Travel Therapy

A Traveling Medical Pro’s Contract Conundrum

Extend or Explore? A Travel Medical Pro’s Guide to Contract Decisions

Home Health, Travel Nursing, Travel Therapy

To Extend or Not to Extend: A Traveling Medical Pro’s Contract Conundrum

The nomadic spirit of a traveling medical professional thrives on new sights, experiences, and challenges. But as your contract nears its end, a pivotal question arises: do you pack your bags for a fresh adventure or extend your stay in familiar territory? Navigating this decision can feel like walking a tightrope, balanced between comfort and the call of the unknown. But fear not, for there’s wisdom to be gleaned from both sides!

– To Extend or Explore? –

Extending Your Contract: Comfort in the Known

Deepen Your Roots: Familiarity breeds confidence. Extending allows you to master the nuances of your role, fostering stronger relationships with your team and refining your skills within the facility’s specific practices. You become the seasoned guide, the one everyone leans on, and that can be incredibly rewarding.
Financial Stability: Let’s be honest, the road can be bumpy. Extensions often come with increased pay rates or bonuses, offering financial security and a chance to solidify your savings goals. Stability also grants peace of mind to explore the local scene without budget worries.
Home Away from Home: You’ve found your rhythm in the community, your favorite coffee shop, the perfect study spot in the park. Extending lets you truly enjoy the fruits of your location, fostering a sense of belonging and minimizing the logistical chaos of a new relocation.

But the World Beckons: Embracing the New

Expand Your Horizons: New contracts mean new challenges, new environments to conquer, and new knowledge to absorb. Each assignment sharpens your adaptability, broadens your skillset, and makes you a more versatile medical professional. Embrace the chance to be a perpetual student, always learning and growing.
Fight the Stagnancy Swamp: Routine is the enemy of excitement. A fresh start ignites the spark of discovery, pushing you to adapt to new routines, explore uncharted territories, and make connections with a whole new network of colleagues and patients. It’s a shot of adrenaline for your professional soul. Check out this talk on facing new challenges.
Wanderlust Wins: There’s a whole world out there, each corner whispering promises of adventure. Extending might mean delaying that dream destination, that bucket-list hike, or that visit to your far-flung family. Embrace the chance to chase your wandering spirit and let the world be your oyster! Connect with other nurses and discuss your future plans!

Ultimately, the decision to extend or move on is as personal as the stethoscope you wear. Weigh your priorities, listen to your inner compass, and don’t be afraid to negotiate for what you deserve. Remember, whether you stay or go, each contract shapes your journey, making you a more skilled, adaptable, and well-rounded medical professional. So, pack your bags, raise your head to the horizon, and choose the path that makes your wandering heart sing!

Bonus Tip: Talk to your recruiter! They’re a wealth of information about local opportunities, contract extensions, and can help you weigh the pros and cons of each option. Remember, you’re not alone on this path!

Explore our jobs and get matched with an expert on your travel journey!

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Navigating the Negotiation Maze: Contract Extension Edition

So, you’ve weighed the pros and cons and decided to pursue a contract extension. Fantastic! But before you sign on the dotted line, it’s time to channel your inner negotiator. Remember, even extensions offer wiggle room for mutually beneficial changes. Here’s your cheat sheet to ace the negotiation game:

Know Your Worth: Research the typical pay rates for your specialty and experience level in the area. Factor in any additional responsibilities you’ve taken on during your initial contract. Confidence is key, so be prepared to articulate your value to the facility.

Widen Your Wish List: Don’t just focus on money! Consider desired schedule changes, additional paid time off, or even opportunities for professional development. Maybe you crave specific mentorship or a chance to delve deeper into a particular clinical area. Express your aspirations clearly and see if the facility can accommodate them.

Be Flexible, but Firm: While it’s good to have a specific extension period in mind, be open to discussing alternate lengths that might align with the facility’s needs. Compromise can unlock hidden benefits, so present alternative options and see if you can find common ground.

Don’t Be Afraid to Walk Away: Remember, you have options! If the negotiation doesn’t yield a satisfactory outcome, don’t feel pressured to settle. Your happiness and career growth are paramount. Express your gratitude for the opportunity and politely communicate that the proposed terms don’t meet your current needs.

Put It in Writing: Once you’ve reached an agreement, get everything in writing! An amended contract ensures everyone is on the same page and eliminates room for future misunderstandings. Remember, clear communication is the cornerstone of a successful negotiation.

Bonus Tip: Leverage your recruiter! They can be your advocate in the negotiation process, offering guidance and support to secure the best possible terms for you.

By following these tips and trusting your gut, you can confidently navigate the contract extension negotiation and ensure your next chapter of travel medicine adventure is truly rewarding, both professionally and personally. So, grab your negotiator hat, put on your best smile, and go conquer that contract!

Remember, the road less traveled is often the most rewarding. Choose wisely, negotiate boldly, and keep on healing those in need!

Advancing Your Therapy Career From PTA to PT

Travel Therapy

Physical therapy assistants (PTAs) undoubtedly serve a much broader role than merely assisting physical therapists (PTs).

Being a PTA can be the ideal career path for healthcare experts who are looking to advance their career in physical therap with clinical practice, educating patients, diagnosing injuries, and curating patient treatment plans.

So, if you are a PTA who is inclined to learn the problem-solving aspects of the physical therapy field, a potential career as a physical therapist might be more suitable for you.

The difference between a PT and a PTA

Education and Training

One of the primary differences between a physical therapist and a physical therapy assistant is their education and training. A physical therapist typically holds a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree, which requires completing an undergraduate program followed by a three-year professional DPT program.

This extensive education equips them with the skills to evaluate, diagnose, and design treatment plans for patients. On the other hand, a physical therapy assistant usually earns an associate degree from an accredited PTA program, which lasts about two years. Their training is focused more on implementing treatment plans rather than designing them.

Scope of Practice

The roles and responsibilities of PTs and PTAs also differ significantly. Physical therapists are responsible for evaluating a patient’s condition, diagnosing movement dysfunctions, creating treatment plans, and modifying those plans based on a patient’s progress and response. They can also provide specialized therapeutic interventions and consult with other healthcare professionals.

Physical therapy assistants, under the direction and supervision of the PT, help carry out the treatment plans. They perform exercises, administer modalities like heat or cold, and instruct patients on home exercise programs. While they play a crucial role in the delivery of therapeutic services, they do not independently evaluate or create treatment strategies.

Professional Autonomy and Decision-making

PTs have a higher degree of professional autonomy compared to PTAs. Since PTs are qualified to diagnose conditions and formulate treatment plans, they are often the primary point of contact for patients and play a decisive role in the direction of care. PTAs, while skilled and crucial for therapeutic outcomes, work under the direction of a PT. Their role involves ensuring that the treatment is executed effectively, providing feedback to the PT about the patient’s progress, and suggesting potential modifications. However, ultimate clinical decision-making rests with the physical therapist.

Physical therapists in rehabilitation room

Pros of becoming a Physical Therapist

Both PTs and PTAs have their distinct advantages. The choice between the two largely depends on an individual’s career goals, desired level of responsibility, and preference for length and type of education.

Higher Earning Potential

Due to their assistant role, PTAs generally earn less than physical therapists. PTs generally earn a higher salary due to their advanced education and responsibilities.

Professional Autonomy

PTs have the authority to diagnose and formulate treatment plans, providing them with a significant degree of independence in patient care.

Diverse Specializations

Physical therapy assistants have limited avenues for specialized roles. With a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, PTs have the opportunity to specialize in various areas like pediatrics, orthopedics, neurology, and sports therapy, among many others.

Increased Career Opportunities

PTs can venture into research, academia, private practice, or even administrative roles in healthcare settings.

Personal Fulfillment

Being at the forefront of patient care, PTs often experience deeper satisfaction as they witness patients’ recovery and progress.

Less Dependency on Others

The work of PTAs is dependent on the decisions and treatment plans of physical therapists, which can be limiting. As a physical therapist, you get to curate specified treatment plans for your patients without relying on or working under the supervision of someone else.

Chart Your Path to Becoming a Physical Therapist

Embarking on a journey from a Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) to a Physical Therapist (PT) is both commendable and rewarding. The leap not only signifies a move towards increased professional responsibilities but also offers a deeper understanding of patient care in the realm of physical therapy. Transitioning from a PTA to a PT is undeniably demanding, but with dedication, passion, and the right steps, it’s a journey well worth the effort. Embrace the challenges, cherish the learnings, and look forward to making a more profound impact in the lives of those seeking physical healing and wellness. If you’re a PTA with aspirations of becoming a PT, here are the crucial steps to guide you on this transformative and educational journey.

Research and Choose the Right Educational Path

PTs require a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree, so you’ll need to enroll in an accredited program. Given that you already have a foundation from your PTA training, some programs might offer advanced placements or credits. However, before that, ensure you have a relevant bachelor’s degree, as it’s a prerequisite for most DPT programs. If you don’t, consider bridge programs designed specifically for PTAs to transition to PT roles, combining undergraduate and doctoral studies.

Fulfill Prerequisite Courses

Apart from a bachelor’s degree, DPT programs often require specific prerequisite courses, ranging from anatomy and physiology to psychology. As a PTA, you may have already completed some, but ensure you’ve covered them all. These courses provide the foundational knowledge crucial for your DPT studies.

Gain Varied Clinical Experience

While your PTA role provides valuable experience, diversifying your exposure can make your application stand out. Volunteer or work in different physical therapy settings, like sports rehab clinics, pediatric units, or geriatric centers, to get a holistic view of the field.

Ace the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Most DPT programs require GRE scores as part of their admission process. Invest time in preparation, using study guides, courses, or tutoring to ensure a competitive score.

Compile a Stellar Application

Beyond GRE scores and GPAs, DPT programs look for well-rounded individuals. Highlight your experience as a PTA, showcase any leadership roles, and provide strong letters of recommendation, preferably from PTs you’ve worked with.

