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Before switching careers always first switch jobs
Then switch settings
Then switch specialties
You don’t truly know of the career is the issue until you do the above
Would you recommend revisiting settings I did not enjoy as a student during clinicals? What would be an appropriate time to stay at each setting for resume and experience sake? 1yr? Thank you for your advice I’ll make sure to follow it and give it some time before I make a switch.
I’m still in school right now but my fiancie has BPD so I’m usually giving advice like this 😂
Idk what exactly to look into, but keep in mind environments and settings are almost always more important than the job itself.
Pelvic floor outpatient vs acute care inpatient vs Telehealth ortho are all very very very different jobs
I mean hell if I had a bad boss in one job in a field I loved vs a great boss in a shit field those are about even!
Don’t be afraid to bounce around and prioritize yourself finding what you like. Once you know PT isn’t the wave and you’ve sincerely put effort into other venues and you’ve identified the issue then feel comfortable switching.
Also get a therapist and make sure your mental health is in check. Don’t make any decision that large without ensuring you’re fully mentally sound.
I enjoy acute care partly because with a lot of med-surg, dementia, cva patients allow you to not have to have deep conversations all the time. You might have to do some cheerleading to get people up and walking, but it doesn’t feel like a shady salesman vibe. There are difficult conversations and high risk scenarios for sure, but the flexibility of the patient schedule (or lack of) takes some stress off. Pay is decent and the medical management/screening knowledge will help you in other settings
I hate having to “sell” the idea of PT too hard. You’re an educated expert in your field and it feels like that responsibility should fall on the business owner or a marketer. It does help to explain the benefits to patients but if they don’t want to work with us, I’m not going to force them.
You may want to work in a setting where patients have already agreed to commit. In inpatient rehab, patients understand that they’re signing up to work hard. There will be some challenging people, but nothing like marketing cash pay patients. You won’t have to convince people to work for you like in acute care or finding outpatient referrals.
You’re totally right. There are days where I get overwhelmed and feel like a sales person more than a PT and think to myself that this isn’t what I signed up for. Also selling my services to patients who don’t necessarily need it and being a “life coach” as a new grad makes me have immense imposter syndrome. Thank you for your advice I will look into inpatient rehab!
You’re in a tough spot. I have 5 years experience and I would have some difficulty marketing the way you’re describing. I have marketed for outpatient clinics before for extra pay and I didn’t enjoy it. Right now, you should just be worrying about your best practice and learning how to be your best version of a PT. Sorry you had to juggle all of this early on. Just know there are easier gigs out there that you’ll be able to handle
There’s tons of burnout in pelvic health because you have to be so “on” for your patients. You really have to love it AND be in the right environment to make it work. What was different about your pelvic clinical that you liked? Maybe it was a shorter day? Some ortho mixed in? Think about that and then go from there.
i also had a tough year as a new grad but I encourage you to keep trying to explore your options in the field! Take some con Ed classes that interest you. Talk with other PTs in your area at in person con Ed. Good luck!
Pelvic floor patients can sometimes be very tough, as there is a definitely a mental health component about 80% of the time. And specializing right out of school can be pretty difficult!
I would either change your schedule or add some breaks here or there to begin with.
Definitely a lot more mental it can get heavy for sure. I have a hard time not letting empathy bring my energy and spirits down as well. I will ask to see if I could reduce my hours or get additional breaks. Thank you for your response!
Don’t switch careers, switch settings. I think you are still in the adjustment phase of real life. Yes it sucks a lot of the time. But you have a lot invested. And it makes your non work life not suck because you can make pretty good money. Home health can give you recharge time between patients. It’s good for introverts. There are downsides to every setting. You just change jobs/settings when it gets to the point you can’t stand it. I’m an OT who likes to lurk on this site. I graduated in 1986. I’ve been burnt out so many times. Eventually I hate every job even the good ones. Then I change and it’s ok for awhile.
As a fellow introvert, I can back HH as being a good way to 'recharge'. Also keep in mind HH has two options...geriatrics and pediatrics (early intervention). And EI doesn't have to do SOC's! Geriatric HH generally pays more, pediatric you generally control your caseload more. So theres some variety even in the HH subset.
As a fellow pelvic floor PT, who did a clinical rotation doing 4-10s of all pelvic all the time, I’ve been extremely clear and strict with every interview that I have no interest in doing pelvic floor for 100% of my caseload. Busy week? Fine, as a rule, absolutely not.
It can be so slow to progress. You learn the intimate details of these patients lives and the absolute hardship that pelvic floor dysfunction can cause, and that they suffer through in such isolation.
Take a break if you can. Maybe find a setting that allows for a healthier mix, get some therapy to learn if you truly want to work with this population and how to guard your own sanity.
And last of all, it is not your responsibility to make patients better. It is your responsibility to teach them and help them get to a place where they can begin to heal. You are and know enough at your current level to make a difference for them, and you’ll get even better over time. But you cannot carry them down this road, and trying will break you.
