.” 

Again, your real answer may be a bit longer than 30 seconds, but this is a chance to quickly make your pitch about what makes you special. I try to include something personal about myself, such as, where I am from, where I went to school, that I’m married, travel in an RV, love the outdoors and hiking, etc. Then, I tread into humbly “bragging” about myself and highlighting the features about myself professionally that makes me stand out, such as certain areas I specialize in, extra certifications I have, etc. This leads me to my next big interview tip.

BE YOU!

Some of the best advice I can give anyone on a job interview is to just be yourself! Seems obvious and redundant, but seriously…RELAX AND BE YOURSELF. The interview is the first and potentially only impression you may get to make, so how do you want the interviewer to perceive you? 

For me, I want my interviewer to know that I’m spirited and energetic, confident in my abilities, and adaptable/coachable. Everyone’s their own person and has different strengths. Thus, prior to an interview, do some true self-reflection on what you bring to the table for a job and try to embody and project those qualities during the interview. 

The interviewer has already read through your resume and if you’ve made it to an interview you’re likely qualified enough to get the job. Now it’s just a matter of holding a conversation, thinking on your toes, and answering any questions they may have about you or your experience. You may not have the perfect answer for every question, but as long as you’re HONEST and attempt to answer all questions to the best of your ability, the interviewer will notice the effort.

I’ve been fortunate to have the chance to ask my interviewers later on down the road some things they are looking for during interviews. A very common consensus is truly just whether you’re a good person and whether your personality would fit with the current team. I actually once had an interviewer say “I don’t know, I really just wanted to make sure you were a cool guy.” 

The interviewers have already read your resume and know your credentials. That’s how you got the interview. So you must show them a side of yourself and your personality that can’t be displayed on your resume.

BE PREPARED FOR GENERAL CLICHE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

I have not ALWAYS been asked these general “cliché” interview questions, but a majority of the time I have been. Thus, it’s good to have somewhat of a framework of how you’d answer these questions. 

Interview questions to be prepared for:

• “Name me a time you had to deal with a difficult patient and how you handled that situation?”
• “Why do you deserve this job over someone else with more experience/more qualified?”
• “What’s your biggest strength and weakness?”

BE PREPARED WITH YOUR OWN QUESTIONS!

Not only are they interviewing you, but it’s also an opportunity for you to conduct your own interview process. It’s just as important for you to be prepared with questions to learn as much as you possibly can about a job prior to accepting the position. Also, the more questions you ask about a job, the more you will be perceived as interested in this position, which may impact the interviewer’s likelihood of offering you the position. 

Having as much info about the job as possible will allow you to make a true assessment of whether it’s a good fit for you. Furthermore, when weighing your options between multiple locations/jobs a few key details that are important to you may help make your decision. But you won’t know these details unless you ASK!! Below I’ve broken down some common questions I ask during an interview.

QUESTIONS TO ASK DURING THE INTERVIEW

If given the opportunity, I always start with an open-ended question to allow them to naturally answer many of your questions, such as, “What will an average day look like for me at this job?”

Caseload and schedule type questions:

• What is the average caseload?
  • # of evals, # of treatments per day
• How much time do I have for an eval? Treatment?
• What is the general patient population I’ll be treating? (Ortho, neuro, post-op, etc., age range?)
• What is the schedule?
  • M-F? Option for working 4 10’s? Weekends? Holidays?
• How many hours per week and are these guaranteed hours? Is Overtime allowed?

At this stage of my travel career, I will never accept a job without guaranteed hrs, the closer to a full 40hrs guaranteed the better!

Orientation questions

• What type of training/orientation is provided?
• Is there a ramp-up period? What does this look like?

Facility questions

• What does the team look like? # therapists, assistants, aides?
  • How many of each will I be supervising?
• What equipment is available at the facility for therapy?
• What is the facility size/number of beds? (for acute/inpatient)
• What is the average length of stay (for inpatients)?

EMR/Documentation Questions

• What EMR do you use?
  • Will I have my own computer or tablet? Desktop?
• Will someone be able to train me on the documentation system or is there online training?
  • Is documentation performed at the point of service or is time allotted for documentation?