Navigate the DPT Program

Once admitted, stay committed. DPT programs are rigorous, often lasting three years, blending academic coursework with clinical rotations. Engage actively, build a network with professionals, and absorb as much as you can.

Pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE)

Upon graduation, you’ll need to pass the NPTE to practice as a licensed PT. Your DPT program will prepare you for this, but consider additional study materials and practice exams to ensure success.

Engage in Continued Learning

The world of physical therapy is ever-evolving. Even after securing your PT license, commit to lifelong learning. Attend workshops, pursue certifications, and stay updated with the latest research and techniques.

Add Travel Therapist to Your Resume

Whether you’re a physical therapy assistant or a physical therapist, one thing’s for sure. Having travel experience enhances your resume and sets you up for long-term career growth and success. Not to mention the exposure to different PT settings, building a professional network of fellow practicing PTs, and great pay! We offer travel physical therapist and travel physical therapy assistant contracts in all 50 states in a variety of settings. Plus, at Marvel Medical Staffing we’re new grad friendly!

Career building and adventure opportunities all in one.
If these benefits make you want to pack up and hit the road, then we are ready to help you take the leap!

Occupational Therapy: Its History and Today’s Demands

Travel Therapy

April is recognized as Occupational Therapy Month and celebrates the valuable contributions of occupational therapists (OTs) and certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs) around the world. During this month, occupational therapists, OT students, and their supporters raise awareness about the importance of occupational therapy and the role it plays in improving the quality of life of those with disabilities and other conditions.

OTs and travel OTs help patients with mobility and cognitive challenges, injuries, or impairments that debilitate their ability to perform daily tasks. OTs may help with occupations such as bathing, dressing, eating, skills training, and much more. In addition to mobility rehabilitation, OTs dually focus on cognitive performance and mental health for a full mind-body treatment that is tailored to an individual’s specific needs.

Many people may not know the difference between physical therapy and occupational therapy. The most basic difference is that PT focuses on improving a patient’s ability to move their body, whereas OT focuses on improving a patient’s holistic ability (mind and body) to perform activities of daily living, known as occupations. With occupational therapy demands on the rise, especially in our aging population and in rural areas that don’t have access to quality care, there’s no better time to start your travel occupational therapy career than right now!

The History of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is a healthcare profession that has drastically evolved over the last century. The origins of occupational therapy can be traced back to the late 1800’s, where occupational activities were developed for patients in mental institutions. These activities were designed to improve both a patient’s mental and physical health. However, it wasn’t until the early 1900’s that the profession of occupational therapy was officially recognized.

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) was founded in 1917 and played a key role in the development of OT by promoting it as a form of treatment for people with disabilities. In the 1920’s and 1930’s, OT continued to evolve as a profession. During World War II, it was used to help veterans recover from physical and mental injuries, which demonstrated its effectiveness in treating a wide range of conditions. In the post-war years, the focus of occupational therapy shifted from just rehabilitation to also include preventative care, with a greater emphasis on helping people maintain their independence and quality of life.

Nowadays, occupational therapists and COTAs work in a wide range of settings, including hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, and community-based programs. They help individuals with physical, mental, and cognitive disabilities to lead independent lives by improving their ability to perform daily activities. Today, the demand for occupational therapy as a form of treatment, recovery, and preventative health has grown significantly.

Today’s Demand for Occupational Therapists

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment rates for OTs are projected to increase by 14% with 18,600 new jobs estimated to open in the occupational therapy field from 2021 to 2031. This field of healthcare is in high demand for a variety of reasons.

Policy Changes

In the past several years there have been many federal changes to health insurance options and healthcare policies. These changes include more opportunities for patients to access occupational therapy as a form rehabilitation and preventative health. For example, rehabilitative services are one of the 10 essential health benefits covered by the Affordable Care Act. Other health care policies, like the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates special education services for children, which means schools may now need occupational therapists.

Lower Readmission Rates

Recently collected data shows occupational therapy has a direct role in lowering readmission rates, which helps facilities accommodate even more patients than ever before. Therefore, more OTs and travel OTs are needed to fill in where demand is highest. According to the National Library of Medicine, occupational therapy is the only hospital spending category where additional funding has a statistically significant association with lower readmission rates. OT plans are tailored to each individual patient, based on their specific condition and needs. So, professionals can determine whether they are truly ready to be discharged for safe, independent living, reducing the number of readmissions.

New Practice Settings

Since the demand for occupational therapy has increased, many OT professionals have found new opportunities to explore and incorporate new practice settings. In addition to schools and hospitals, occupational therapists can also work in physical/speech therapy offices, audiologist centers, and home health care offices to provide services to a wide range of patients. Some OTs even work with patients to help them modify their home/work environments after an accident or illness.

Aging Population

An aging population increases health-related issues which drives a higher demand for occupational therapy. The baby boomer generation and veterans need occupational therapy now more than ever. OT helps seniors prevent falls, provides memory rehabilitation, vision impairments, and much more. Nowadays seniors are also more interested in receiving home health occupational therapy so that they are more comfortable.

Rural Communities

Limited healthcare options in rural communities can mean that patients aren’t as easily able to get the care they need compared to urban settings. Many of these rural areas suffer severe healthcare professional shortages, and certain services may not be available at all, leaving patients with untreated medical issues or having to travel long distances to see occupational therapists. That’s where travel occupational therapists come in!

Why Travel Occupational Therapy Should Be Your Next Move

Great Pay

Travel OT/COTA contracts typically offer higher pay opportunities than permanent positions. This allows you to pay off student loans, save up money for the future, and have additional spending money for all the cool adventures you’ll get to experience while on or between assignments. In addition, Marvel Medical Staffing offers referral bonuses, licensure reimbursement up to $400 per state, and CEU reimbursement up to $200 per year, as well as other great perks like 401K, and paid vacation for our travelers! Our recruiters work hard to ensure our healthcare travelers receive the absolute best pay and experience while on an assignment!

Travel

As a travel occupational therapist or a travel certified occupational therapy assistant you will be able to explore the USA from coast to coast! Maybe you take one assignment on the beach, and the next in the mountains. Do you love the great outdoors? This is your chance to explore the nation’s greatest National Parks on your days off! Or maybe you love the buzz of the city sounds and lights. There are plenty of OT/COTA travel assignments available in the big cities like New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. One thing is for sure, there is no shortage of adventure when you decide to pursue a career in travel healthcare.

Build Your Resume

The best time to start your travel OT career is right after you graduate school, so you can build your credentials right away. However, it’s never too late to start if you’ve already been practicing for a while. You’ll be exposed to different experiences and settings in shorter amounts of time since different facilities will vary in terms of methods, supplies, and space used. It may even result in discovering an aspect of your field that you would never have encountered otherwise.

Adaptability will be one of the greatest skillsets you’ll develop as a traveling occupational therapist. You’ll use your school taught methods while also learning new cutting-edge practices you may only get by working in multiple places/settings. Talk about growth! Then, when you’re ready to find your forever home, your resume is so strong you can land your dream job!

Expand Your OT Network

Traveling all over the country means you’ll get to meet other travel and permanent OTs from all different settings and locations. You’ll be able to stay connected all over the country by being in the know on continuing education opportunities, staying informed on upcoming conferences and seminars, and having access to experienced clinicians that can offer you career advice. Making life long professional and personal friendships is always fun. Plus, don’t forget at Marvel Medical Staffing we offer referral bonuses when you refer your OT or COTA friends to travel with us!

Make a Difference in Rural Communities

For traveling occupational therapists, taking a position in a rural area can be a rewarding career choice. In a rural facility, you may be the only person in the area who can help a patient regain their abilities. In addition to filling a desperate need for OTs in these communities you’ll also be required to practice as a generalist. Meaning you’ll be able to practice all different methods in all different settings and grow your skills. When you accept a rural occupational therapy assignment, you may be putting yourself in a position to genuinely change someone’s life in a way that nobody around you can.

It’s YOUR Journey

With Marvel Medical Staffing you are the one in charge of your travel occupational therapy career by deciding when, where, and how long you travel! In between contracts you can take time off, visit friends or family, check off those bucket list destinations, or just recharge your batteries and catch up on your shows! Having great flexibility in your travel OT career allows for a healthy work-life balance and lessens the chance of burnout.

Get Started Today!

OT month and the history of occupational therapy is a testament to the dedication and hard work of those who have helped establish and continue to develop the profession. Today, occupational therapy continues to evolve and adapt in order to meet the changing needs of society. Its value as a form healthcare is undeniable. With occupational therapy in higher demand now more than ever, the need for travel occupational therapists is on the rise! With all the great benefits that come with being a travel occupational therapist, you have got so many reasons to start your travel healthcare career. We offer travel OT and travel COTA assignments from coast to coast. Plus, when you travel with Marvel Medical Staffing, your life-time recruiter will support you every step of the way!

Travel Therapy as a New Graduate

Travel Therapy

There is no better time to start your travel therapy career than as a new graduate! If you’ve recently earned your graduate degree in therapy (occupational, physical, or speech language pathology) and you’re wondering what’s next, congratulations — this is an exciting time for you! Rather than taking time off to travel after graduation, why not consider working where you travel and traveling where you work?

Most new grads therapists opt to work for a clinic or hospital right out of school, but that isn’t necessarily the only, or best, option. Travel therapy is in high demand, making it the perfect career path for you to build your resume and gain valuable, hands-on experience right after graduation. Plus, therapy travelers typically make significantly more money than those who opt for a permanent position. Excellent pay and resume building are just a couple of the many benefits that come with this unique career choice.

Therapy is one of the few healthcare specialties that allows new grads to accept higher paying travel PT, OT, or SLP jobs post-graduation. Marvel Medical Staffing offers travel therapy jobs in all settings from coast to coast so you can check off those bucket list destinations while working your dream job!

