Things are moving quickly. Quicker than I had anticipated.
Got my license back from Albany a week earlier than I was thinking.
Got my school's certification within a day.
Illinois received all my info Monday morning.
Now I am waiting for my recruiter to secure a placement for me and she tells me that maybe early April is a good time to aim for.
I don't think I am ready to leave NYC in 2 weeks though.
The Numbers:
My recruiter and I talked last Friday about the pay package options.
I can either have Supplemental find the housing and take home about $1000 a week and not have to worry about rent, utilities, furniture, etc.
-OR-
I can find my own housing and take home about $1600 a week.
It's a tough decision but it seems difficult to find furnished, short term, private housing for less than 1800-2000 a month in Chicago.
If I can find something in the 1000-1500 range I will likely go that route. If not, I will let them find me something.
Right now I am in a waiting stage.
Waiting for Illinois to endorse my license
Waiting for a placement to be secured
I want this to happen soon, but still not sure if I am ready to start April 4th.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
A Word Of Advice To Potential Travelers
There are tons of choices out there when it comes to Travel PT. Picking the best one for you will be as important as picking your PT school or picking your first job out of a few that are competing for you.
In the long run, they will all offer very similar pay packages, housing opportunities, placements in all 50 states, day 1 benefits, etc... What will set one apart from the rest will be the response you get after applying online.
As an example: After applying online to 3 companies I received calls from 2 the next morning. This automatically narrowed it down to 2 companies. I called company 1 back and the recruiter on the other end seemed like he was in a rush, told me he would email me more information, and that he would like me to send him my resume. I never did receive an email from him so I sent him my resume anyways...still no word from him.
I called Company 2 next. I have a former co-worker and student who are both doing travel assignments with Supplemental Health Care. They also happen to be working with the same recruiter.
Andrea Kontos has been receptive, helpful, and available anytime I have needed anything. I told her that, for the time being, I would like to do a few assignments in metropolitan areas with good public transportation. She told me this would be restrictive but that there are plenty of placements in metro areas across the country.
I took a weekend to narrow it down to a few cities, talked to her on 2/28 and told her I was interested in starting in Chicago. Illinois does not require a Jurisprudence exam and there is a relatively low app fee and processing time compared to other states.
Andrea and I talked some more over that next week, she made sure that I had all the paperwork for SHC employment (there is a lot) and for the Illinois state board. I got it all filled out and faxed to Andrea. I sent my license certification paperwork to Albany on 3/3 and I had Columbia certify my education a few days ago. I hope to have all the IL state paperwork by the 17th so I can get that out and start waiting again. Andrea tells me that IL is generally fast with processing (3-4 weeks) and that my goal of starting in mid-April is realistic.
Today I am expecting a call from Andrea to touch base and to discuss my pay package options. I will report back.
In the long run, they will all offer very similar pay packages, housing opportunities, placements in all 50 states, day 1 benefits, etc... What will set one apart from the rest will be the response you get after applying online.
As an example: After applying online to 3 companies I received calls from 2 the next morning. This automatically narrowed it down to 2 companies. I called company 1 back and the recruiter on the other end seemed like he was in a rush, told me he would email me more information, and that he would like me to send him my resume. I never did receive an email from him so I sent him my resume anyways...still no word from him.
I called Company 2 next. I have a former co-worker and student who are both doing travel assignments with Supplemental Health Care. They also happen to be working with the same recruiter.
Andrea Kontos has been receptive, helpful, and available anytime I have needed anything. I told her that, for the time being, I would like to do a few assignments in metropolitan areas with good public transportation. She told me this would be restrictive but that there are plenty of placements in metro areas across the country.
I took a weekend to narrow it down to a few cities, talked to her on 2/28 and told her I was interested in starting in Chicago. Illinois does not require a Jurisprudence exam and there is a relatively low app fee and processing time compared to other states.
Andrea and I talked some more over that next week, she made sure that I had all the paperwork for SHC employment (there is a lot) and for the Illinois state board. I got it all filled out and faxed to Andrea. I sent my license certification paperwork to Albany on 3/3 and I had Columbia certify my education a few days ago. I hope to have all the IL state paperwork by the 17th so I can get that out and start waiting again. Andrea tells me that IL is generally fast with processing (3-4 weeks) and that my goal of starting in mid-April is realistic.