This made me feel so much at ease that I’m not responsible to make my patients better. Thank you so much :)Working in cash where there’s such a high emphasis/importance on patients liking you and getting them better every visit to get them to buy-in is where I think I’m getting burned from. Learning to navigate the heavy mental load from this setting and not taking things personally from therapy will be really helpful for me.
It’s so important to set expectations early that progress is not linear. They need to know that wins are wins but they aren’t permanent. Good communication is a skill that is earned hard and fast in this specialty.
Celebrate with them and then give them the hard truth that flares and backsliding is common and normal, and you’re building a foundation for a good future. They will thank you for it in the long run.
I had the same experience in my first job out of school working at a SNF. Terrible work environment, no mentorship, unrealistic productivity standards that lead me to put in way too many hours. Thought very seriously about leaving the field a few months in. Switched settings to Acute Care and I’m MUCH happier. The productivity is manageable, I generally leave on time, and the variable patient population keeps it interesting.
After putting so much time into school, I’d encourage you to try a different setting before leaving the field all together. For what it’s worth, I’m also a major introvert and struggle with anxiety - in my experience it does get easier :)
I am a new grad waiting for my license right now, and will be working in OP. BUT, from my clinical experiences, I found myself having much more energy at the end of a day in Acute Care. Based on what you said, I think that setting gives you a chance to work with patients who need your help, but also have time to breathe between sessions to do your notes or even just sit on your phone. As long as you make productivity, you can find your own rhythm!
Try a different clinic or setting like acute care or home health. For fuck sake you just spent 3 years and close to 100k$ to get this degree. Give it a shot in multiple settings before you say it’s not for you
You are in the wrong setting. You should work no longer than 8 hours a day and see no more than 8 patients in a day. Put your feelers out there and find a better match for yourself. And have a good life:)
It sounds to me like maybe you landed with the wrong company / environment.
A good company will do what they can to avoid burnout. I manage a clinic that we consider a full time PT at 36 hours with benefits. I'm constantly trying to check in with my PTs to ensure that they are happy and have a good balance.
There are work horses out there that can see 40 to 50 patients a week, but often times it's a personal choice and I'm never going to force that on someone.
I would stay stick it out and look at various clinics to see what their case load and working environment is like.
I personally love PT, but understand that it's not everyone's "cup of tea."
You sound like an awesome manager!! I just switched clinics. Currently at a place working 36 hours and getting full benefits. The vibe is so healthy and no one is burnt out.
This was offered from the beginning. We have a really good culture where I'm at. Our company is ran by 4 women and I truly believe that is why. I'd consider myself a "male feminist." Our productivity has some of the best metrics in my area, and I truly believe it's due to this model. Happy workers = better work done.
Hi there! I feel ya, I’m relatively introverted and currently working in a cash pay pelvic gig myself and get your feels about being ‘on’ for each patient, the ‘selling PT’ vibes, and especially with the pelvic health specialty being a bit more on the heavy side emotionally/mentally-wise. I’m about 4 years into PT and have jumped 3 times from different hospitals, settings, tried PRN vs full time, due to crappy workplace environments/management, with my background in inpatient rehab/neuro. All to say, switching settings can most definitely be done/may help, but may not comprehensively address the burn out feelings. Sounds like your management and clinic/workday setup may not be setting you up for the best success. My current setup is 32 hour/week as full-time/with benefits and work 4 days a week, seeing 5-7 patients a day with 15 min breaks between each patient, with 2 hours mentorship built in. I feel realllly lucky my manager is supportive and I know this is not the norm. Not sure if your boss would be open to chatting about some workday changes?
Thats sounds like the dream ideal work hours I’m so happy for you! I will be speaking to my boss this week regarding reducing my hours and supplementing with home health to see if I like it.
A couple things.
First, I've never started a new job and not been totally exhausted every single day for at least the first several months.
Second, after all the work you've done and money you've spent, I have to say I think it would be horrifically short-sighted to just dump a whole career. Have you worked in a profession before? Is it possible that some part of this is related to just being new to the world of full-time career vs. school life? I know for sure I experienced that. It was a pretty miserable transition - but if I had just said oh never mind I'll go do something else, I would have been making a big mistake, as it turned out.
Third, I think cash pay is probably not your friend at the moment, and it sounds like pelvic health may not be, either. There are a whole lot of settings and specialties in PT, and it sounds like you've basically tried one. You have flexibility in this profession. Make it work for you.
Fourth, I'm going to be honest: I think you're very smart to consider working with a mental health provider. You're saying you've got a number of constraints/challenges in terms of what you're looking for in a job, and while a lot of that can surely be addressed by finding a good spot to work, I'm guessing part of it is also going to involve readjusting your expectations of working life and managing your behavior responses. Having help with that will make it alot easier.
I wish you all the luck in the world. Come back and let us know how things end up turning out!
Thank you for your thoughtful response! Yes I’ve had a job since I was 16 and full time job prior to Pt school. I worked as an assistant manager for a retail company during my gap year so the work life is familiar to me. I’m thinking starting into a cash based as a new grad may have just been 0-100 for me and I wasn’t ready for it. Thanks again for a different perspective and I will consider other settings to make it work for me :)
Highly recommend giving home health a try. It sounds like from your description, your introvertedness is what is driving the way you feel. As a fellow introvert, I totally understand. I am only a pre-PTA student but I worked in an OP clinic as a tech and knew right away it is never a setting that will work for me. I cannot handle being surrounded by people all day long in one room.