Miscellaneous

• What is the dress code?
• What are the productivity standards?
• What is the director/supervisor’s profession?
• Is there any mentorship available?
• Are there any places nearby for lunch? Or cafeteria? Any discount for employees? 
• What’s the area like? Are there fun things to do? Restaurants? Hiking? 
  • I try to look up the surrounding area on Google Maps to have a basic understanding of what’s around the area prior to the interview
• I typically do not discuss pay during the interview since they often make the official pay offer following the interview based on experience level and geographic area and setting norms
• *I always end with- “What else can I tell you about myself? Or “Is there anything else I can tell you about myself to help secure this position?”

To make things easier on you, click below to download either a printable Word and/or PDF Job Interview Question Checklist!

GOOD LUCK!! YOU’VE GOT THIS!!

Like I said before, as a traveler you will get well-versed in the job interview process. Armed with these tips, you will feel more prepared, come off as more confident and competent, and more likely to secure that travel job you’re looking for! 

If you have any questions about the job interview process that were not answered in this post, please feel free to reach out and Contact Us. Or if you have any tips of your own to add to the list please comment below!

The post THE BEST INTERVIEW TIPS FOR TRAVELING THERAPISTS appeared first on Trails of a Travel PT.

If you travel directly West from my home in Missouri, after hours and hours of corn or bean fields and cattle ranches, one of the first peaks you’ll see WAYYY in the distance is Pike’s Peak. To truly appreciate the size of this mountain is to see it from the road and then continue to drive HOURS before ever actually getting there. For many of us road-tripping Midwesterners, the Colorado Front Range is the first chance to get a glimpse at these grandiose geological “master-peaks”.

The Colorado front range is one of the most beautiful places to visit any time of year, especially for all the hiking enthusiasts out there. We lived in Longmont, Colorado from January-April 2021, and during that time we got to check off many great Colorado hikes in the surrounding area.

If you’re looking for even more incredible Colorado hikes, check out our blog post THE BEST ALPINE LAKE HIKES TO DO IN COLORADO.

COLORADO/MANITOU SPRINGS & THE SURROUNDING AREAS

THE INCLINE & BARR TRAIL

The infamous Incline trail is a very well-known Colorado hike. If you’re looking for an incredible challenge that won’t take you all day to finish, this is the hike for you. The nearly 2000ft elevation gain is all completed in 1 mile of continuous steps going directly up the side of Pike’s Peak. After completing all 2,744 steps you can choose to continue on to summit Pike’s Peak, hike back down the stairs (which would be rough), or trek down the more friendly switchback Barr Trail.

Although The Incline is a hard trail, it’s a great feat and one I highly recommend if you have the courage.

GARDEN OF THE GODS

You can’t pass through Colorado Springs and not stop by the Garden of the Gods. This iconic location is free to the public and full of incredibly unique red rock formations, easy hikes, fun activities, and lots of wildlife!

This loop trail will take you around the majority of the large formations that everyone wants to see. You will hop on three separate trails that all combine to make one epic and easy trail throughout the park. The 4-mile hike will take about an hour and a half to complete in total, which gives you plenty of time to explore the rest of the park by car or partake in other fun experiences the park offers, such as rock climbing.

PAINT MINES INTERPRETIVE PARK

If you have time, I would highly recommend making the one-hour trip East of Colorado Springs to the Paine Mines Interpretive Park. The Paint Mines are a smaller version of the Badlands, an area of colorful exposed layers of eroded Earth that date back to almost 9,000 years ago! This park is free to public, but does not allow dogs, animals, or drones. I wouldn’t recommend this hike following a heavy rain or snow as it’d likely be very muddy, but otherwise, this is a great spot for some instaworthy pics!

This easy loop trail will guide you along colorful rock formations, slot canyons, and more. It’s the perfect hike if you have kids or are looking for an easy hike away from crowds!

