Official Therapist Blog

Therapy Career Resources for Foreign PTs—your Go-To Guide

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 07.23.2010 | Category Allied Healthcare, Career Tips, How To's, How to Tips, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapist Jobs, Respiratory Therapy, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Travel Therapist, physical therapist licensing, physical therapy, physical therapy job questions

Foreign PT License Requirements and FAQ’s you should bookmark!

Were you trained for a physical therapy career outside of the United States, and looking for a therapy job here? If yes, welcome to our Go-To guide, featuring information on the Top 10 states for physical therapy careers, as well as direct links to state licensure applications.

Top 10 States for PTs
You’ll note some states’ pages for foreign PTs answer frequently asked questions, while others route the foreign trained physical therapist directly to an online application, instructions for obtaining licensure or all of the above. Every state is slightly different in its approach, but the bottom line is the same: qualified applicants who meet state licensing authority criteria enjoy rewarding and high paying physical therapy careers!

California: The Physical Therapy Board of California assists foreign educated Physical Therapist graduates from accredited and non-accredited programs. You’ll note that this state’s page gives a shortlist of what you’ll need to get in order before you apply, plus a direct link to an online application.

Colorado: The Colorado Division of Registrations provides an online application and instructions on how to take the NPTE exam; it also lists basic requirements for foreign trained Physical Therapist licensure.

Florida: The Florida Department of Health answers FAQs for Foreign Trained Applicants and an “Apply for a license” link that helps you get started.

Iowa: The Iowa Department of Public Health’s Physical Therapist licensure information is the same for foreign and domestic applicants on the online application.

Illinois: The Division for Professional Registration handles licensure for all applicants, both domestic and foreign trained in physical therapy careers; this site does not provide a specific page intended for foreign trained PTs; however, they do provide contact information for sources who can answer your questions.

Massachusetts: The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation states that graduates of foreign physical therapy programs may be eligible for licensure in MA, but that the Board accepts only the evaluations prepared by the FCCPT

Maryland: The Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners provides detailed instructions for foreign trained Physical Therapist applicants; you’ll notice two different licensure links for foreign PTs; one for “Licensure by Examination” and one for “Licensure by Endorsement”. You will also note this state accepts evaluation credentials sent by the FCCPT.

Ohio: The Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Athletic Trainers Board provides an online application for licensure as a PT or PTA, with instructions for foreign applicants on the PT applicant page.

Texas:  The Executive Council of Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy Examiners provides instructions for foreign trained physical therapist applicants; they provide, on this page, an “Apply for a License Now” link.

Washington:  The Washington State Department of Health reviews all applications for Physical Therapist licensure, domestic and foreign trained, and provides a “packet” of all the materials you will need to work in Washington physical therapy jobs.

Working in Physical Therapy Assistant Jobs
For foreign students of physical therapy, the process of obtaining licensure is more difficult for PTAs (physical therapy assistants) than it is PTs—we covered the reason in a related press release, but you’ll want to read on for direct links to therapy career resources that exist to help you transcend this minor obstacle. Just do the following, in the following order, and you’ll soon be working in physical therapy assistant jobs:

Complete all educational requirements to become a Physical Therapist Assistant

• Apply for the National Physical Therapy Assistant Examination (NPTAE), pass it, then successfully take the National Physical Therapy Examination

Or

• Apply for a student visa (F1 Visa) and then apply to accredited Physical Therapist Schools; Canadian physical therapists can work on a non-immigrant NAFTA Professional (TN) visa
• After you complete your education and prior to graduation, apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows you to work in the U.S. for up to one year.

Commonalities Shared by State Licensing Boards
Foreign trained applicants should have the following items in order before applying for state licensure:

• Social Security Numbers: you can apply for licensure and take the exam prior to getting a social security number; however, you will need the S-S-N prior to receiving your license.
• iBT TOEFL: a passing score on this test proves you are proficient in English. Minimum score required is 89, as well as accompanying minimum scores in the test’s four components: 24 in writing; 26 in speaking; 21 in reading comprehension; and 18 in listening comprehension
• A letter: from the applicant’s university stating that at the time the student received their first degree the language of instruction was English.
• Requirements for Credential Evaluations: Once you pass the NPTE exam, you must prove your education is on par with state standards.
• The Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT): This non-profit organization assists many foreign trained PTs in showing their educational credentials are equivalent to current standards in the United States. See if your state board of physical therapy will work with them.