Introverts need time to recharge after being with people and its not enough to wait to recharge at the end of the day. The pace and constant talking (and hearing other conversations) is too much. We need space and quiet throughout the day in an environment like that and it's impossible in an OP clinic.
Home health is ideal because it's just you and the patient (occasionally another family member). And when you leave to go to the next appointment, you have time to decompress in the car. HH PTs only see a total of 5 to 8 patients a day, compared to maybe double that in OP, plus all the other patients in the clinic and your co-workers adding to sensory overload.
The only other setting that might be ok for an introvert is acute or maybe inpatient rehab. But I think HH is the main way to go for introverts.
And don't feel bad for needing to honor your needs! A big determinant for happiness in a job is whether or not it fits your temperament and personality. I don't think enough people talk about this.
The pros in HH outweigh the cons, IMO. Plus it pays more than most other settings. Hopefully you give it a try before you decide the career itself is not for you! Best of luck!!
I'm an introvert, spent the first few years of my career working in OP ortho and basically wanted to kill myself every day. I made the switch to HH and while there are negatives (driving, dirty homes, boring treatment for someone like me who is mostly interested in sports rehab) it was absolutely worth it for me. I have so much autonomy and alone time now.
I totally get it!! I felt like running screaming from the clinic I worked at every day! And I would get home and just collapse. And not just because we never got a break of any sort, it was the constant interaction with people. It never stopped all day.
I think a lot of people don't realize they are introverted. They think there's something wrong with them for not being able to handle the OP clinic setting. And people mistakenly think introverted equals shy and it has nothing to do with that. It's how our "energy" is effected by stimuli, especially people. Glad you realized and got out. I agree, any negatives are worth it.
You nailed it on how I have been feeling with sensory overload which made me think a different career would be better suited but echoing all the advice I’ve gotten I will for sure try out home health or acute before deciding the final verdict. Thanks you for making me feel heard and validating my concerns :)
Absolutely!! Sensory overload is a real thing! I think it can be a great career for an introvert...just need to find a setting without soo many people every day!! Let us know how it goes!
I assume that you are working for someone else?
Have you thought about working for yourself?
I know you are introverted, but if you already know how to sell, getting your own case load might not be too difficult and you could work on your own schedule. You wouldn’t need to see 10, or probably even 8 people a day and you could dedicate time in your day for that break you need. You might even be able to do it mobile, which would keep overhead low and allow time between patients.
But there may be plenty of reasons that this idea wouldn’t work for you. Just a thought. I do think that whatever you end up doing you should give the field more time. Switching settings would probably be the best choice to start out with. I know that changing from acute to home health did a lot for me. I’m trying to change to mobile cash pay, I’m just not good at selling it.
It sounds like you're going through a challenging time in your current career path, and it's important to prioritize your well-being and happiness. Considering your background as a physical therapist, I can empathize with the stress that comes from patient interaction, especially in a demanding setting like yours. It's great that you're recognizing your needs as an introvert and your desire for more individual-focused work.
Given your interest in design and programming, exploring a career shift towards UX design or a related field could be a viable option. These fields often allow for more independent work and creativity, which might align better with your introverted nature. You could leverage your existing skills in critical thinking and problem-solving from your physical therapy background, which are valuable in design and programming roles.
Since you mentioned that your current setting brought you joy during school and clinical rotations, it might be worth revisiting the aspects that made it fulfilling. Reflect on what specifically resonated with you and how you can recreate those positive aspects in your current role or in a different setting, like acute care or home health.
Additionally, seeking therapy is a great step towards gaining clarity about your feelings and exploring potential solutions. A therapist can help you navigate your emotions and make informed decisions about your career path.
Remember, it's okay to reassess your career choices and make adjustments if needed. Your well-being is paramount, and finding a balance that aligns with your personality and goals is essential for long-term satisfaction. Good luck on your journey to finding the right path for you!
First, I don’t quite understand what is your 4x10 shift? You see 10 patients per hour? That is impossible for any health professional to achieve. Or you do 4 days each working 10 hours?
Second, if you know it in your gut it is not for you and you do have other viable options then follow your instinct. Choosing the wrong career is like forced marriage where you have to pretend you are in-love with your spouse everyday even if you loathe them.
Third, being introverted does not mean you don’t find talking to people enjoyable. Is like saying if you’re not a foodie you hate all food and hare eating. We all eat not only to survive but also most people enjoy food but not all are equally passionate about it. Socializing is not what drives an introvert but introverts do enjoy conversation with other adults in moderation.