Today I am expecting a call from Andrea to touch base and to discuss my pay package options. I will report back.
The Beginning
This blog will primarily serve to keep my friends and family updated on my progress and whereabouts and secondarily to inform any other Physical Therapists or PT students about this somewhat unknown career path. I hope you enjoy.
After a year and a half (2 jobs) of working in NYC and not feeling satisfied in the level of respect or compensation I was receiving, I have decided to pursue one of my original post-graduation plans. A little background first...
At job # 1 I felt I was under appreciated, under respected, under paid and most times felt like a number to a (relatively) large corporation. Come to find out a little over a year after working there that not only are they lining the pockets of a few doctors but committing fraud on so many other levels at the same time. An attempt at getting myself out of there and granting the courtesy of a 3 week notice of resignation only led to them kicking me out that same day.
At job # 2 I felt like I was constantly on a sinking ship. A ship that was obviously going to sink soon and fast but the Captain of the ship was oblivious to this and sold cruise tickets very well. The prospects of having 3 clinics turned into only keeping 2 and now probably only 1 because Mr Captain is still in denial that his marketing plan cant stand up to a saturated NYC market. Four and a half months later I found myself in a bagel shop standing by a garbage can listening to him tell me that he can no longer afford to pay me; that by paying me he has been unable to himself; that he will be closing the clinic I was running, and no longer pursuing the 3rd which was the primary reason for me coming on with him in the first place. He left me standing there, speechless, as he left to go treat the rest of MY PATIENTS.
Sorry if this is starting to feel like a rant...
That was the straw that broke this camel's back. I finally had a reason to try out this travel PT thing that I had been looking into for 2 years. I was always hesitant for 2 reasons: 1. That wherever I end up ["bumble-fuck Montana"] I will fall in love with it and want to stay there and never come back to NYC and 2. That I really love this city and the amazing friends I have made here, and opportunities I have had here that I probably would not and could not have had anywhere else. I now find these two reasons being trumped by my Columbia sized debt and my curiosity for travel.
I have decided that I will leave this amazing city for a year or two, come back with a dent in my debt and, hopefully, enough money to live here the way I want to live here and possibly start my own clinic.
After a year and a half (2 jobs) of working in NYC and not feeling satisfied in the level of respect or compensation I was receiving, I have decided to pursue one of my original post-graduation plans. A little background first...
At job # 1 I felt I was under appreciated, under respected, under paid and most times felt like a number to a (relatively) large corporation. Come to find out a little over a year after working there that not only are they lining the pockets of a few doctors but committing fraud on so many other levels at the same time. An attempt at getting myself out of there and granting the courtesy of a 3 week notice of resignation only led to them kicking me out that same day.
At job # 2 I felt like I was constantly on a sinking ship. A ship that was obviously going to sink soon and fast but the Captain of the ship was oblivious to this and sold cruise tickets very well. The prospects of having 3 clinics turned into only keeping 2 and now probably only 1 because Mr Captain is still in denial that his marketing plan cant stand up to a saturated NYC market. Four and a half months later I found myself in a bagel shop standing by a garbage can listening to him tell me that he can no longer afford to pay me; that by paying me he has been unable to himself; that he will be closing the clinic I was running, and no longer pursuing the 3rd which was the primary reason for me coming on with him in the first place. He left me standing there, speechless, as he left to go treat the rest of MY PATIENTS.
Sorry if this is starting to feel like a rant...
That was the straw that broke this camel's back. I finally had a reason to try out this travel PT thing that I had been looking into for 2 years. I was always hesitant for 2 reasons: 1. That wherever I end up ["bumble-fuck Montana"] I will fall in love with it and want to stay there and never come back to NYC and 2. That I really love this city and the amazing friends I have made here, and opportunities I have had here that I probably would not and could not have had anywhere else. I now find these two reasons being trumped by my Columbia sized debt and my curiosity for travel.
I have decided that I will leave this amazing city for a year or two, come back with a dent in my debt and, hopefully, enough money to live here the way I want to live here and possibly start my own clinic.
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