What is a Travel Therapist?

Travel therapists are requested by facilities and clinics across the country that have immediate staffing needs and/or an increase in patient care. This includes physical therapists (PTs), speech language pathologists (SLPs), occupational therapists (OTs), certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs), and physical therapist assistants (PTAs). In many instances, rural communities do not have access to quality healthcare, so travel therapists are able to supply patient care where it is needed most!

To become a travel therapist, you’ll need to meet all the same requirements as a permanent therapist. You will need both a degree from an accredited therapy program and to have passed your national licensure exam. The difference is that you select short-term contracts, usually 13 weeks (about 3 months), in different locations versus staying in one place indefinitely. The best part is that you get to choose which assignments to accept and when. With a multitude of flexible travel therapy assignments, it’s no wonder this lucrative and rewarding career is raved about by travelers nationwide.

Perks of Choosing Travel Therapy

Freedom to Choose

With Marvel Medical Staffing YOU are in charge of your career by deciding when, where, and how long you travel! In between contracts you can take time off, visit friends or family, check off those bucket list destinations, or just recharge your batteries and catch up on your favorite Netflix shows! Having great flexibility in your therapy career allows for a healthy work-life balance and less chance of burnout.

Make More Money

With physical, speech, and occupational therapy needs in high demand, travel jobs offer more diverse assignment locations and generally higher pay than permanent positions! This allows you to pay off student loans, save more money for the future, and have additional spending money for all the cool trips and activities that you’ll get to experience. In addition, most contracts offer housing and meal stipends! At Marvel Medical Staffing we offer licensure reimbursement up to $400 per state and CEU reimbursement up to $200 per year, as well as other great perks like 401K and paid vacation for our travelers!

Diverse Setting Experience

You’ll gain valuable career experience and diversify your resume post-graduation! When you choose a career as a travel therapist, you get to experience working in a variety of settings such as hospitals, outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), home health, and more! Getting hands-on practice in a variety of settings and for different employers will provide you with more valuable on-the-job experience in less time. You’ll naturally hone the skills that you learned in school plus gain new ones, which will look great on your resume. It’s almost impossible not to sharpen your skills as a clinician when you work as a travel therapist. With a solid work ethic, you’ll have reputable references from all over the country in just a couple of years. Then, if you’re looking for a permanent location one day, your impressive resume can help you outshine other applicants, command higher pay, and land the job YOU want.

Professional Networking

You’ll build a huge professional network and make new friends all over the country! You can grow your network of practicing therapists, both travel and permanent. This allows you to stay connected all over the country by being in the know on continuing education opportunities, staying informed on upcoming conferences and seminars, and having access to experienced clinicians that can offer you career advice.

Explore New Places

TRAVEL! New people, new places, new skills, new experiences – that’s what it’s all about! Live like a local in your new city, explore your surroundings, visit friends or family who live in nearby states; there are so many great perks available to you while you take advantage of being somewhere new and different! The lifestyle of a traveling therapist has no shortage of excitement and adventure, because with your skillset you have endless opportunities at your fingertips. Maybe you’ve always wanted to see what life was like by the beach. Or perhaps you’re not sure where you want to settle down later in life and you’d like to explore some options. Maybe you seek self-growth with exposure to new and diverse places and experiences, or perhaps you’re an adventure and adrenaline junkie. We have an abundance of assignments available on the coast, in the mountains, the Midwest, and some of the country’s biggest cities, so all of this is just a contract away. Take a travel assignment and see what’s out there!

Advice about Starting Travel Therapy as a New Graduate

Be Open

Go into it with an open mind! Doing something new right out of school can be scary, but do not let that hold you back on these once in a lifetime experiences and job opportunities. Make sure you take time to consider all your options and positive outcomes before saying no to an assignment. Sometimes the best opportunities are the opposite of what you thought!

Communication and Transparency

Be honest with yourself and your recruiter about what you do and do not want, but keep your expectations realistic. Know your priorities as a traveler, whether it be setting, location, or pay, and talk to your recruiter about which is MOST important to you. Get excited about plan A, but also have plan B and C in mind in case things go in a different direction. Our dedicated recruiters are committed to helping provide you with the therapy career path you want, and once you gain some travel experience, you will have more opportunities available to you. Marvel Medical Staffing has a large variety of specialties and locations all over the nation, so you will have many travel assignments to choose from throughout your travel therapy career.

Compact License Privileges

Get your PT or PTA Compact License if your home state is part of the PT Compact Agreement! A physical therapy compact license allows you to practice in any state that is a member of the PT Compact Agreement. This saves you time and money by not having to apply for a full state license each time you take a new travel contract somewhere you are not already licensed. If your home state is not a participant in the compact agreement, no need to fret! You can still travel as a therapist and your recruiter will help with any licensure questions!

Understand Your Contract

Read your contract thoroughly and ask questions when you are not sure, especially when it comes to pay, guaranteed hours, overtime, and stipends. Your recruiter is an expert on the ins and outs of your contract so be sure to ask them anything you are unclear on. And remember, travel therapy does not mean you cannot take an assignment in your home state! If you’re feeling homesick, ask your recruiter to help you find a contract in or near your home base. Why not spend six months traveling and then head home for a local contract to catch up with friends and family?

Resources for Travel Therapists

Your recruiter is your best resource because they genuinely want to see you succeed in your travel therapy career. They are someone you can trust to always be transparent and supportive. At Marvel Medical Staffing, we even offer recruiters who are licensed PTs, PTAs, and COTAs with actual clinical experience, so they know exactly what you are looking for, and just as importantly what you are not.
Travel Therapy Mentor is one of the best resources for new and experienced travel therapists! It was founded by Whitney and Jared, who are two actual traveling Doctors of Physical Therapy. Their real-life clinical experience and knowledge helps aspiring travel PTs, OTs, and SLPs become successful travel therapists! They offer amazing resources, articles, and videos with traveling tips, and podcasts with advice about taxes as a traveler, travel guides, financial strategies, health insurance, and much more! Travel Therapy Mentor even offers a full comprehensive course with everything a travel therapist needs to know about being financially successful in their career! Be sure to also check out their social media pages and groups!
Social media is always a great resource to turn to when you’re looking for advice, checking out new assignment locations and facilities, or wanting to network and connect with fellow travel therapists. There are many Facebook pages dedicated as communities and forums for traveling healthcare professionals such as yourself! At Marvel Medical Staffing we have our very own Marvel Travelers page where all our travelers can network and share their experiences/adventures.
American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA)
American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA)
American Speech-Language -Hearing Association’s (ASHA)

All are great resources! They will help you stay in the loop on upcoming conferences, seminars, online learning, and other events. You can even become a member and have access to discounted or free continuing education courses! They also provide articles to help advance your therapy career, including evidence-based practice resources, payment guidance, and discounts through membership benefits.

PTCompact.org has everything you need to know about the physical therapy compact license! You can see exactly what states are and are not a part of The Physical Therapy Compact! They also offer a step-by-step process on how to obtain your PT compact license. OT and SLP Compact are in the works – stay tuned!
MedBridge is a great resource for continuing education, informational articles and free webinars! Be sure to ask your Marvel Medical Staffing recruiter for a discount code!
TravelTax.com has specialized in tax preparation for travel healthcare professionals for over 20 years.
Marvel’s Mentorship Program – Once you take a travel therapy contract with Marvel Medical Staffing, your recruiter can set you up with a seasoned travel therapist who will serve as your mentor. Additionally, Marvel’s Therapy Team has 5 clinicians who also provide mentorship!

Ready to start your travel therapy career?

If these benefits make you want to pack up and hit the road, then we are ready to help you take the leap! Becoming a travel therapist means embarking on an engaging career path with incredible benefits. You will have access to resources to help you along the way, and an opportunity for endless new experiences post-graduation. As a therapy new grad, you’re eligible to travel and take your skills where they are needed most as you improve the lives of others. There are endless unexpected and incredible experiences around the corner for you when you choose the lifestyle of a traveler. So, if you’re ready to start exploring your options, then be sure to check out the travel therapist jobs on our website to kickstart your new healthcare career today!

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Preparing for the National Physical Therapy Examination

Travel Therapy

You have just finished four years of college plus three years of physical therapy school. However, you still have one more task before you’re a licensed PT — you must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). The NPTE has 250 questions that you must answer within five hours. That means you’ll have to answer a question every 72 seconds to complete the exam.

The NPTE is a tough and detailed exam, so you won’t have a lot of time to think through your answers. You’ll need to analyze each question in an instant and produce the correct answer with a complete cognitive understanding. Our tips will help you design a plan that works for your unique learning style so you can be at peak performance on the day of the exam.

Once you’ve gone through the administrative steps on scheduling the NPTE, studying, and passing the exam with flying colors, then comes the fun part!! Starting your travel physical therapy career!

Common Questions Physical Therapists Ask About the NPTE

What Is the NPTE?

It’s an extremely tough exam that every prospective physical therapist in the nation must pass to become a licensed PT. The exam is designed to assess your competence after graduation from an accredited program or from an equivalent non-accredited program. The NPTE is only one factor your state board considers when deciding whether to grant your PT license, so be sure to check your state’s additional requirements.

Where Can I Take the NPTE?

The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) requires that you take the exam at a Prometric testing center. You’ll need to select which test you are taking, the test date, and the zip code that’s best for you.

Prometric will offer a choice of the nearest locations. If that location is in another state from where you want your license, you can still take the exam there and they will send the scores to the state board of your choice. For example, if you’re in Alaska on testing day but want to qualify in Georgia, that’s fine. Take the exam in Alaska and Prometric will send the results to the Georgia Board of Physical Therapy.

How Often Is It Offered?