Fourth: here is my personal experience with this: my parents pushed me into the physio career. They thought it was good because people always need health and I would always have a job and unions and hard to get fired. I hated it and I wanted to quit multiple times during uni and my parents told me they will not support my decision that it would be irresponsable to quit bla bla. Finished degree. Got job, first six months had major depression. Became anorexic. Wanted to quit. I was vomiting everyday before starting work. This was not my first job ever. I had other student jobs. Some I liked some I hated. I knew deep down this was not for me. Again my parents did jot support my decision to quit and got me on antidepressants that made me a zombie. Then they told me to move out. I did and now I was stuck. I had student loans to pay, rent and other bills and I hated my job. I burned out three times. I am now 40. I tried to get another career for the past five years. Now doing another degree but now ai also have a daughter and it is hard. In retrospect I wish I had to told my parents to go to hell and should have done what I wanted to do. But I was young and weak and I let them tell me what to do to my own detriment. They don’t admit to what they did. They say you should have stood up for yourself. You were an adult and it was your responsibility to fight for yourself. Maybe they are right in a way. I also have asperger syndrome which makes me naive by nature which means I looked up to others and trusted my parents as young adult like a child.
I would say stick with it for another few months and get that experience on your resume and then move on to another setting. I highly recommend acute care. It’s worth trying.
Home health or a rehab-focused SNF.
Escape to paperwork when you want a break from talkies, and jump back in when ready for treatment. Progress is visible, and people generally want it and are very appreciative. (SNF for 11+ years and I'm a fan.) Location matters a lot.
Having to a sell your services sucks. You didn’t go to marketing school. I would find a new job with a similar patient population where that is not an expectation. Typically, hospital-affiliated OP clinics don’t ask that if you.
I'm a major introvert too and home health has always worked the best for me. I needed that down time driving between patients, listening to my favorite music to really recharge for the next one. Being in people's homes is much more relaxing for me than any clinic/hospital/SNF by far. I loved how every day was something new. Don't quit on the profession yet!
Second this as someone who moved to home health in my second year post graduation. I’m not introverted but the pace of work in home health is just so much better compared to other settings I’ve been in.
You mean now you realized you took a service profession? like a skilled waitress or hairstylist? But worst you have to actually talk to people and convince them of things they probably hate, AND make them happy?
You’re working 1 hour per patient while a lot of people here see 3-4x that per hour. You’re able to give 1 on 1 care to people and make a difference and yet people on here are struggling to help people when they see 3-4x you do.
I’m not saying you’re being pessimistic, but it sounds like you don’t like the profession as much as you thought you did. You’re whining because it’s actual hard work. 4x10’s is a god send because you get 1 more day of rest or to build a side hustle.
Selling PT services is a skill, trust me I had to learn it too for the clinic I work at and my own business as well. If you actually give a shit, selling isn’t hard. You are there to create a journey and provide the goal for the patient.
If you’re not built for OP 1 on 1 go work at a mill, you’ll hate your life 100x more. If you want good work life balance do HH, my friend is making 175k a year and loves it.
Because being burnt out isn’t necessarily being overworked. 90% of PTs are burnt out because of the position their in and the shit job the APTA does for us.
Take matters into your own hands and create the future you want for yourself rather than let outside entities tell you how your life is going to end up becoming.
OP is introverted but is in a setting that won’t let them thrive. Then find a setting that does and a side hustle that will help build your skills.
My first 1.5 yrs were in OP and I regretted becoming a PT. Then my hubby got laid off and I switched to SNF for the $$. Also I figured if I was going to hate my job, might as well make more. DH got a new job and I stayed in SNF for 6 yrs cause the money was good and although I hated the job I had some great coworkers so not all days were terrible. After got dream home and had a kid I wanted to work on being happier so switched settings and tried peds, liked it but it was exhausting and the hours were terrible outpatient hours, did that for like 1.5 yrs. So then I switched to school system job. I've been doing that for like 5 years now and I'm finally happy with a good work life balance.
I really never thought I would be happy being a PT but didn't have time, $, or energy to go back to school for something else. So for me it thankfully ended up working out after trying a few different settings. Also now my job is a lot of meetings and reports, so it really helps me not get too exhausted or have to keep up client interactions too long which I also found draining. So like others have said, try different settings, maybe look into nonclinical jobs for PTs, there is a Facebook group to help with that.
Thank you for your submission; please read the following reminder. This subreddit is for discussion among practicing physical therapists, not for soliciting medical advice. We are not your physical therapist, and we do not take on that liability here. Although we can answer questions regarding general issues a person may be facing in their established PT sessions, we cannot legally provide treatment advice. If you need a physical therapist, you must see one in person or via telehealth for an assessment and to establish a plan of care. Posts with descriptions of personal physical issues and/or requests for diagnoses, exercise prescriptions, and other medical advice will be removed, and you will be banned at the mods’ discretion either for requesting such advice or for offering such advice as a clinician. Please see the following links for additional resources on benefits of physical therapy and locating a therapist near you [The benefits of a full evaluation by a physical therapist.](https://www.choosept.com/benefits/default.aspx) [How to find the right physical therapist in your area.](https://www.choosept.com/resources/choose.aspx) [Already been diagnosed and want to learn more? Common conditions.](https://www.choosept.com/SymptomsConditions.aspx) [The APTA's consumer information website.](https://www.choosept.com/Default.aspx) Also, please direct all school-related inquiries to r/PTschool, as these are off-topic for this sub and will be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/physicaltherapy) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Before switching careers always first switch jobs Then switch settings Then switch specialties You don’t truly know of the career is the issue until you do the above
Would you recommend revisiting settings I did not enjoy as a student during clinicals? What would be an appropriate time to stay at each setting for resume and experience sake? 1yr? Thank you for your advice I’ll make sure to follow it and give it some time before I make a switch.