GOLDEN

HUNTSMAN GULCH TRAIL

The Huntsman Gulch Trail is a quick steep hike outside of Golden that will surely get your heart rate up! The hike offers great views of the winding roads weaving through the Colorado Rockies, as well as a chance to spot some mountain terrain wildlife. This is a perfect trail to get away from the crowds, get a great workout in, and enjoy some incredible views!

DENVER

RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATER

Most people have heard of the Red Rocks Amphitheater, an incredibly unique venue for concerts, theatre, and more performances just outside of Denver, CO. This area also offers great hikes to view more red rock formations, similar to Garden of the Gods. The amphitheater seating is free and open to the public when not in use. The stairs themselves make for a great thigh-burning workout or calming place to practice yoga. It also offers a great place to sit down and have a picnic following your hike.

Red Rocks trading post trail is an easy hike that features incredible red rock formations, wildlife, and on a clear day, views for miles. This trail can be easily adjusted to suit your time frame, whether you’re looking for a longer or shorter hike, you can connect/disconnect to the other trails nearby to fit your needs.

BOULDER

CHAUTAUQUA & BLUEBELL TRAIL

This family-friendly trail is great for a quick hike with stunning views of the Flatirons, Boulder’s beautiful backdrop. Parking can be a bit tricky, so get there early if you want a spot at the trailhead. This trail can also be great for sledding following a big snow!

ROYAL ARCH

This trail stems from the Chautauqua-Bluebell loop mentioned above. A moderate/hard hike due to its fairly steep incline for most of the trail, but the effort is worth it as it leads to an incredible natural arch rock formation that opens up to reveal a great panoramic view of Boulder and the expanse of the Great Plains extending for miles at the cusp of the Front Range.

ENCHANTED MESA & MCCLINTOCK NATURE TRAILS

Across a small valley from Chautauqua Park are the connecting Enchanted Mesa and McClintock trails. These trails offer similar, just a bit more distant, views of the Flatirons with less traffic and a section of trail that passes through beautiful large pine trees. Again, a great family-friendly hike or place to get a quick jog in.

FLATIRONS VISTA TRAIL

This trail is unique in that it allows you to traverse through an open to the public cattle ranch, where you have a chance to walk side by side with some friendly bovine beauties while admiring a silhouetted view of the Flatirons and the surrounding peaks. Please be careful if planning to bring a dog on this trail as it may spook some of the cattle and cause harm!!

LONGMONT

MCCINTOSH LAKE

This lakeside trail has minimal elevation gains, offers views of some beautiful Colorado homes, mountains in the distance, and traverses past several prairie dog towns. A well rounded, family-friendly and easy trail.

FOOTHILLS SOUTH TRAIL TO OLD KILN SPUR TRAIL

Just as the name suggests, this trail sits along the foothills of the front range. It can be a great trail to spot some deer or bighorn sheep on the mountainside. Furthermore, it’s got a dog park nearby for all the dog owners or dog lovers out there.

LITTLE THOMPSON OVERLOOK

Tucked into the Rabbit Mountain Open Space, Little Thompson Overlook is a great little trail to feel the transition between the vastness of the Great Plains and the pure magnitude of the Colorado Rockies.

EAGLE WIND TRAIL

The Eagle Wind Trail shares a trailhead with the Little Thompson Overlook trail. Everything that was said for that trail could be said for this one, as well. Depending on how much time you have, this trail gives you the option of a bit longer distance tacked on to your hike.

FORT COLLINS

SOUTH RIDGE & HORSETOOTH ROCK TO HORSETOOTH MOUNTAIN

This is a MUST DO Colorado hike for those in the Fort Collins area. Horsetooth Rock/Mountain was aptly named by the Native Americans for its appearance. Its historic and spirit-filled nature can be felt atop this rocky geological landmark. Be sure to drive down around Horsetooth Reservoir to relax following your hike.

LYONS

BITTERBRUSH SHORT LOOP

If you want to take the EXTRA scenic route to get to Estes Park, I highly recommend taking Highway 7 from Lyons towards Allenspark. We drove this highway countless times just to appreciate the views; however, off this highway is the Hall Ranch, a public open space for hiking. This space is great because it offers many different trail options with varying lengths and difficulties. We only had time for the Bitterbrush short loop, which overlooks many rolling grasslands and sandstone buttes. But if you’re looking for a longer more challenging hike you could continue on to the Nighthawk trail or branch off onto the Antelope and Nelson loop trails.