The FSBPT offers the NPTE four times a year. In 2023, FSBPT offers the exam on:

January 25-26

April 26-27
July 25-26
October 25-26

To help you select your test date, the first test dates in 2023, you will need to register by December 21, 2022. The FSBPT will send you an authorization to test (ATT). It can’t send this until your state board has determined you’re eligible to take the NPTE. Your state board must approve you by December 28, 2022. Then, you have until January 11, 2023, to register with Prometric.

How Do I Register?

First, the FSBPT will need to send you an authorization to test (ATT) letter by email, containing instructions on how to schedule an appointment with Prometric. You may also access your ATT letter on the FSBPT website under “Status of My Request”. Then, the next step in the registration process is to determine what’s required in your state. You may have to take the jurisprudence exam before taking the NPTE. If you determine that you’re now eligible to take the NPTE, your next step is to file your application with your state board. Next, you’ll be ready to register for the exam with Prometric. That’s when you’ll pay the exam fee.

How Much Does It Cost to Take It?

Your NPTE exam registration fee is $485. There’s a 1.6% processing fee for registration, which is rounded up to the nearest dollar. You also have to pay a fee to Prometric when you reserve your seat for the exam, of $100.30. So, your total cost of taking the exam is around $600. That doesn’t include the cost of preparing for the exam — such as purchasing study materials and taking practice exams.

What’s the Minimum Passing Score?

The minimum score to pass the NPTE is 600 out of 800. If your scaled score is 599, you have failed the NPTE. The good news is, you’re able to take it again on the next test date.

How Many Chances Do I Get to Pass It?

If you have already taken the NPTE and failed it six times, you’re barred from ever taking the NPTE again. This lifetime ban isn’t the only thing to worry about if you fail. If you score below 401 twice, you’re also no longer eligible to take the exam again.

Though there are four test dates per year, you can take it only three times in a 12-month period. So, three failures and you will have to sit out one exam before you can retake it. The best way to avoid these bans is not to be one of the 10% to 15% of applicants who fail the exam the first time they take it.

How Is It Scored?

The NPTE is a multiple-choice test where you’re scored based on the number of questions answered correctly. It doesn’t penalize you for the questions you miss. For this reason, it’s a good idea to make sure you answer all 250 questions, even if it’s just a guess.

The score will be between 200 and 800, with 200 being the worst score and 800 being the best score. Your final grade is actually your scaled score. If you score an 800, it doesn’t mean you were right on all 250 questions. You could have still missed a couple of questions and the scale brought you to 800.

Tips When Preparing for the NPTE

Now you’re registered, you have reserved your seat, and paid all the fees. All that’s left is to take the exam. Well, you have three other things to do: study, study, and study. That’s what this section is about — the best ways to prepare for the exam.

Don’t Just Memorize

Attempting to memorize everything never works. Memorization only builds the foundation for a successful NPTE exam. You will need to drill yourself with test questions to strengthen your analytical skills and true understanding of the material. These are the skills that will make the difference between a passing and failing grade.

The NPTE questions require that you have an excellent understanding of real-world situations, such as:

Diagnosis
Evaluation
Prognosis
Physical therapy skills to use when treating conditions

Understanding of the important bodily systems

Make sure you have a thorough understanding of physical therapy treatment methods, best practices, and ways to measure results.

Invest in Study Materials

For the past seven years, you’ve been in school preparing to be a PT. By now, you should know what study methods work best for you. Flashcards are great for visual learners, and you can even do digital flashcards now. You can carry these digital flashcards in a phone app, or you can study on your computer. Anywhere you are, you can use these flashcards, even if you only have a few minutes.

For visual learners, interactive online drilling is great, too. While flashcards are great for memorization, online questions are great to strengthen your analytical skills. You’ll need both to pass the NPTE.

Apps like Scorebuilder’s Content Master allow you to practice answering NPTE on your phone. Again, this is something you can do anywhere you are.

NPTE prep courses are also great resources. It’s especially important if you learn best from a class environment. You have a limited amount of time, and you want to focus on study aids that give you the biggest boost.

Plan out your studying material and set timetables. When you have your strategy ready, you’ll know which study aides are best for you. It’s a good idea to take some practice tests. After you take practice tests, they may show your need to tweak a study strategy.

Focus on the Big Three

A complete understanding of “the big three” lays a strong foundation for success on the NPTE. The big three are part of 75% of the questions in the exam. The big three includes

Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Systems
Musculoskeletal System
Neuromuscular & Nervous Systems

Take Multiple Practice Exams

You need to take practice exams to gauge where you are at any point in your study plan. These exams expose your weaknesses, so you’ll know which areas to spend additional time on. If you’re consistently failing the practice exams, it may be a good idea to change your study aids.

Don’t Stress Yourself Out — Find Ways to Relax

If you want to keep stress from negatively affecting your studies, you must take breaks. You take breaks between sets at the gym, the same rule applies to building that giant mental muscle — your brain! A healthy sleep schedule will help you retain all the information you are absorbing, and a healthy diet provides cognitive clarity. Stay away from stressful situations and ensure you are putting your mental health first.

Don’t Worry About How or What Others Are Studying

Do what has always worked for you. Don’t do what everyone else is doing. If the practice tests show you need to change your study methods, try something else. Everyone learns and retains information differently, so it only makes sense that your fellow physical therapists may do things differently than you.

What To Do After You Have Passed the NPTE

Now that you have passed the NPTE, you’re a licensed physical therapist. You just have one more step to take. You need a job in physical therapy.

You’re a certified expert in physical therapy. Since PTs are in great demand, finding a job isn’t hard, but you need an expert team to help you find the best job At Marvel Medical Staffing, we look forward to helping you find your first job as a travel physical therapist.

A lot of young physical therapists love to travel. Did you know there are endless exciting opportunities in travel therapy? Healthcare professionals are in high demand everywhere. Which means the travel healthcare industry is becoming more and more lucrative.

With such high demand, you can work anywhere with travel therapy. When working in travel healthcare, you’ll stay in one city for the term of your contract, which can be anywhere from 4 to 13 weeks. Then, move to another city for your next contract. Talk about being well traveled!

Are you ready for an exciting career in travel physical therapy? Take a look at the jobs we have waiting for you. Don’t wait for another day to begin your exciting new career.

Arial view of California housing options for travel therapists

Travel Therapy Housing 101

Lifestyle, Travel Housing, Travel Therapy

A career in travel therapy is one of the most rewarding ways to make a living. It may be the prime choice for therapists (PT, OT, SLP, PTA, COTA) who love to help others and also love to see as many corners of the country as they possibly can. Perhaps you just like to get away from your principal residence and drive a few hours to a different location and state of mind. You get the satisfaction of helping others while doing what you love plus seeing new places! Now, that all sounds pretty exciting.

However, there are a lot more factors you need to consider that you wouldn’t have to think twice about if you were settling in one area, especially finding suitable housing. First, you’ll work with one of our dedicated recruiters to find the perfect travel therapy contract. Then, when you know where you’ll be traveling, you’ll have to figure out where you’ll live while there. That’s when a new series of questions arise; are some places more expensive? What is a housing stipend, and how do they work? What if I have pets and need pet friendly housing?

Get Connected with a Marvel Recruiter Now!

We will help connect you with your next assignment and walk you through the housing process.

Connect With Us Today!

Travel Therapy Careers

Traveling therapy aims to reinvent how society deals with staffing shortages and fill open positions at facilities that are in need of patient care. At Marvel Medical Staffing our mission is to provide healing places where patients and facilities need support while protecting our nation’s future healthcare workforce. Facilities need therapy professionals all across the country. Travel therapy is booming, meaning you can be a travel physical therapist, a travel occupational therapist, or even a travel speech-language pathologist and will be able to find work anywhere.

Traveling therapists have the added benefit of meeting a more diverse group of people, patients, and other therapists alike. They are consistently exposed to new practices/methods and can care for a wide range of patients in all different settings. This can help them learn to work with all types of people and advance their career as a therapist. Not to mention, they also get to experience different cities and explore new places!

Choosing Your Own VS. Company Provided Housing

It can be overwhelming to know you have a job but not know where you’re going to live. Luckily, you do have a few primary options when finding housing while on a travel therapy assignment.

Choose Your Own Housing

When you elect to find and pay for your own housing you are applicable for a housing stipend as part of your overall pay package. Many travel therapists prefer this option because they have the freedom to choose whatever you want. Hunting for your own housing may also be the more lucrative option and is part of the appeal of becoming a traveling healthcare professional.

Modern resources and short-term rental companies take the stress out of finding housing. Nowadays, you can find your dream apartment with the click of a button, and many places offer both furnished and unfurnished options. You also don’t have to stress over utilities and internet with short-term rental companies, as that it is typically taken care of by the landlord/owner.

The downside? If your contract abruptly ends for any reason, you are responsible for paying the amount of time left on your rental or lease. Make sure you tell any potential landlords about your status as a travel therapists and see if they have flexible cancellation policies.

Company Housing

You can also opt for Marvel Medical Staffing to select housing for you, which comes with several benefits. First, you can focus your energy on preparing for travel and living in a new place, rather than scouring the internet for housing and dealing with leases, landlords, and property management. Less stress means an easier transition for you!

When you choose to use Marvel Housing to select your living arrangements, you do not qualify for a stipend. If you’re going to a city, we may have an agreement with a local hotel or furnished apartment complex, so be sure to ask what we have available.

How do Stipends Work?

To understand how housing stipends work, you must assess all monetary aspects of a travel therapy career. Most travel therapists ask themselves three questions:

Which expenses are my responsibility?
How much money am I earning?
How do taxes work?

Traveling therapists and SLPs get housing stipends (free from taxes) to go towards the cost of living/housing (if they elect to find their own). This amount is factored into your weekly pay, which can be kind of confusing when you break it down. Keep in mind, the cost of living from state to state varies, therefore your stipend amount will also vary depending on where you are going for your travel assignment.

