As we are approaching the end of our first contract we have realized how much we have learned! Travel therapy employment is very different from traditional full-time jobs and we want to share some of the lesser known details with you. Like any job there are pro’s and con’s, but so far we have really enjoyed the travel therapy journey.
1. Travel
This is probably the most well known perk of locum work (duh it’s in the name), and is why we really wanted to try travel therapy out. As travel therapists we decide where we want to work… within certain limitations. You can work close to home or across the country, but to be considered a travel employee you have to be 50 miles away from you home.
OT’s and PT’s require separate licenses to practice in different states. The license application and maintenance process can be lengthy and annoying (as some of you may know), so its important to choose carefully where you want to work. Plus, there are more job opportunities in some states over others. States like California, and Texas always seem to have positions open, but in Utah there are rarely contracts. We choose to start with 3 states… which ballooned to 6 (Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington). Needless to say we don’t anticipate we will get any more soon!
Once you have considered what states you want to work in, you go where the contracts are. Overall we have found that a large portion of contracts are in more rural areas where maintaining full-time therapists is more difficult. During our search it seems as if there are many more PT contracts in general, both urban and rural. This may not always be the case, but it has been our experience. Also, there are more contracts where the population is growing quickly and there is difficulty keeping up with the therapy need. It can be difficult to get a placement if you are searching in a very specific area, but there are a lot of jobs out there if you are willing to try new places.
To summarize my rambling… you can’t travel everywhere as a travel therapist however if you are smart about your job hunting, and remain flexible you can go to some awesome places.
2. Money
Other than the rumors of better pay I didn’t know much about how it worked in travel therapy before trying it out. Travel therapists do have pay benefits in an effort to ensure health care services including therapy, nursing, etc are provided across the country.
We receive weekly stipends for food and housing that are non taxable, YAY! These stipends have a maximum amount regulated based on rural or urban locations. The rest of our pay package is broken down into our hourly wage. We also receive reimbursement for initial licensure and travel (up to company limits).
Overall, travel therapist do make more money for the hours they work which is really exciting. This being said the increased pay also comes with limitations as well. Travel contracts can be canceled at any time (due to full-time staff being hired, etc), you aren’t payed for time between contracts, health insurance can be more difficult/expensive, and short-term housing can hit your wallet hard. So far we have found that its possible to find a balance. We have been able to travel more and still save for retirement with the extra pay and careful budgeting.
3. Job Searching
I have experienced PRN, full-time, and travel job searching so far in my career. Other than coming to the realization that this is my least favorite part of the process… travel therapy is definitely the most unique when it comes to the job hunt.
Almost all travel therapy jobs include an agency middleman. We have worked with Fusion and AMN Medtravelers so far. Within the companies they have recruiters that work to sort through the jobs and submit you for the positions you are interested in. Most jobs are posted within 2 to 4 weeks of when they want someone to start. This leads to a fast, and often chaotic process of applying, interviewing, and accepting a position. With much more to learn in this category, we spent several weeks getting nervous with no prospects and then suddenly had 3 offers for our first placement.
Most interviews are fairly quick and over the phone. Plus, you typically get offers more quickly than you may for traditional full-time positions. Overall the process is fast and furious. Once you start nearing the end of a contract you rinse and repeat. To mix it up travelers will often take time between contracts to travel or they will accept extensions for 6 months or more. While this process can be stressful the benefits are the ability to be flexible with travel and explore new practice settings!
4. Community
One of the awesome parts of travel therapy is the community that comes with it. Most travelers are solo and are away from home. As a result there are large communities, online and otherwise, that provide support and advice. There are groups for housing and general support, practiced travelers that provide resources and courses as well as bloggers that help you to understand everything you need to know.
Many of the therapists I work with are travelers or have been in the past. They are welcoming, quick to jump on an exploration adventure, and are able to give travel recommendations all over the world! If you are a new traveler or looking to start, find some other travelers to connect with, soon you will have friends all over the world.
On a side note we want to wish everyone Happy Holidays! We are very lucky to be able to be home with family this Christmas. We are enjoying our time back in PA starting with some quality time with the Horting family! Thanks Grandma and Pap for dinner and bowling!
Happy New Year to both of you! Good luck in your next Job!
Thanks!!
Have enjoyed your blogs. I find the various subjects interesting. Good luck in your ventures. Looking forward to hearing about your new experiences.
Happy New Year.
Happy New Year Erin and Patrick. It was nice to see you! hope you find new jobs you like.