ESTES PARK

MOUNT OLYMPUS

This hike was one of my favorite Colorado front range hikes. As you are driving into Estes Park on Highway 36 from Lyons, you will run into the Estes Park welcome sign. From there look North beyond the sign and you’ll see Mount Olympus. This hike provides a moderately difficult challenge considering the quick elevation gain. The summit offers views overlooking Estes Park, Lake Estes, Longs Peak, and many of the other peaks packed into Rocky Mountain National Park.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

DREAM LAKE TRAIL

This trail is likely the highest-trafficked trail in RMNP and for good reason! This trail offers some of the best up-close views of the unique glacier-carved peaks. At the trailhead is Bear Lake for those looking to just relax at a great alpine lakeside location. And along the way to Dream Lake, you will pass Nymph Lake. Because Dream Lake Trail has so much to offer you may have to wait in line just to park, even in the dead of winter. So, either arrive early or be prepared to wait your turn.

THE LOCH VIA GLACIER GORGE TRAIL

As I stated earlier, we lived in the area from January-April, thus many of the high-altitude hikes were closed for the winter OR you had to snowshoe in. Hiking to The Loch was my first snowshoe experience. I expected to feel weighed down when wearing the snowshoes, but it was honestly the opposite. The feeling of walking atop snow that you know is several feet deep, like Legalus on Lord of the Rings, I’ve never felt cooler. I have not done this hike in the Summer, but the views of the surrounding peaks are incredible. If given the chance, I’d recommend attempting a snowshoe hike on this trail if up for the challenge.

*I would consider this trail hard if you are snowshoeing.

COLORADO FRONT RANGE HIKES ON OUR TO-DO LIST

We hope to return to Colorado soon and continue to check many of these trails off our to-do list but for now, I figured I’d at least share the other trails I was interested in throughout the Colorado front range that would likely be worth a visit.

• Longs Peak in RMNP
• Roxborough State Park – South Rim and Willow Creek Loop Trail
• Chair Rocks via Colorado Trail
• Palisade Mountain– near Fort Collins
• Lake Haiyaha in RMNP
• Battle Mountain in RMNP
• Cascade Creek Trail to Mirror Lake and Crater Lake
• Green Mountain– Boulder, CO
• Rattlesnake Gulch Trail as well as Eldorado Canyon Trail in Eldorado Canyon State Park
• Devil’s Backbone Nature Trail– Loveland, CO

This is by no means an all-inclusive list, but rather OUR top hikes that we got to do. If we missed any, please leave a comment below with YOUR favorite hikes in the area. Feel free to contact us for any questions about these Colorado front range hikes or you can email me. Have fun hiking!!

The post TOP HIKES IN THE COLORADO FRONT RANGE appeared first on Trails of a Travel PT.

If you are a traveling therapist, a physical therapist in particular, you will want to familiarize yourself with the PT Compact. As stated on the PT Compact website, “The Physical Therapy Compact is an interstate agreement between member states to provide a state-developed collaborative structure to protect the public by increasing consumer access to physical therapy services by reducing regulatory barriers to interstate mobility and cross-state practice.” In short, the PT compact is a way to bypass the normal individual state licensure process for quick and easy access to practicing in the participating member states. 

Normal PT Licensing

To fully understand the benefits of the PT Compact, one must understand how typical licensing occurs. Normal licensing for PTs occurs either via exam or via endorsement/reciprocity.

Licensure by Exam 

Licensure by exam only occurs for one’s very first license. When applying to take the NPTE (National PT Exam), each candidate must declare which state they intend to get licensed following passing the exam. This ensures that your scores are immediately sent to the appropriate licensing body for the state you intend to be licensed. Note this is the only time you won’t have to pay to have those scores transferred to each respective state. After passing the NPTE, you then go through the normal state licensure application process. Each state will have different requirements and processing times, but overall with slightly fewer hoops than with licensure by endorsement/reciprocity.