Your contract may tell you that you’re earning close to $50 an hour (before taxes), and they’re guaranteeing 40 hours. Great! But wait, there is more info that’s puzzling you. When actually broken down, it says you’re getting a taxable hourly rate of $20, a housing stipend of $800 per week, and a meal stipend of $500 per week. What does all of this mean? What happened to the high hourly wage?

An easy way to figure this is taking the $20 rate times (before taxes) hours worked (40) which equals your taxable weekly rate ($800). While your stipend is tax free, you still have to pay taxes on your hourly wages. Since the stipends are technically reimbursements, they qualify as tax-free. Your taxable wage combined with your weekly tax-free stipends ($800 + $500 divided by 40) to create your total hourly wage. You only have to pay taxes on the hourly wage, which is ultimately better than if you were working a permanent position at a facility. Remember, tax rates vary from state to state also.

As we mentioned, you get to keep whatever is left of your housing stipend if you stay somewhere cheaper than your allowance. For instance, Marvel Medical Staffing may offer you $2000 a month for housing, but you’ve found an amazing rental for $1200. Now you get an extra $800! No, it’s not too good to be true; you get the untaxed money for yourself!!

Cost of Living

Cost of living is defined as the total amount of money that is needed to live in a particular area. The expenses that factor into cost of living can include housing affordability, transportation expenses, food prices and entertainment costs. Cost of living is also tied to income, as salary levels in a geographic area are measured against these expenses. So, some locations have a higher cost of living than others, which most times will be taken into consideration when calculating a travel therapist’s pay package. Southern states like Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Georgia have a lower cost of living. States with a higher cost of living include Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, New York, and Alaska. If you break it down even further, you’ll see that cost of living also varies for region to regions within a state. For example, a large populous city like Los Angeles, CA will have a larger COL than a rural northern California town.

Sometimes the places that you really want to see mean they are a little more expensive. Differences in COL don’t just apply to housing costs, but also other resources like groceries, gas, utilities, etc. It is recommended to use online resources or a cost of living calculator to compare your current location with your new travel assignment location.

Best Resources to Find Housing:

If you’ve decided to take a housing stipend and do the work yourself, you should check out the following resources:

AirBNB: If you’re not staying somewhere permanently, why bother signing a lease? AirBNB is an immensely popular short-term rental company offering fully furnished accommodations for travelers like yourself. It’s a great option if you need something for a fixed amount of time, but less than a year. Several AirBNB hosts offer monthly stays, similar to renting with a landlord.
Hotel Engine: Offers lower rates for hotel stays to people traveling for business or their careers.
Furnished Finder: This site is similar to AirBNB but more tailored towards traveling healthcare professionals. It only has listings in the United States.
Corporate Housing: Connects medical professionals to fully furnished dwellings and short-term rentals in the United States.
VRBO: Like AirBNB, VRBO has global accommodations available for people in need of temporary housing.
Choice Hotels: Choice Hotels International is one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world.

Traveling With Pets

These days, many people have dogs, cats, or other pets they simply can’t bear to leave behind. At Marvel Medical Staffing we love your pets just as much as you do, however we do not offer housing services for travelers with pets. Luckily though, travel therapists can often accommodate their furry friends in the most hassle-free ways possible. However, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to bring a pet along for the ride.

1. Pet insurance is always highly recommended especially when taking them on your adventures. The good news is many insurance companies offer pet insurance as an extension of your plan!

2. You may have to pay for some expenses on your own if they concern your pet, so be sure to write down a budget. This may include paying an additional cleaning deposit for living arrangements. You must also keep tabs on food, toys, and other pet accessories.

3. Check the pet policies of where you’re staying and whoever will be transporting you and your puppy pal. Check with airlines about how they can accommodate traveling animals, and talk to your Marvel recruiter, landlords, or rental hosts about pet rules, deposits, and fees.

Lastly, your traveling furry friend is a living creature, not just an extension of you. This means they have their own fears, preferences, and comfort levels you must consider. Ask yourself the following:

Does your pet have a fear of travel?
Does your pet like to stay at home?
Is your pet adventurous like you?
Does your pet panic when left in confined spaces?
Does your pet panic when left alone while you’re at work?
Would it be better for your pet to have a sitter since you’ll be working a lot?

Logistics aside, a travel physical therapy career should be about having a great experience. Do you have a dog that loves hiking, and you’re about to take off to a beautiful, scenic location? They should totally go with you if they can handle the move!

Travel Therapist on the beach, playing with their 2 dogs

RV Living

Some folks just need the great outdoors and basic amenities when embarking on a travel therapy assignment. Traveling with an RV can be extremely useful for rural, scenic destinations where you know the weather will be agreeable.

If you don’t have to fly, you can consider hitting the open road in a motorhome. Not only do you get to pocket the bulk of your housing stipend, but you get to see all the places between home and your assignment.

An RV also makes it much easier to take your pet with you. You don’t have to worry about pet policies for housing or forcing your snuggly friend to get on an airplane.

Other benefits of using an RV for your travel career include:

Exploring the outdoors.
Moving around as you please.
Being in total control of your living space.
Roadtrips while on or between assignments!

Key Takeaways

It’s no secret that traveling PT, PTA, OT, COTA, or SLP is a lifestyle! Housing is one of the top priorities for every on-the-go travel therapist. You can decide to sit back and let your travel company take care of it for you or enjoy the housing stipend and take on the responsibility yourself. We feel full confidence knowing that you have your best interests at heart, whatever you decide. If you want to become part of our MARVELous Family, contact one of our recruiters today!

To learn more about travel therapy, check out additional resources from our blog page!

The Best Locations for Fall and Winter Travel Assignments

Lifestyle, Travel Nursing, Travel Therapy

If any of these Locations catch your eye, we do staff all across the country!

Contact us or give us a call to find out more about these awesome travel assignments.

There’s no doubt about it—traveling as a nurse is a great way to see the world!

Fall and winter can be challenging times of the year. The days are shorter, the weather is colder, and overall it can feel like things are just a little harder. But don’t let that get you down! There are so many reasons to love these seasons!

As a travel nurse, you have the opportunity to take fall assignments in some of the most beautiful places in the world. And what better time to see them than when the leaves are changing color and the air is crisp and cool?

Imagine spending your days off exploring beautiful mountain trails, sipping hot cocoa by a cozy fire, or skiing down a fresh powdery slope. Sounds great, right?

And even though the winter can be a bit more challenging, there are still plenty of reasons to love it. After all, what’s not to love about Christmas lights, hot toddies, and snowball fights?

Whether you’re looking for a place to escape the cold or somewhere to embrace it, we’ve got you covered. This list of the best locations for travel nurse assignments will help you find the perfect place for your next adventure!

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Jackson Hole is the perfect place for outdoor enthusiasts. In the summer, you can hike, bike, and climb to your heart’s content. And in the winter, you can hit the slopes for some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the country.

With its quaint small-town feel and proximity to some of the most beautiful national parks in the country, Jackson Hole is the perfect place to call home for a few months.

Some of the best things to do in Jackson Hole include exploring Yellowstone National Park, hiking Cascade Canyon, and skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

You can also find plenty of great places to eat and drink in Jackson Hole. Many local restaurants serve up hearty mountain fare, and there are plenty of bars where you can warm up with a cocktail after a long day on the slopes.

Maui, Hawaii

Maui is the perfect place to escape the cold weather of the mainland. With its sandy beaches, lush tropical landscapes, and warm temperatures, Maui is a slice of paradise.

There are plenty of things to keep you busy in Maui, whether you’re looking for adventure or relaxation. Take a hike through Haleakala National Park, tour the Maui Ocean Center, or spend a day lounging on the beach.

Maui is also home to some of the best restaurants in Hawaii. You can find everything from traditional Hawaiian fare to upscale seafood dining. And don’t forget to sample the local cuisine! Fresh mango, pineapple, and coconuts are just a few of the delicious fruits you’ll find on the island.

If you’re looking for a fall assignment location where you can unwind and escape the winter blues, Maui is the perfect destination.

Park City, Utah

In Park City, you can enjoy the best of both worlds—the beauty of the mountains and the excitement of a bustling city. This former mining town is now a popular ski destination and is also home to the Sundance Film Festival.

Park City is the perfect place to enjoy some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the country. And when you’re not hitting the slopes, you can explore Historic Main Street, go shopping, or take a tour of the Park City Museum.

During your travel nurse assignment, you can also enjoy some of the best dinings in Utah. Park City has a great culinary scene; even the most discerning foodies will find something to love.

Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada

Lake Tahoe is a stunning alpine lake that straddles the border of California and Nevada. With its crystal-clear water and breathtaking mountain views, it’s no wonder that Lake Tahoe is one of the most popular travel destinations in the country.

You can enjoy plenty of outdoor activities in Lake Tahoe, such as hiking, biking, and kayaking. And in the winter, you can hit the slopes at one of the many ski resorts in the area.

After a long day of exploring, it’s always nice to relax with a good meal. Lake Tahoe has no shortage of great restaurants, whether you’re looking for casual dining or something more upscale.

So, if you’re looking for a beautiful and exciting place to take your next travel nurse assignment, be sure to add Lake Tahoe to your list!

Orlando, Florida

Orlando is an excellent destination for travel nurses who want to escape the cold weather of the northern states. Characterized by its warm weather and sandy beaches, Orlando is the perfect place to relax and escape the winter blues.

But Orlando is more than just a beach town. It’s also home to some of the most popular theme parks in the world, including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld.

And if you’re looking for a more cultural experience, Orlando also has several museums and art galleries. You can also catch a show at one of the many theaters in the city.

So, whether you’re looking for fun in the sun or a more cultural experience, Orlando is the perfect destination for your next travel nurse assignment.

Phoenix, Arizona

Travel nurses who are looking for a warm-weather destination will love Phoenix. This desert city is known for its sunny skies and dry heat—the perfect antidote to the cold and snowy winters of the north.

