The Joys of Being a Traveling Physical Therapist

First, before we discuss the joys of being a travel therapist, let's talk about what that is exactly. A traveling therapist is someone who registers with a company that specializes in placing therapist into a job that is in need of a qualified therapist, but does not have qualified candidates locally. The therapist takes jobs of their choosing on a temporary basis, usually around 13 weeks long, though it can be longer or shorter depending on the need.

Travel pt jobs (physical therapist) can have a lot of rewards for the therapist and his/her family. First, there is the traveling aspect of the job. This can be a great way for the family to see the country with very limited expense to the family.

Another benefit of being a travel therapist is the chance to see many world class facilities in the medical field. In addition to seeing those facilities is the chance to work in them, giving the therapist valuable work experience to improve their skills and expand their knowledge in the field.

Against some more common beliefs concerning the lack of insurance in a travel pt job, insurance is one of the benefits received as a traveling therapist. Health insurance is usually offered through the "referral company" that a physical therapist works with. In addition, life insurance and long term disability insurance can be part of the insurance packages offered, making it competitive with more traditional forms of medical employment.

There are ways to make extra cash without any extra work. Just signing up for a job, in some cases, can bring a sign on bonus to the physical therapist. Also, selected assignment jobs offer a completion bonus for completing a job (staying for the whole time requested). Another way to make extra cash is through referral bonuses' offered for referring other therapist to the referral company.

Traveling therapist also has meals and other incidentals reimbursed or are given an allowance for this. This can really make it much easier to save the money that they are making. This can really help a therapist and their family to get ahead or catch up if they have a lot debt, by greatly reducing their living expenses.

Another advantage for therapist who takes travel pt jobs is the ability to have education paid for. Some programs offer a reimbursement for continuing education, up to as much as $1000 / yr. This can help not only to save money, but to increase the knowledge and ability of the therapist in a way that will make them more attractive to future employers.

There are many advantages to becoming a traveling physical therapist, as we have discussed. Perhaps none is more important for the long term success of a therapist though as the chance to build their resume with the experience. Travel therapists have the ability to add a long list of experience on their resume in a much shorter amount of time than typical. This can make them stand out in any jobs that they apply for in the future, giving them a leg up on long term stability.