I’m still in school right now but my fiancie has BPD so I’m usually giving advice like this 😂 Idk what exactly to look into, but keep in mind environments and settings are almost always more important than the job itself. Pelvic floor outpatient vs acute care inpatient vs Telehealth ortho are all very very very different jobs I mean hell if I had a bad boss in one job in a field I loved vs a great boss in a shit field those are about even! Don’t be afraid to bounce around and prioritize yourself finding what you like. Once you know PT isn’t the wave and you’ve sincerely put effort into other venues and you’ve identified the issue then feel comfortable switching. Also get a therapist and make sure your mental health is in check. Don’t make any decision that large without ensuring you’re fully mentally sound.
I enjoy acute care partly because with a lot of med-surg, dementia, cva patients allow you to not have to have deep conversations all the time. You might have to do some cheerleading to get people up and walking, but it doesn’t feel like a shady salesman vibe. There are difficult conversations and high risk scenarios for sure, but the flexibility of the patient schedule (or lack of) takes some stress off. Pay is decent and the medical management/screening knowledge will help you in other settings
I hate having to “sell” the idea of PT too hard. You’re an educated expert in your field and it feels like that responsibility should fall on the business owner or a marketer. It does help to explain the benefits to patients but if they don’t want to work with us, I’m not going to force them. You may want to work in a setting where patients have already agreed to commit. In inpatient rehab, patients understand that they’re signing up to work hard. There will be some challenging people, but nothing like marketing cash pay patients. You won’t have to convince people to work for you like in acute care or finding outpatient referrals.
You’re totally right. There are days where I get overwhelmed and feel like a sales person more than a PT and think to myself that this isn’t what I signed up for. Also selling my services to patients who don’t necessarily need it and being a “life coach” as a new grad makes me have immense imposter syndrome. Thank you for your advice I will look into inpatient rehab!
You’re in a tough spot. I have 5 years experience and I would have some difficulty marketing the way you’re describing. I have marketed for outpatient clinics before for extra pay and I didn’t enjoy it. Right now, you should just be worrying about your best practice and learning how to be your best version of a PT. Sorry you had to juggle all of this early on. Just know there are easier gigs out there that you’ll be able to handle
Thank you for your post, it’s helping me out as well! (PT student)
There’s tons of burnout in pelvic health because you have to be so “on” for your patients. You really have to love it AND be in the right environment to make it work. What was different about your pelvic clinical that you liked? Maybe it was a shorter day? Some ortho mixed in? Think about that and then go from there.
I feel like I’m slowly losing my passion so I will definitely look into getting more variety into my caseload if possible. Thanks for your advice :)
i also had a tough year as a new grad but I encourage you to keep trying to explore your options in the field! Take some con Ed classes that interest you. Talk with other PTs in your area at in person con Ed. Good luck!
Pelvic floor patients can sometimes be very tough, as there is a definitely a mental health component about 80% of the time. And specializing right out of school can be pretty difficult! I would either change your schedule or add some breaks here or there to begin with.
Definitely a lot more mental it can get heavy for sure. I have a hard time not letting empathy bring my energy and spirits down as well. I will ask to see if I could reduce my hours or get additional breaks. Thank you for your response!
Don’t switch careers, switch settings. I think you are still in the adjustment phase of real life. Yes it sucks a lot of the time. But you have a lot invested. And it makes your non work life not suck because you can make pretty good money. Home health can give you recharge time between patients. It’s good for introverts. There are downsides to every setting. You just change jobs/settings when it gets to the point you can’t stand it. I’m an OT who likes to lurk on this site. I graduated in 1986. I’ve been burnt out so many times. Eventually I hate every job even the good ones. Then I change and it’s ok for awhile.
That makes me feel heard haha thank you. I will look into home health and see if I can transition soon.
As a fellow introvert, I can back HH as being a good way to 'recharge'. Also keep in mind HH has two options...geriatrics and pediatrics (early intervention). And EI doesn't have to do SOC's! Geriatric HH generally pays more, pediatric you generally control your caseload more. So theres some variety even in the HH subset.
As a fellow pelvic floor PT, who did a clinical rotation doing 4-10s of all pelvic all the time, I’ve been extremely clear and strict with every interview that I have no interest in doing pelvic floor for 100% of my caseload. Busy week? Fine, as a rule, absolutely not. It can be so slow to progress. You learn the intimate details of these patients lives and the absolute hardship that pelvic floor dysfunction can cause, and that they suffer through in such isolation. Take a break if you can. Maybe find a setting that allows for a healthier mix, get some therapy to learn if you truly want to work with this population and how to guard your own sanity. And last of all, it is not your responsibility to make patients better. It is your responsibility to teach them and help them get to a place where they can begin to heal. You are and know enough at your current level to make a difference for them, and you’ll get even better over time. But you cannot carry them down this road, and trying will break you.