Phoenix is also an excellent place for outdoor enthusiasts. In addition to its many golf courses, the city has several hiking and biking trails. Those up for a more urban adventure can explore the city’s many art galleries, museums, and theaters.

And, of course, no trip to Phoenix would be complete without sampling the local cuisine. From Mexican food to steakhouses, Phoenix has something for everyone.

San Diego, California

Mild weather, beautiful beaches, and a laid-back atmosphere make San Diego a popular destination for travel nurses.

In addition to its many beaches, San Diego is also home to several parks and gardens. Balboa Park, for example, is a great place to take a stroll or have a picnic. And if you’re looking for some excitement, you can always head to SeaWorld or the San Diego Zoo.

After a long day of work, you can enjoy a delicious meal at one of San Diego’s many great restaurants. Whether you’re in the mood for seafood, Mexican food, or something else, you’re sure to find something to your taste.

Some of San Diego’s best-known neighborhoods include La Jolla, Gaslamp Quarter, and Mission Beach.

Seattle, Washington

If you’re looking for a destination with great food, culture, and outdoor activities, look no further than Seattle.

This Pacific Northwest city is known for its coffee culture, as well as its array of restaurants and food trucks. When you’re not indulging in the local cuisine, you can explore Seattle’s many art galleries and museums.

Many of Seattle’s best attractions are located outdoors. From the Space Needle to the Puget Sound, there’s no shortage of things to see and do. And if you’re looking to get away from it all, you can always take a short drive to one of the nearby national parks.

Thanks to its location in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle enjoys mild weather and relatively little snowfall. However, travel nurses should be prepared for occasional rain showers.

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is a great destination for travel nurses who want to experience the best of New England.

This historic city is known for its rich colonial history and many universities and colleges. Boston is also home to some great museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

When you’re not exploring the city’s cultural attractions, you can enjoy its many parks and gardens. The Boston Common and the Public Garden are two of the most popular green spaces in the city.

You can also take a stroll along the Freedom Trail or visit Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.

History, culture, and outdoor adventures await you in Boston.

Sacramento, California

When it comes to California travel nursing assignments, Sacramento is often overlooked in favor of cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. But this state capital has a lot to offer, from its rich history to its many parks and museums.

Sacramento is known for its Gold Rush history, which you can learn more about at the California State Railroad Museum or the Sacramento History Museum.

The city is also home to several parks and gardens, including Sutter’s Landing Park and the Sacramento Zoo. And if you’re a fan of the arts, you’ll be happy to know that Sacramento is home to many theaters and galleries.

San Antonio, Texas

Many travel nurses choose to work in San Antonio because of its great weather and diverse culture.

A rich colonial history and a strong Mexican influence make San Antonio a truly unique city. If you’re interested in learning more about the city’s history, you can visit The Alamo or take a stroll through the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.

San Antonio is also home to many great restaurants, bars, and cafes. The city’s River Walk is especially popular with visitors and locals alike.

And if you’re looking for a little bit of excitement, you can always take a ride on the San Antonio River Taxi or visit Six Flags Fiesta Texas.

New Haven, Connecticut

Here, you’ll find all the charm of a small New England town combined with the excitement of a big city.

New Haven is home to Yale University and several other colleges and universities. As a result, the city has a vibrant culture and is home to many great restaurants, bars, and cafes.

You can visit its many museums and theaters when you’re not exploring the city’s nightlife. Most of New Haven’s cultural attractions are located in the Downtown and Elm Street areas.

You can also walk along the Long Wharf or visit the New Haven Green. The city’s other popular attractions include the Shubert Theater and the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.

St. Louis, Missouri

Located in the Midwest, St. Louis is a great destination for travel nurses who want to experience the best of the American heartland.

This historic city is home to a number of popular attractions, including the Gateway Arch, the St. Louis Zoo, and the Missouri Botanical Garden. Like many other American cities, St. Louis also has several nice restaurants, bars, and cafes.

You’ll also be happy to know that St. Louis is home to many parks and green spaces, including Forest Park and Tower Grove Park.

Portland, Oregon

Looking for a city with a little bit of everything? Then you’ll want to add Portland, Oregon, to your list of potential travel nursing assignments.

This hip and happening city is home to several excellent restaurants, bars, and cafes. Popular attractions in Portland include the International Rose Test Garden, the Oregon Zoo, and the Japanese Garden.

Conclusion

These are just a few great locations for travel nurses looking for assignments in the fall and winter. So whether you’re looking for a bustling city or a quiet small town, you’re sure to find the perfect destination for your next travel nursing assignment.

become a travel physical therapist as a new grad

Travel Physical Therapist – Why you should start as a New Grad

Travel Therapy

Want to get your Travel Physical Therapist career started as a New Grad?

There are many options available to new grads of physical therapy. Become a travel physical therapist with us and we’ll get you started fast! Get in contact with one of our excellent recruiters here at marvel. Call or fill out a quick contact form and we will get back to you soon!

Want to see some of the amazing places you can? Check out our job board and get matched with the perfect area for your physical therapy career.

If you’ve recently earned your graduate degree in physical therapy and you’re wondering what’s next, congratulations — this is an exciting time for you!

Most new grads opt to spend their days working for a clinic or hospital, but that isn’t necessarily the only option. If you’ve been overcome with wanderlust during your studies and you’re looking to pay off your debt faster, there’s never been a better time to consider becoming a travel physical therapist!

Travel physical therapy is high in demand, making it the perfect career choice for you to hone your skills and gain valuable experience right after graduation. Did we mention that you can also make a killing while you’re at it? Great pay is just one of the many benefits that come with this unique career choice.

One thing’s for sure — the lifestyle of a travel physical therapist has no shortage of excitement and adventure! To explore the career path of a travel PT and all of the incredible benefits that come with it as a new grad, read on!

Travel Physical Therapist leaving for assignment

What is a Travel Physical Therapist?

So many healthcare positions these days are allowing new grads to travel. Fortunately, for those who’ve been bit by the travel bug, physical therapy is no exception. Rather than taking time off to travel after graduation, why not consider travel work?

To become a travel PT, you’ll need to meet all of the same requirements as a regular physical therapist. You need a degree from a Doctor of Physical Therapy program and to have passed your state licensure exam. The difference is that you’re assigned short-term contracts in different locations. Contracts are temporary and usually 13 weeks long (or about three months).

The best part is that you get to choose which assignments to accept. You can opt to take on contracts in another state, make your way across the country, or even head abroad! With endless flexible travel options, it’s no wonder that this lucrative and rewarding career is raved about by travel PTs across the nation.

Perks of Choosing a Travel Physical Therapy Career

Meet New People in New Places

The most obvious perk of becoming a travel physical therapist is getting to travel to where you want. If there’s a specific city you’ve always wanted to explore or if you’d love to live in a different climate, then you’re in luck! You can accept an assignment in that city. You may even have the chance to explore different countries as well if you look for international contracts.

Not only will you get to experience all kinds of new places, but the nomadic lifestyle will allow you to meet so many people you wouldn’t otherwise have crossed paths with. If you stick with it, you’re sure to network and build personal and professional connections in countless cities.

Travel PT Doesn’t Always Mean Working Away From Home

As the name suggests, you might assume travel physical therapists are always traveling far away from home. That isn’t necessarily the case (unless you want it to be, that is).

Remember, you decide where you work and when! If you’re feeling homesick, you can take on jobs in your own city as well. Why not spend six months traveling and then head home for a 13-week contract to catch up with friends and family while you make money at the same time? Alternatively, you can take time off from work altogether if you choose.

Live Like the Locals

Although you’ll likely be working hard Monday to Friday, you can go on new adventures in the evenings or on your days off. Whether you’re urban exploring, trying out the local cuisine, or hiking the city’s hidden gem trails, you’ll have no shortage of fun things to do in your free time. You may not have had the chance to do some of these things as a tourist, but your travel career as a new grad makes all of it possible!

Pay Off Your School Loans Faster

Getting your physical therapy degree is an incredibly rewarding career path. Unfortunately, it’s also one that also comes with a lot of debt. While paying off student loans may not be the number one consideration for everyone, it’s an important factor for many new grads.

The good news is that physical therapy is in high demand in different states throughout the nation. As a result, travel PT jobs offer much higher pay than most static positions. Yes, earning a six-figure salary is totally possible not long after graduation if you’re willing to put in the hard work to get there.

According to ZipRecruiter, the nation’s annual average salary for a travel PT is $74,478, while some people report earning up to $199,500. The amount that you can earn will largely depend on the jobs you get, how often you work, and whether you’re working locally or internationally.

Travel physical therapists can earn such a great living because they get to travel to where the work is. You can accept consistent high-paying jobs right out of the gate, as soon as you graduate. The best part about higher pay is that you can pay down your school loans faster — all while crossing off different locations from your bucket list!

In addition to the great pay, travel PTs are often reimbursed for travel expenses, housing, licensing, as well as health and dental insurance. Most clinics, hospitals, and private offices don’t offer the same reimbursements that you’ll get when you’re traveling for work. As you can see, the tax-free money and financial incentives can add up quickly to help you save money while working as a travel physical therapist.

Flexible Schedule and Great Work-Life Balance

How would you like to work a job you love while determining your own schedule as a new grad? Good news — it’s possible! One of the greatest perks of becoming a travel PT job is the overall flexibility it provides. The hours you work will vary depending on your employer’s schedule, but you only have to accept the work that’s according to your liking. You get to decide if saving money or work-life balance is more important to you and work according to that goal!

Once a contract is finished, you can decide to take a two-week break or a two-month long hiatus — the choice is yours. That leaves plenty of room to visit family, hop on a plane to explore another country, take some downtime to pursue other hobbies, or do anything else that your heart desires. Talk about a great lifestyle!

Gain Experience and Diversify Your Resume

When you choose a career as a travel PT, you get to experience working in so many different clinics and hospitals for your line of work. Getting hands-on practice in a variety of settings and for different employers will provide you with more valuable on-the-job experience in much less time. You’ll naturally hone the skills that you learned in school and gain new ones, which will look great on your resume. It’s almost impossible not to sharpen your skills as a clinician.