Remember that using therapy career resources, like each relevant link in this blog, can help you get to work fast!  For the foreign trained, as well as every professional working in travel physical therapy jobs, we wish you great luck in your new home!

Footnote: Some online physical therapy career resources cited here were taken from The Rehab License Network, which was created with the goal of making allied healthcare licensing information easier to obtain and/or maintain for rehab professionals.

Are you ready to begin an exciting Occupational Therapist Career?

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 07.07.2010 | Category Allied Healthcare, Career Tips, Occupational Therapy, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Top Rehab Careers, rehabilitation therapy

Learn what to expect from Occupational Therapy Schools

Get Your Occupational Therapy Career Resources Here!

The road to occupational therapy is paved with the understanding that it’s up to you to ensure your patients live their lives to the fullest! How does an OT do that? By helping those they treat regain their independence and functionality.

Occupational therapists help patients with mental or physical disabilities improve their motor skills and better negotiate the challenges of home and work environments. If you’re reading this, it means you plan to jump start a successful occupational therapy career; you also intend to hit the ground running by reading up on the best occupational therapy schools, accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).

The right occupational therapy school will prepare you for the national certification exam and board exam to be licensed to practice; your occupational therapy school will also help you use both theoretical and clinical skills to their utmost potential.

Come into this rewarding career by understanding the fundamental differences between being an OT and careers in physical therapy. Working in occupational therapy jobs means evaluating and improving your patient’s functional abilities, rather than directly treating the injury and its damaged muscles and tissues, like a PT.

Before getting acquainted with therapy career resources designed to launch your career into the occupational therapy jobs stratosphere, ask yourself if you have what it takes. Did you:

• Excel in your high school biology, chemistry and health classes?
• Major in a subject like biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology or anatomy in college?
• Are you in the midst of applying to a masters program with no less than a 3.3 GPA?

If you answered all three bullet points with a resounding “Yes!” than you’ll love attending occupational therapy school! But there’s more cause for budding OTs to get excited…

Prior to graduating from an accredited OT program, you can find work in occupational therapy assistant jobs, by earning a 2-year associate’s degree.

That’s just the icing on a whole cake’s worth of therapy career resources. Travel Force and other top staffing agencies for allied health professionals encourage occupational therapists to:

• Learn your state’s licensing policy so you don’t hit any bumps on the road on the way to earning the title of OTR: (Occupational Therapist Registered)
• Recognize what an employment edge you have as an OT! With the Baby Boomer population entering retirement and the elderly living longer, your services—as predicted by the US Bureau of Labor—are expected to rise by 26% between now and 2016!
• Before your occupational therapy career hunt begins, do some volunteer work in a health care facility and use that experience to help with the six months of clinical fieldwork necessary for graduation from most occupational therapy schools.

It also pays to know which age group or special needs group you wish to focus on as an OT. Your choices include:

• Patients who are permanently disabled with diseases like cerebral palsy or spinal cord injuries
• Children in schools
• Elderly patients in hospitals and nursing homes
• Patients who have trouble functioning in work settings
• Patients in mental health facilities or addiction centers

Whichever road you choose—and there are many—in your occupational therapy jobs, know that you are a living, breathing testimony to the American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA) slogan. You and your patients are living life to its fullest!”

What do Physical Therapy Jobs, Sports-Related Injuries and the World Cup have in common?

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 06.30.2010 | Category Allied Healthcare, Ellen Bloome-PT, Ongoing Education, Physical Therapist Jobs, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Travel Therapist, Travel physical therapy jobs, Videos, physical therapy, rehabilitation therapy

For those of us who live for sports, it’s all about soccer this summer. Many of us are on the edge of our seats wondering who will capture the World Cup as the competition plays out in South Africa. So what does the World Cup have in common with physical therapy jobs and sports-related injuries?