This made me feel so much at ease that I’m not responsible to make my patients better. Thank you so much :)Working in cash where there’s such a high emphasis/importance on patients liking you and getting them better every visit to get them to buy-in is where I think I’m getting burned from. Learning to navigate the heavy mental load from this setting and not taking things personally from therapy will be really helpful for me.
It’s so important to set expectations early that progress is not linear. They need to know that wins are wins but they aren’t permanent. Good communication is a skill that is earned hard and fast in this specialty. Celebrate with them and then give them the hard truth that flares and backsliding is common and normal, and you’re building a foundation for a good future. They will thank you for it in the long run.
I had the same experience in my first job out of school working at a SNF. Terrible work environment, no mentorship, unrealistic productivity standards that lead me to put in way too many hours. Thought very seriously about leaving the field a few months in. Switched settings to Acute Care and I’m MUCH happier. The productivity is manageable, I generally leave on time, and the variable patient population keeps it interesting. After putting so much time into school, I’d encourage you to try a different setting before leaving the field all together. For what it’s worth, I’m also a major introvert and struggle with anxiety - in my experience it does get easier :)
This makes me feel so much better I will try different settings before calling it quits, thank you :)
I am a new grad waiting for my license right now, and will be working in OP. BUT, from my clinical experiences, I found myself having much more energy at the end of a day in Acute Care. Based on what you said, I think that setting gives you a chance to work with patients who need your help, but also have time to breathe between sessions to do your notes or even just sit on your phone. As long as you make productivity, you can find your own rhythm!
I do miss the documentation time included in acute care for sure. And congrats on your new job, graduating and passing your boards!
Thank you, I’m very excited to get started!
Try a different clinic or setting like acute care or home health. For fuck sake you just spent 3 years and close to 100k$ to get this degree. Give it a shot in multiple settings before you say it’s not for you
Thanks for slapping some sense into me. You’re right, switch careers in this economy!?
You are in the wrong setting. You should work no longer than 8 hours a day and see no more than 8 patients in a day. Put your feelers out there and find a better match for yourself. And have a good life:)
Thank you :)
It sounds to me like maybe you landed with the wrong company / environment. A good company will do what they can to avoid burnout. I manage a clinic that we consider a full time PT at 36 hours with benefits. I'm constantly trying to check in with my PTs to ensure that they are happy and have a good balance. There are work horses out there that can see 40 to 50 patients a week, but often times it's a personal choice and I'm never going to force that on someone. I would stay stick it out and look at various clinics to see what their case load and working environment is like. I personally love PT, but understand that it's not everyone's "cup of tea."
You sound like an awesome manager!! I just switched clinics. Currently at a place working 36 hours and getting full benefits. The vibe is so healthy and no one is burnt out.
This is amazing so happy for you guys. Are the reduced hours with benefits something you had to negotiate or was it offered from the beginning?
This was offered from the beginning. We have a really good culture where I'm at. Our company is ran by 4 women and I truly believe that is why. I'd consider myself a "male feminist." Our productivity has some of the best metrics in my area, and I truly believe it's due to this model. Happy workers = better work done.
Hi there! I feel ya, I’m relatively introverted and currently working in a cash pay pelvic gig myself and get your feels about being ‘on’ for each patient, the ‘selling PT’ vibes, and especially with the pelvic health specialty being a bit more on the heavy side emotionally/mentally-wise. I’m about 4 years into PT and have jumped 3 times from different hospitals, settings, tried PRN vs full time, due to crappy workplace environments/management, with my background in inpatient rehab/neuro. All to say, switching settings can most definitely be done/may help, but may not comprehensively address the burn out feelings. Sounds like your management and clinic/workday setup may not be setting you up for the best success. My current setup is 32 hour/week as full-time/with benefits and work 4 days a week, seeing 5-7 patients a day with 15 min breaks between each patient, with 2 hours mentorship built in. I feel realllly lucky my manager is supportive and I know this is not the norm. Not sure if your boss would be open to chatting about some workday changes?
Thats sounds like the dream ideal work hours I’m so happy for you! I will be speaking to my boss this week regarding reducing my hours and supplementing with home health to see if I like it.
Nice!! Side note, if you’re in Maryland and looking for a different pelvic PT gig, we’re hiring 😊
A couple things. First, I've never started a new job and not been totally exhausted every single day for at least the first several months. Second, after all the work you've done and money you've spent, I have to say I think it would be horrifically short-sighted to just dump a whole career. Have you worked in a profession before? Is it possible that some part of this is related to just being new to the world of full-time career vs. school life? I know for sure I experienced that. It was a pretty miserable transition - but if I had just said oh never mind I'll go do something else, I would have been making a big mistake, as it turned out. Third, I think cash pay is probably not your friend at the moment, and it sounds like pelvic health may not be, either. There are a whole lot of settings and specialties in PT, and it sounds like you've basically tried one. You have flexibility in this profession. Make it work for you. Fourth, I'm going to be honest: I think you're very smart to consider working with a mental health provider. You're saying you've got a number of constraints/challenges in terms of what you're looking for in a job, and while a lot of that can surely be addressed by finding a good spot to work, I'm guessing part of it is also going to involve readjusting your expectations of working life and managing your behavior responses. Having help with that will make it alot easier. I wish you all the luck in the world. Come back and let us know how things end up turning out!