Licensure by Endorsement/Reciprocity 

Licensure by endorsement or reciprocity is the process that will occur when applying for any other subsequent state license following the very first. As it sounds, you will be applying via endorsement from another state licensing body. First, you will still provide proof that you passed the NPTE, and you will have the extra steps of going through the normal licensing application process, as well as obtaining licensure verification from each state you are already licensed. As one’s travel career goes along and many licenses are held, this process can be quite cumbersome and time-consuming, as one can imagine. 

So, that is how someone would typically get licensed, that is until the PT Compact was introduced.

Who Can Utilize the PT Compact?

As amazingly beneficial as the PT Compact is, not everyone is eligible to use it. There are specific eligibility requirements that must be met before obtaining any compact privilege. 

PT Compact Eligibility Requirements

In order to purchase and maintain a Compact Privilege, you must meet each of these requirements:

1. Hold a current, valid PT or PTA license in your home state, as defined in Commission Rules.
   1. Your “home state” is the state you are claiming as your place of permanent residency. Furthermore, you must have a valid driver’s license proving permanent residency in your home state. (Flexibility for active duty military and their spouses only). 
2. Your home state must be a member of the PT Compact and actively issuing compact privileges. (see map below for participating member states)
3. You cannot have any active encumbrances against any PT or PTA license.
   1. An encumbrance is any action taken by the Licensing Board that limits the practice of the PT or PTA. An encumbrance may be disciplinary or non-disciplinary in nature as stated by the PT Compact website. 
4. You cannot have any disciplinary action against any PT or PTA license for a period of two years.
5. The state where you are seeking a Compact Privilege must be a member of the PT Compact and actively issuing compact privileges. (again see the map below for participating member states)

Remember- Home State must = Member State 

I think the biggest misunderstanding for most people who’ve never used the PT compact is listed under #1 and #2 above. #1 you must have an active license in your “home state,” and #2 your home state must be a member of the PT Compact and actively issuing compact privileges. 

Just to reemphasize, the PT compact is an “interstate agreement” between PARTICIPATING MEMBER STATES. This can only be utilized by the states that are members of the compact, including your HOME STATE, or place of permanent residence. This is typically the state where one would have their driver’s license and the place that one would be traveling away from on a travel contract.

So, curious if your home state is a member state?? Check out the PT Compact map below to see!! If your home state is not currently a participating member state, fear not. The compact legislature is frequently being introduced or proposed in many states, so never say never! I would recommend joining the PT Compact email list here to stay up to date on current announcements from the PT Compact including new member state legislature.

The current map taken directly from http://ptcompact.org/ptc-states, Taken as of 2/27/22

Now that you understand what the PT Compact is and who can utilize it, what are the benefits of using it??

Benefits of the PT Compact 

There are SO many benefits to utilizing the PT Compact as a traveler. I have used the PT compact for over half of the travel contracts I’ve done thus far. The two biggest benefits I see are the shortened processing time and decreased cost. 

Processing Time

To me, the biggest benefit of using the PT Compact vs normal state licensing is the short processing time. Every state is different, but oftentimes it takes WEEKS sometimes MONTHS for state licenses to be processed and issued. Between all the documents that must be submitted, potential background checks to be run, and outside licensure verification from the states you are already licensed in, there’s a lot to be processed for licensing!

When I had to apply for individual state licenses, I applied way ahead of time. This way I already have obtained the license in the desired state early to avoid potential delays. However, with the PT compact, the processing time is a matter of how quickly you can click through the application. Oftentimes, this only takes a matter of minutes, 10 minutes or less. 

So, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements (see above), you go onto the PT Compact website, purchase your PT compact privilege, take the jurisprudence exam (if required) and it is immediately issued following payment. No background checks, no waiting on licensure verification, no NPTE score transfers, and no sending over transcripts from your alma mater. All quick and painless. And to your recruiter’s delight (who typically pays for licensure costs), PT compact privileges are much more affordable than typical state licenses. 