With a solid work ethic, you’ll have solid references from a variety of cities all over the country in a couple of years. Then, if you’re looking for a permanent location one day, your experience can help you land a job wherever you want. The soft skills you’ll learn will even apply to a variety of other careers if you decide to leave the healthcare industry completely one day.

Reap the Benefits of Minimalistic Living

Certain perks come with constantly being on the road as a travel physical therapist. Since you can’t fit all of your belongings into one suitcase, you’ll naturally have to downsize. Besides, who really needs five bathing suits and twenty pairs of shirts to choose from anyway?

There are all kinds of benefits that come with minimalist living, ranging from getting rid of unnecessary items to saving money to boosting mental health. Essentially, you’ll be ridding yourself of both physical and mental clutter, therefore improving your peace of mind. When you get rid of all the non-essentials, you’ll quickly find that you’re left with so much more positive energy.

With that in mind, there’s no doubt that being a travel PT makes for happier, less stressful living as a new grad. So by all means, donate those clothes you never wear and make sure your passport is ready to go!

Better Career Engagement

So many Americans go to a job they can’t stand every single day. Fortunately, with a revolving door of short-term PT contracts throughout your career, you’ll never find yourself stuck in a rut as you might with a permanent position. If you wind up working for an employer you’re not particularly fond of, great news — you know you’ll be moving on to the next assignment as soon as your contract is over.

Thanks to never being in one place for too long, travel PTs report higher engagement and better job satisfaction than physical therapists working in a fixed location. You’ll also get to skip any unnecessary office drama that other physical therapists may be exposed to. It’s a win-win situation!

Redefine Yourself

As a new grad, you’re ready to start a new chapter in life. Since life after graduation is all about self-discovery, there’s never been a greater time to redefine yourself. For some people who have been craving a change after several years of hitting the books, this is a powerful revelation. You’re not likely tied down to anything yet, which means you can become anyone or anything you want to be.

You’ll be heading to different states (and maybe even different countries!), so you can leave behind old habits or behavior that no longer serve you. Along with job and location changes, you even have the opportunity to change your appearance or a relationship if you choose. The opportunities are endless when you’re on the road as a PT.

Find a New City to Settle In

After having experienced countless different locations and settings, it’s no wonder so many new grads who work as travel PTs choose to settle down in a new city one day. It’s hard not to fall in love with different cities and states, especially if you’re used to living in one place for most of your life.

Who knows, maybe you’ll even put down roots in a different country eventually — or fall in love with traveling as a PT indefinitely.

Incredible Self Growth

Lastly, all of the above benefits come together to allow you to experience an abundance of self-growth in post-graduation life. Any time you travel, you broaden your horizons because you get exposed to so many different things. Because of this, it naturally boosts culture and diversity awareness, so it’s impossible not to grow as a human being.

As a travel PT, you discover more about what you like and what you dislike. It’s all a learning experience that will push you out of your comfort zone and cause you to continuously adapt to a new city, new workplace, and new faces. How could you not experience tremendous self-growth both personally and professionally?

Ready to Start an Exciting Journey as a Travel PT?

Do these perks that come with being a travel physical therapist make you want to pack up and hit the road? Becoming a travel PT is an engaging career with incredible work-life balance, high pay, great flexibility, and an opportunity for endless new experiences post-graduation.

As a new grad, you’re eligible to travel and take your skills where they’re needed most. Who knows what unexpected and incredible life experiences are around the corner for you when you choose the lifestyle of a travel PT.

So if you’re ready to start exploring your options, then be sure to check out the travel physical therapist jobs on our website to kickstart your new career today!

The Best Discounts for Healthcare Workers 2024

Financial, Lifestyle, Travel Nursing, Travel Therapy Discounts, Healthcare, Nursing, Shopping, therapy

Here are some of the Best Healthcare Discounts 2024

To show appreciation, companies are offering discounts and freebies to healthcare workers and we want you to take advantage of them! We created a list of some of the best healthcare discounts of 2024 offered to healthcare workers, first responders, military, and teachers all around the world.

Looking for more helpful info? We have you covered!
Check out our Resources for travel Nurse, CNA, PT, OT and more.

Shoes and Apparel Discounts

Show up on your first day and show off the amazing savings you made with these discounts!

Shoes & Apparel

Adidas 30% Discount

Adidas offers an exclusive discount to our verified medical professionals, first responders, nurses, military members, and teachers. You can now enjoy a 30% discount when shopping online and in-store, and a 20% discount at factory outlets.

To receive your discount, you will be required to confirm your eligibility through ID.me.

Shoes & Apparel

Reebok 50% Discount

Reebok offers 50% off for active and retired members of the military, nurses, physicians, hospital employees, teachers, government employees, and first responders.

Reebok uses ID.me to verify for this discount so don’t forget to confirm your status!

Apparel

Levi’s 15% Discount

Levi’s offers 15% discount to first responder and medical professional clothing discounts include all Levi clothing categories including ,but not limited to, jeans, tees, shirts, accessories, pants, shorts, outerwear and more.

Confirm you medical professional license through sheerid.com.

Apparel

Calvin Klein 20% Discount

Calvin Klein offers a 20% Discount to Most types of medical professionals and first responders are eligible including doctors, nurses, technicians, medical researchers, EMTs, firefighters, and more.

Their discount can be used twice every 30 days too!

Verify through ID.me to get on this deal.

Glasses

Glasses.com 60% Discount + FREE Shipping

Glasses.com is one of the leading online retailers of prescription and non-prescription glasses and sunglasses. They are offering 60% off AND free shipping to hospital employees, medical providers, and nurses!

Verify your license on ID.me

Shoes & Accessories

Heydude

Heydude offers 20% off regular priced footwear & accessories for nurses, first responders, and medical providers. We hear these shoes were a game changer for nurses. Give them a try and let us know if you agree!

Confirm your license on ID.me to get your Heydudes.

Shoes

Crocs 15% Discount for
Healthcare Workers

Crocs offer 15% off full-priced styles for healthcare workers. This discount cannot be used with other promotions so use whatever is best.

Verify your healthcare worker status on, you guessed it, ID.me!

Shoes & Apparel

Under Armour 20% Discount

Under Armour is offering 20% off for First Responders & Healthcare Workers and active Police, Fire, Nurses, Doctors, and EMT customers.

First Responders: Police, Fire, Nurses, Doctors, and EMT

ID.me powers discounts and special offers for the following communities.

Shoes & Apparel

Puma 20% Discount

Puma offers to doctors, nurses and first responders for 20% off their order.

Verify your license through ID.me

Glasses

EyeBuyDirect 20% Discount

EyeBuyDirect offers a 20% discount for nurses, first responders, and medical providers. Feel refreshed on your next assignment with some new glasses. EyeBuyDirect offers discounts all the time so keep an EYE out!

Verify your license on ID.me

Shoes & Apparel

Lululemon 15% Discount

In honor of your support, Lululemon offers 15% off to Military members and First Responders in the US.

First Responders: Includes firefighters, law enforcement, search and rescue, EMT’s, medical doctors, and licensed nurses.

Partnered with SheerID, you can verify for 15% off your online purchase at Lululemon.

Shoes & Apparel

Nike 10% Discount

Nike is offering a 10% discount for eligible first responders and medical professionals in the United States. You can verify your status with SheerID.

Shoes & Apparel

Asics 25% Discount

Asics offers a 25% discount to both medical professionals and first responders. This discount is for qualifying full-priced products online and in retail stores.

Verify your medical license on SheerID.

Apparel & Shoes

Carhartt 15% Discount

Carhartt offers a 15% discount to First Responders, Nurses, and Medical Providers. Prepare for the cold or doing some handiwork? Take advantage of this discount through ID.me with a valid medical license.

Apparel

Haynes – Champion 10% Discount

Save 10% on your next Haynes order. This offer is available to nurses, first responders, and medical providers alike.

Verify your profession on ID.me for this.

Connecting You with an Expert Recruiter for Your Ideal Travel Healthcare Career!

We are dedicated to helping you find the perfect match for your travel healthcare career.Our professional recruiters will work closely with you to find the right fit and make the process as smooth as possible.

Get Connected with a Recruiter Today!

Home & Food

Spruce up your living space or take care of yourself with these discounts.

Accessories

Stanley Discount

20% Off for Hospital Employees
Up to 5.0% Cash Back

Exclusive Discount Offered to Nurses, Teachers, and Students.

In appreciation of their work, Stanley offers a discount to hospital employees, medical providers, military personnel, first responders, teachers, and students. To take advantage of this exclusive offer, simply verify your eligibility through ID.me.

Home Goods

Sam’s Club 60% Off Club Membership Discount

*for new members

Have you been thinking about joining Sam’s Club? Well if you are a Nurse, First Responder, or Medical Provider then take advantage of this discount!

Use ID.me to verify and get in on this great discount!

Home Goods

Yeti Offers Select Discounts

YETI offers discounts to both Nurses and First Responders. Gain access to these discounts at YETI’s checkout.

Verify through ID.me and see what savings you can find!

Home Goods

iRobot Offers a 15% Discount

Tired of cleaning around the house? iRobot offers 15% off select robots to help deal with those floors for you while you’re out on assignments!

Verify your license on ID.me whether you are a First Responder, Nurse, or a Medical Provider.

Skincare

MANTL Skincare 25% Discount

MANTL offers a 25% discount for their skincare products. MANTL is a very progressive and forward thinking skincare brand that has great practices alongside those thoughts.

Check them out and use ID.me to take advantage of their discount!

Food

Hello Fresh 60% Your First Box

Looking for some fresh new food ideas? Take 60% Off 1st box + First Box Ships Free and 15% Off x 51 weeks for Nurses, First Responders, and Medical Providers.