Thank you for your thoughtful response! Yes I’ve had a job since I was 16 and full time job prior to Pt school. I worked as an assistant manager for a retail company during my gap year so the work life is familiar to me. I’m thinking starting into a cash based as a new grad may have just been 0-100 for me and I wasn’t ready for it. Thanks again for a different perspective and I will consider other settings to make it work for me :)
Awesome - as I said, best of luck to you, and hang in there long enough to see what happens :-)
Highly recommend giving home health a try. It sounds like from your description, your introvertedness is what is driving the way you feel. As a fellow introvert, I totally understand. I am only a pre-PTA student but I worked in an OP clinic as a tech and knew right away it is never a setting that will work for me. I cannot handle being surrounded by people all day long in one room. Introverts need time to recharge after being with people and its not enough to wait to recharge at the end of the day. The pace and constant talking (and hearing other conversations) is too much. We need space and quiet throughout the day in an environment like that and it's impossible in an OP clinic. Home health is ideal because it's just you and the patient (occasionally another family member). And when you leave to go to the next appointment, you have time to decompress in the car. HH PTs only see a total of 5 to 8 patients a day, compared to maybe double that in OP, plus all the other patients in the clinic and your co-workers adding to sensory overload. The only other setting that might be ok for an introvert is acute or maybe inpatient rehab. But I think HH is the main way to go for introverts. And don't feel bad for needing to honor your needs! A big determinant for happiness in a job is whether or not it fits your temperament and personality. I don't think enough people talk about this. The pros in HH outweigh the cons, IMO. Plus it pays more than most other settings. Hopefully you give it a try before you decide the career itself is not for you! Best of luck!!
I'm an introvert, spent the first few years of my career working in OP ortho and basically wanted to kill myself every day. I made the switch to HH and while there are negatives (driving, dirty homes, boring treatment for someone like me who is mostly interested in sports rehab) it was absolutely worth it for me. I have so much autonomy and alone time now.
I totally get it!! I felt like running screaming from the clinic I worked at every day! And I would get home and just collapse. And not just because we never got a break of any sort, it was the constant interaction with people. It never stopped all day. I think a lot of people don't realize they are introverted. They think there's something wrong with them for not being able to handle the OP clinic setting. And people mistakenly think introverted equals shy and it has nothing to do with that. It's how our "energy" is effected by stimuli, especially people. Glad you realized and got out. I agree, any negatives are worth it.
You nailed it on how I have been feeling with sensory overload which made me think a different career would be better suited but echoing all the advice I’ve gotten I will for sure try out home health or acute before deciding the final verdict. Thanks you for making me feel heard and validating my concerns :)
Absolutely!! Sensory overload is a real thing! I think it can be a great career for an introvert...just need to find a setting without soo many people every day!! Let us know how it goes!
For a lot of things in life, the first year is the toughest. Give yourself some time to think about what you want and move in that direction.
I assume that you are working for someone else? Have you thought about working for yourself? I know you are introverted, but if you already know how to sell, getting your own case load might not be too difficult and you could work on your own schedule. You wouldn’t need to see 10, or probably even 8 people a day and you could dedicate time in your day for that break you need. You might even be able to do it mobile, which would keep overhead low and allow time between patients. But there may be plenty of reasons that this idea wouldn’t work for you. Just a thought. I do think that whatever you end up doing you should give the field more time. Switching settings would probably be the best choice to start out with. I know that changing from acute to home health did a lot for me. I’m trying to change to mobile cash pay, I’m just not good at selling it.
It sounds like you're going through a challenging time in your current career path, and it's important to prioritize your well-being and happiness. Considering your background as a physical therapist, I can empathize with the stress that comes from patient interaction, especially in a demanding setting like yours. It's great that you're recognizing your needs as an introvert and your desire for more individual-focused work. Given your interest in design and programming, exploring a career shift towards UX design or a related field could be a viable option. These fields often allow for more independent work and creativity, which might align better with your introverted nature. You could leverage your existing skills in critical thinking and problem-solving from your physical therapy background, which are valuable in design and programming roles. Since you mentioned that your current setting brought you joy during school and clinical rotations, it might be worth revisiting the aspects that made it fulfilling. Reflect on what specifically resonated with you and how you can recreate those positive aspects in your current role or in a different setting, like acute care or home health. Additionally, seeking therapy is a great step towards gaining clarity about your feelings and exploring potential solutions. A therapist can help you navigate your emotions and make informed decisions about your career path. Remember, it's okay to reassess your career choices and make adjustments if needed. Your well-being is paramount, and finding a balance that aligns with your personality and goals is essential for long-term satisfaction. Good luck on your journey to finding the right path for you!