Cost

The cost of normal PT state licensing can range anywhere from just over ~$100 up to $300-400+ depending on the state. Most states require an initial application fee, which is where the biggest cost comes from, but when applying for licensure by endorsement, you will also have to transfer your NPTE scores (~$90 fee) as well as send your transcripts from the school you graduated from, which typically also comes with a small fee (~$12 for my school). These fees as well as those associated with a potential background check, fingerprints, mailing cost, etc all add up quickly! 

With the PT Compact, there is a one-time processing fee. This fee is typically a fraction of the cost of the normal licensure application fee. See each state processing fee here. Luckily, most travel recruiting companies will reimburse any licensing cost as a benefit of each new travel contract; however, when applicable, it’s nice to avoid the upfront cost of a new state license. 

Other FAQ’s about PT Compact Privileges

“How long does each compact privilege last?” – Each compact privilege is valid as long as your home state license is valid. For me, my home state license is in Missouri. I currently have compact privileges in North Dakota, Colorado, Georgia, and Texas. I have to renew my Missouri license every 2 years. This is the case for most state licenses. When I renew my Missouri license, I will also have to renew each compact privilege I still need with the same processing fee as mentioned before. And again each renewed compact privilege is valid as long as your home state license is valid. 

“Can PTs and PTA’s both obtain PT compact privileges?” Yes, PTA’s or physical therapy assistants can also obtain compact privileges to practice PT in a state outside their home state. 

Summary

As you can see, the PT compact is an INCREDIBLE resource, particularly for travelers who are practicing in different states frequently. When eligible, I highly recommend utilizing the PT Compact. It will make your life MUCH easier and will save you time and money that you can spend enjoying your current travel adventures. If you have any other questions about the PT Compact, please feel free to reach out and Contact Us. Or Check out the PT Compact website.

The post THE PT COMPACT- HOW TO GET LICENSED IN UNDER 10 MINUTES appeared first on Trails of a Travel PT.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Who is the best travel physical therapy company/recruiter to work with?

Obviously, there is no one company or recruiter that works best for everyone. A place to start is to make a list of your priorities for what you seek in a company or recruiter, such as, certain benefits, retirement investments, CEU reimbursement, etc. Next, seek advice from experienced travelers on companies and recruiters they’d recommend. To me, this is much easier than sifting through the endless list of potential companies you may find with a simple Google search. Then reach out to several travel physical therapy companies. Get a feel for whether you and that recruiter will work well together. While it may sound daunting after you talk to a few different recruiters, it becomes clear which recruiters you mesh well with. Choose someone you can trust. Someone who understands who you are and your expectations, and what you want to accomplish as a travel physical therapist. 

Please contact me for my personal recommendations on travel companies and specific recruiters that I trust! 

Can you work with more than one company?

Yes! In fact, I recommend working with more than one travel physical therapy company. Typically each company has different job pools based on working with direct clients vs vendors. And the more people you have to search for jobs for you, the more options you have available! As long as the company fits your needs, I say definitely work with more than one company!

Do you get to pick the location/setting for each assignment?

Not necessarily. With fewer travel physical therapy jobs available, because of COVID, and more travelers applying to each assignment, the competition for jobs, particularly those in premier locations, has significantly increased. Since the rollout of the vaccine and relaxation of COVID restrictions, the travel market has seen a major improvement with job availability. Thus, while it still may be difficult to find a job in the EXACT desired location, you may get a shot at something very similar if you’re flexible. Even as a new grad, I have been able to get jobs in places like Maine during the change of the fall foliage, the foothills of Colorful Colorado during ski season, and on the coast in Southeast Georgia in early summer. The key is to keep your options flexible and enjoy the ride. Places you’d never expect to fall in love with may become your new home as long as you STAY FLEXIBLE. 

Where do you stay?

After signing a travel physical therapy contract, we do a deep dive into all the possibilities of housing in the area or within a driveable distance. Because we want to find the cheapest yet livable option, we may have to sacrifice a few things. We look into apartments, hotel suites, Air BnB, Furnished Finder, and other short-term stay sites. There are pros and cons to all of the options, but it really depends on what your priorities are. Check out our blog post TRAVEL THERAPY HOUSING PROS & CONS for more information.

