Can New Grads Really Do Travel Physical Therapy?

If you’re a new graduate physical therapist, you might have heard mixed advice about travel PT. Some say you need experience out of school first, with many schools outright discouraging it. Others say new grads should go for travel contracts. I agree more with the latter. Yes, you can do travel PT as a new grad, but you need to put yourself in the right situation. Let's talk about how to do that.

Ask the Right Questions in the Interview

Before accepting a contract, make sure you understand what you’re walking into. Ask about:

• Patient population – Does it match your experience and confidence level?

  - It doesn’t have to be a population you’ve worked with before, since you’ll encounter new populations regardless of the job you take out of school. However, you’ll want to be prepared for it and do your research beforehand. For example, if you’re not confident working with vestibular patients, let the clinic manager know—they can usually accommodate and adjust your caseload.

• Caseload and ramp-up period – Will you have time to get comfortable, or are you expected to handle a full caseload immediately?

  - You should have time to shadow another clinician and learn the documentation system at the minimum. The majority of my outpatient contracts gave me 1–2 weeks to build my caseload, so I started out seeing a higher volume of evaluations, with plenty of documentation time built in.

• Productivity expectations – Make sure this is realistic for the setting you will be working in.

  - For example, in an 8-hour acute care day, 7–8 evaluations or patients a day might be reasonable, depending on patient complexity and available support.

• Team support and tech help – Who will you go to if you get stuck?

  - Check if the facility has experience hiring new grad travelers. If they haven’t, you might face unnecessary challenges.

  - If an outpatient clinic is not 1:1 then you will need probably tech help.

Choose a Supportive Setting

Avoid contracts where you’re the only therapist. Having other PTs on staff gives you people to learn from and ask questions. Similarly, pick a setting you feel the most confident in from your clinical rotations in school. I recommend against take a high-volume outpatient job if you’re still used to one-on-one treatment in clinicals. There are plenty of new-grad-friendly contracts out there, but you need to talk with multiple recruiters and agencies to maximize your chances of landing one. You can fill out this form to get connected with recruiters we’ve personally worked with.

Build Your Own Mentorship

Formal mentorship isn’t always necessary, but you need a supportive team around you. Don’t hesitate to ask questions and take detailed notes along the way. Over time, this will help you gain confidence and work more efficiently. For example, take notes on the little nuances of the documentation system and how billing works for different insurances if you’re working in outpatient. We offer 1:1 coaching calls if you need personalized advice during your contract.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Efficiency is key in travel PT. One of my favorite tips: create smart phrases in your documentation system. A few letters or a word can expand into full sentences or paragraphs, saving time and preventing repetitive typing. Having an evaluation template can be a game changer. For example, when seeing a post-op total knee in inpatient or outpatient settings, you can create a template and simply fill in the blanks. Small hacks like this make a huge difference when you’re managing a full caseload and still learning. DO THIS DURING YOUR RAMP UP PERIOD WHEN YOU HAVE DOWN TIME!!!!

Final Thoughts

Travel PT as a new grad is absolutely possible, and I encourage it if you’re even considering being a travel physical therapist. You don’t want to be in a “what if” situation later in life with regrets. That said, it’s still important to do your due diligence: choose the right contract, ask the right questions during the interview, and make sure you have a supportive team around you. Don’t rush into high-pressure jobs that don’t match what you are looking for, and don’t be afraid to learn as you go. With the right contract, travel PT will be an exciting and rewarding way to grow professionally while exploring new places and making a lot of money.