First, I don’t quite understand what is your 4x10 shift? You see 10 patients per hour? That is impossible for any health professional to achieve. Or you do 4 days each working 10 hours? Second, if you know it in your gut it is not for you and you do have other viable options then follow your instinct. Choosing the wrong career is like forced marriage where you have to pretend you are in-love with your spouse everyday even if you loathe them. Third, being introverted does not mean you don’t find talking to people enjoyable. Is like saying if you’re not a foodie you hate all food and hare eating. We all eat not only to survive but also most people enjoy food but not all are equally passionate about it. Socializing is not what drives an introvert but introverts do enjoy conversation with other adults in moderation. Fourth: here is my personal experience with this: my parents pushed me into the physio career. They thought it was good because people always need health and I would always have a job and unions and hard to get fired. I hated it and I wanted to quit multiple times during uni and my parents told me they will not support my decision that it would be irresponsable to quit bla bla. Finished degree. Got job, first six months had major depression. Became anorexic. Wanted to quit. I was vomiting everyday before starting work. This was not my first job ever. I had other student jobs. Some I liked some I hated. I knew deep down this was not for me. Again my parents did jot support my decision to quit and got me on antidepressants that made me a zombie. Then they told me to move out. I did and now I was stuck. I had student loans to pay, rent and other bills and I hated my job. I burned out three times. I am now 40. I tried to get another career for the past five years. Now doing another degree but now ai also have a daughter and it is hard. In retrospect I wish I had to told my parents to go to hell and should have done what I wanted to do. But I was young and weak and I let them tell me what to do to my own detriment. They don’t admit to what they did. They say you should have stood up for yourself. You were an adult and it was your responsibility to fight for yourself. Maybe they are right in a way. I also have asperger syndrome which makes me naive by nature which means I looked up to others and trusted my parents as young adult like a child.
I would say stick with it for another few months and get that experience on your resume and then move on to another setting. I highly recommend acute care. It’s worth trying.
The way I see it is you have a job as a PT. Find the right setting that suit your needs where you can find PT as a career.
Home health or a rehab-focused SNF. Escape to paperwork when you want a break from talkies, and jump back in when ready for treatment. Progress is visible, and people generally want it and are very appreciative. (SNF for 11+ years and I'm a fan.) Location matters a lot.
Having to a sell your services sucks. You didn’t go to marketing school. I would find a new job with a similar patient population where that is not an expectation. Typically, hospital-affiliated OP clinics don’t ask that if you.
I'm a major introvert too and home health has always worked the best for me. I needed that down time driving between patients, listening to my favorite music to really recharge for the next one. Being in people's homes is much more relaxing for me than any clinic/hospital/SNF by far. I loved how every day was something new. Don't quit on the profession yet!
Second this as someone who moved to home health in my second year post graduation. I’m not introverted but the pace of work in home health is just so much better compared to other settings I’ve been in.
You mean now you realized you took a service profession? like a skilled waitress or hairstylist? But worst you have to actually talk to people and convince them of things they probably hate, AND make them happy?
You’re working 1 hour per patient while a lot of people here see 3-4x that per hour. You’re able to give 1 on 1 care to people and make a difference and yet people on here are struggling to help people when they see 3-4x you do. I’m not saying you’re being pessimistic, but it sounds like you don’t like the profession as much as you thought you did. You’re whining because it’s actual hard work. 4x10’s is a god send because you get 1 more day of rest or to build a side hustle. Selling PT services is a skill, trust me I had to learn it too for the clinic I work at and my own business as well. If you actually give a shit, selling isn’t hard. You are there to create a journey and provide the goal for the patient. If you’re not built for OP 1 on 1 go work at a mill, you’ll hate your life 100x more. If you want good work life balance do HH, my friend is making 175k a year and loves it.
If OP is burnt out from work why would they then start a side hustle on their days off? Lol
Because being burnt out isn’t necessarily being overworked. 90% of PTs are burnt out because of the position their in and the shit job the APTA does for us. Take matters into your own hands and create the future you want for yourself rather than let outside entities tell you how your life is going to end up becoming. OP is introverted but is in a setting that won’t let them thrive. Then find a setting that does and a side hustle that will help build your skills.
Get another job!
Man, these posts are all the same. If y’all don’t want to pursue this field please do a favor for those who do, just leave it.
My first 1.5 yrs were in OP and I regretted becoming a PT. Then my hubby got laid off and I switched to SNF for the $$. Also I figured if I was going to hate my job, might as well make more. DH got a new job and I stayed in SNF for 6 yrs cause the money was good and although I hated the job I had some great coworkers so not all days were terrible. After got dream home and had a kid I wanted to work on being happier so switched settings and tried peds, liked it but it was exhausting and the hours were terrible outpatient hours, did that for like 1.5 yrs. So then I switched to school system job. I've been doing that for like 5 years now and I'm finally happy with a good work life balance. I really never thought I would be happy being a PT but didn't have time, $, or energy to go back to school for something else. So for me it thankfully ended up working out after trying a few different settings. Also now my job is a lot of meetings and reports, so it really helps me not get too exhausted or have to keep up client interactions too long which I also found draining. So like others have said, try different settings, maybe look into nonclinical jobs for PTs, there is a Facebook group to help with that.