Do you get stipends for housing and food?

Yes! Most travel contract pay packages include a taxed hourly rate and tax-free travel stipends for both housing and food. This helps you cover the cost of living the travel lifestyle, with the added bonus of a decrease in overall taxable income. 

How many hours a week do you work?

Hours can vary from assignment to assignment. Ideally, 40 hours/week would be perfect! But is anything ever perfect? Depending on what setting you are in, if there are other (less expensive) therapists on-site, and other factors, your hours could potentially change from week to week. If working a full 40 hours/week is a top priority for you, be sure to communicate this to your recruiter. You can always try to negotiate for “guaranteed hours” in your contract. 

Are your hours guaranteed?

This again varies from contract to contract. I’ve had assignments where hours were not guaranteed causing my hours to trickle under 20hrs/week briefly when caseloads were low. On other assignments, I’ve had guaranteed hours from 32 even up to 40 hrs/week. Thus, ensuring I am guaranteed to get paid for a set amount of hours/week. If keeping a consistent weekly paycheck on your travel assignment is a priority, be sure to ask about guaranteed hours during each job interview. And make this a known priority to your recruiter. 

What is the average pay?

Pay is going to vary depending on the area of the country the contract is in. The setting (home health vs acute vs OP vs SNF), and your job experience (new grads tend to get paid the lowest) all play a role. If you’re interested in seeing an exact pay package breakdown from my past assignments, please contact me. 

Do you receive any health benefits?

Again, this depends on the company, but yes most travel physical therapy companies have first-day health coverage. This means that if you choose to enroll in their plans, you will be covered on the first day of your contract. Both companies I work with offer medical, dental, and vision, as well as, a free small life insurance policy. 

Do you get PTO?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Typically, most contracts will include a clause stating that you will get paid for any holidays that your hiring company observes as paid holidays. Otherwise, because your contracts are so short, you do not get any PTO. However, you can still request (unpaid) time off before you sign your next contract. I like to plan out all the dates I need to take off before signing a contract and make my recruiter aware of these dates prior to starting each new assignment. That way there is never an issue and they have plenty of time to plan around your schedule. 

Does your travel physical therapy company match your 401K?

Most travel physical therapy companies offer a 401K account you can contribute to after working for them for x amount of hours. However, whether they match your contribution varies from company to company. Some offer no matching, others offer matching with a vesting schedule (either graded or cliff). This means the company may match contributions to your 401K account, but only a certain % may be yours. When using graded vesting schedules, the % of the ownership of the matched contributions increases over time. Whereas, a cliff vesting schedule one goes from having 0% to full ownership after x amount of time. This is a way for companies to incentivize therapists to stay with them longer. As well as, to save themselves money if you happen to jump ship from the travel physical therapy life early. 

How long does each assignment typically last?

If all goes well, each assignment is typically 13 weeks. Oftentimes, you may be asked by the facility if you would like to extend, but ultimately it is up to you if you would like to move on or continue working with them. For peace of mind, I like to ask “Why is this job open?” and “Will you be actively searching to fill my position while I’m here?” during interviews. It’s always comforting to hear if you’re filling in for a maternity leave or medical leave since this demonstrates the company has a specific timeframe needing to be filled. For jobs that have had travelers cycling through with the intention of hiring someone permanently, be aware that if they find someone to fill the spot, your contract may end early. 

Do I need to have experience before pursuing travel physical therapy?

In some cases, particularly in the outpatient setting, jobs request that all applicants must have ~2 years of experience to apply. For this reason, as a new grad, the job pool in a competitive market can become even slimmer. However, this does not mean all travel jobs require work experience. I’ve been working on back-to-back contracts ever since graduating in May of 2020. Being a new grad in a competitive market may force you to be a bit more flexible on location, pay, or setting, but there are plenty of jobs willing to hire if you’re willing to take the leap. 

The post THE FAQS ABOUT TRAVEL PHYSICAL THERAPY appeared first on Trails of a Travel PT.