Verify through ID.me for this discount.

Home

Ring 20% Discount on Select Purchases

Ring offers discounts to Medical Providers, Nurses, and First Responders. This offer is verified with VerifyPass. Sign in to receive this offer. Shop from this list of eligible products.

Food & Supplements

Beam 25% Discount

Beam Offers 25% off your online order. Beam is another forward thinking company that believes in helping you sleep. They are clinically tested and helped 93% of people improve their sleep.

Give them a try and get some well needed rest between your next assignments!

This offer is valid for Nurses, Medical Providers, and First Responders. Verify on ID.me to take advantage of this discount.

Home Improvement

Lowe’s Discounts & Coupons

Lowe’s Offers a ton of discounts and Coupons for Medical Providers. The Discount can only be applied to eligible purchases. It applies to most full-price products. It cannot be used on any sale item or with any other discount.

View their offers here and Verify through ID.me.

Food

Home Chef 50% Off Your First Box

Get 50% Off your first box & 10% Off ongoing boxes from Home Chef. This applies to Nurses, First Responders, and Medical Providers alike!

Take advantage of this discount through ID.me

Bed

Plank Mattress 30% Discount

Plank Mattress offers a 30% discount to Nurses, Medical Providers, and First Responders. Plank Mattresses have two unique firmness levels in one flippable mattress. Find out what level you like to sleep on!

Verify on ID.me to get this offer!

Here is a list of some of More Healthcare Discounts 2024:

Amazon – Need a refresher on medical terms? Are you trying to study for an upcoming exam? Kindle owners can access and download hundreds of free books about nursing!
Bose – Bose offers medical workers a discount on full-priced products online or in-store.
Brooklyn Bedding – After a long shift on your feet, the one thing you probably look forward to most is your bed! Brooklyn bedding is offering 25% off and FREE shipping for all healthcare professionals.
Calvin Klein – Calvin Klein offers 20% off on select items for medical professionals.
Keds – 20% and more off online U.S orders for travel nurses and healthcare professionals.
Mazda – Mazda has launched its Essential Car Care program to provide free enhanced cleaning services and standard oil changes to all U.S. healthcare workers.
Outback Steakhouse – After a long day of work, the last thing you want to do is prepare yourself a meal. Outback is offering 10% off the entire check all day, every day. Be sure to bring your valid medical ID.
Overstock.com – First Responders, medical providers, and nurses can join Overstock.com’s club for FREE! Memberships usually cost $19.9 per year.
Purple Mattress – Nurses can save 10% off a brand-new purple mattress.
Rothy’s – 20% off select styles for all medical professionals including doctors, nurses or hospital staff.
Therabody- 20% off a regularly priced Theragun or TheraOne CBD for Medical Providers.
Vera Bradley – Nurses can receive a 15% discount on luggage, bags, and other items!

Those are our picks for Best Healthcare Discounts.

See something missing?

Give us a shoutout on our Facebook page about any other discounts you might be searching for!

Explore Your Options in the Travel Medical Field

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, we’ve got you covered. Take a look at our extensive job board to find the perfect fit for your career aspirations. Alternatively, connect with one of our recruiters today who can guide you through the process of starting your next travel assignment.

How to Start Your Career in Travel Therapy

Lifestyle, Travel Therapy

The pandemic has made staffing shortages the new normal in healthcare, an industry that was already facing staffing issues due to an aging population. Many healthcare workers have taken travel assignments, filling in the holes left by retiring and burned-out staff.

Have you thought about travel therapy? You might be surprised to find out that even new graduates can step into temporary positions all over the country.

Travel therapy can be an exciting and rewarding career, whether you’re a seasoned pro or fresh from passing your boards.

If you think travel might be right for you, but you’re not quite sure where to start, we’ve got some ideas for you.

Start by Looking at Your Goals

Traveling jobs can be exciting, lucrative, educational, and let’s not forget, stressful. Before you start job hunting, it helps to think about your goals and the “why” behind your interest in traveling. Whether you’re driven by finances, professional growth, an adventurous streak, or other personal reasons, your ultimate goal might affect how you choose your next step.

Keep in mind that travel therapy is a fluctuating market. The pay rates and job market may be fantastic now, during a pandemic, but the job forecast could look completely different next year.

Money

If making money for a measurable goal is what’s driving you, like paying off student loans, you might take assignments close to home, so you don’t have to get licensed in other states, move family members and pets with you, or find temporary housing.

Experience

If you’re looking for professional growth and experience, you might focus your job search on a specific facility or area where you’ve found opportunities for growth and education.

Travel

If the sheer joy of travel is calling you, you’ve got the whole country to explore! You might plan based on cultural attractions, recreational opportunities, or by choosing a different geographical area than your home state. Or you might just throw a dart at a map and create your own adventure!

You could have many other reasons, but the important thing is to use them to narrow down the details of your future travel therapy career.

Update Your License

Unfortunately, passing your boards and becoming licensed in your home state doesn’t mean you can work in other states unless you’re eligible for a PT Compact license. A compact license is an agreement between states that a therapist with an active license in one state can work in the others. Compact agreements for OT/COTA and SLP are in the works but not yet active.

You will need to be licensed in each state in which you work. If you already have one license (your home state), you can typically apply for a license in another state in a process called Licensure by Endorsement. The approval process can take weeks to months, so you will want to apply as soon as you’ve narrowed down your states of choice.

It’s good planning to assess the number of jobs available in a particular state before you apply for a license. Some states just don’t have as much need as others. It’s also a good idea to maintain two to three licenses to ensure you have plenty of options.

To apply for a license, go to the state’s licensing board website for your profession. And don’t forget the CEUs – many of your credits will be accepted by multiple state licensing boards.

Connect With the Right Recruiter

The current healthcare crisis means therapists are receiving emails or texts about jobs from different facilities and recruiters they’ve never met, even if they’re not actively looking for a job. If you’re thinking about travel therapy, it may be tempting to reply to the first recruiter you hear from, but you don’t know who’s on the other end of that message.

And that’s important because recruiters aren’t all the same.

An assignment to an unfamiliar place is filled with unknowns. Your recruiter is your connection to everything you need to make your assignment a great experience.

Finding and connecting with the right recruiter is your best bet for finding the type of assignments you’re looking for and for making your transition into your temporary role successful. They know the ins and outs of travel therapy and are prepared to walk a good candidate through the steps. They also may work with clients in many locations in a variety of clinical and non-clinical settings.

The right recruiter does much more than find you a placement, including:

Maintain long-term relationships with clients who hire travelers.
Share a variety of opportunities.
Help you with your resume, career advice, tips for traveling, interviewing, and more.
Handle the paperwork for your contract.
Walk you through pre-employment credentialing.
Help you find housing.
Answer questions about your pay cycle and benefits.
Have your back if you have questions or concerns before, during, and after your assignment.

The right recruiter is your partner for the long-term. At Marvel Medical Staffing, we think all our recruiters are fantastic and we’ll make sure you and your recruiter are the best fit.

Learn The Financial Basics of Travel Therapy

When you work with an agency, it’s important to remember you are a freelancer, not an employee. Additionally, the agency will keep a percentage of your wages to cover their expenses and profit for the contract.

Instead of a full-time paycheck with a salary or hourly rate, you’ll have different categories of pay on your paycheck.

An hourly rate, which is taxed.
A stipend amount, which is not taxed. The stipend is for travel expenses and incidentals.
Reimbursements for licensing or travel to and from the assignment.

Whether or not you owe taxes on your stipend depends on if you have a tax home or are an itinerant worker.

What is a Tax Home?

If you’ve ever prepared your own taxes, you know that tax preparation can be confusing in any circumstances. Travel assignments can complicate things even more. You may have deductible travel expenses, depending on whether you have a tax home or are considered an itinerant worker.

Loosely defined, a tax home is your principal place of work or your primary home. You might have a principal place of work if you do seasonal work, like in a school district during the school year, and then travel during the summer. In a case like that, your main place of business is the school district.

If you don’t have a main place of business but do have a home where you live when you’re not traveling, that may also be considered a tax home. For more information about how the government determines your tax home, see Publication 463 on the IRS website.

It boils down to your housing and per diem stipends being tax-free if you have a tax home. And that increases your take-home pay.

Plan to Find Housing

Some agencies offer housing with your contract, but the cost of that housing generally comes out of your pay. You may save money and have more options by finding your own temporary housing.

Some popular options are:

Stay with a friend or family member
Travel by RV
Rent a furnished or unfurnished short-term apartment
Extended stay hotels
Airbnb
VRBO
Furnished Finder

Unless you’re taking an assignment close to home, chances are you’ll be assessing your housing options online instead of in person. You can check out potential locations online using Google maps and Google earth to get an idea of what’s nearby.

To learn how safe and bike/walk friendly a location is, type the address in AreaVibes and WalkScore.

Is Travel Therapy Right for You?

Still interested? If the licensing, job hunting, and housing requirements haven’t slowed you down, you might be on the right track!

Travel therapy might be right for you if you are (or want to be):

Adaptable – You hit the ground running and learn from change.
Adventurous – There are so many things you want to see and do at work and outside of work.
Dedicated – You love what you do and you want to get more out of your work.
Forward-thinking – The benefits of travel therapy, like education, experience, flexibility, higher pay, and other incentives can make it a lucrative career choice.
Motivated – You want to do more at work and at play.
Well-rounded – You don’t like to do the same thing every day. You want to learn and grow.

Choose Your Own Adventure

The best thing about travel therapy might be the control you have over your location and schedule. You can choose where to go based on whatever criteria you choose – follow the warm weather or your favorite professional sports team; it’s all up to you. If you don’t like a location, you can move on. You can work a thirteen-week contract then take the next month off if you’d like. Travel therapy truly is a choose-your-own-adventure career!

Be sure to check out our frequently posted jobs on Marvel Match as well!

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