Whether players are competing at the World Cup or playing on their high school soccer team, physical therapists treat plenty of patients with sports-related injuries who play the game. Here’s a fact to back up the claim: the US Consumer Product Safety Commission reported more than 186,000 soccer related injuries in 2006 alone; 80% of those were owned by players less than 24 years of age. Soccer is a fun game and even better exercise, but videos like the one we’ve included here show what a fierce sport it can be. Watch a physical therapist at the top of her game, administering a third therapy session with a patient who tore her ACL, meniscus and MLC in a challenging game of soccer.

This video helps us appreciate a new reality impacting physical therapy careers: more girls are participating in high school and college sports—and it’s not just them creating more work for physical therapists, in what has become for PTs, a seemingly recession proof industry—it’s the Baby Boomers, too.  Born in an era stretching from the 1940’s to early 60’s, the Boomers are reaching retirement age and with it, the aches, pains and haunts of old sporting related injuries that keep physical therapists in high demand.

As most of you reading this already know, sports related injuries drive a lot of patient traffic through ERs and into the eventual care of physical therapists. If you’ve ever wondered what a PT feels like on the other end of the therapy equation, you can read about one of our own receiving post op therapy after sustaining a sports related injury.

CDC stats on sports related injuries may be grim, but physical therapy careers are providing rehabilitative light at the end of that tunnel. PTs have a lot to feel good about; the press they receive is incredibly positive. In November of 2009, CNN ranked physical therapy jobs at # 7 on the list of America’s best occupations. Since then, physical therapy careers are a continuously rising star; however, experts advise that landing a successful PT career requires a lifelong commitment to continued education. The APTA encourages specialization in one of 8 areas of physical therapy with the long-term goal of (the majority of) PTs earning doctorates by 2020.

Keeping your eyes on the prize is well worth it, as evidenced by the turnout at this year’s American Physical Therapy Association’s Annual Conference & Expo in Boston. Whether it’s the influx of young female athletes matriculating into colleges or more Baby Boomers seeking physical therapy, business is booming for PTs. Observes remarked that the conference made them momentarily forget the country is in a recession; the event reported a surplus of physical therapy jobs in home health systems and large medical centers across the country.

When it comes to finding physical therapy jobs, seeking education at top physical therapy schools or playing the sports that challenge our bodies enough to one day seek physical therapy ourselves, the sporting motto from Nike said it best, “just do it!”

Side note: Until mid-July, we hope you enjoy FIFA. Feel free to post a comment about who you hope wins the World Cup!

Physical Therapy Career Choices Open up a World of Possibility

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 06.23.2010 | Category Career Tips, Ongoing Education, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Travel Therapist, Travel physical therapy jobs, physical therapy

Different Ways to Take your Physical Therapist Career

When you’re a qualified physical therapist the whole world is your oyster—the interesting part of that old phrase being that there’s more than one pearl when it comes to the career choices inside your field. Whether it’s permanent staff hospital work, travel therapist careers or branching out to start a PT private practice, you and other professionals in this industry will be happy to uncover the benefits unique to your physical therapist career path.

Permanent Physical Therapy Jobs
If you’re a PT looking to build seniority in a hospital setting, rehabilitation center, physical therapy clinic and/or skilled nursing facility, permanent physical therapy jobs offer the perfect professional arena. Permanent PTs enjoy all the benefits, excitement and prestige of their traveling counterparts, with strong likelihood of making a recognized name for themselves locally. Start a physical therapy job—custom made for those who like to stay—or go—by applying at any of these top staffing agencies: Travel Force Staffing, American Traveler or 50 States Staffing

Travel Therapist Career
Oh, the places you’ll go! Let’s start by describing what you can expect from a Travel therapist career—our details are just a sampling of limitless possibilities; it is said of physical therapy jobs, after all, that it’s more than just a career—it’s a lifestyle! PTs on the road, traveling America as they heal and comfort their patients, experience plenty of advantages, like the excitement of a new location as often as every 8 weeks, or after 6 months. What happens if you like it too much to leave? At Travel Force, PTs often have the option of going permanent.

PT Private Practice
An independent physical therapist career is a testimony to the exceptional growth and evolution of physical therapy in the last 50 years. The APTA site offers a PT in motion page that advises on how to overcome the challenges of private practice start-up. Remember the title that 1970s book popularized, “What color is your parachute?” Well, the great thing about your physical therapy career is that you already know—you just have to pick the best career choice and apply it, so that you can touch a patient’s life today!

Physical Therapy Career Path
No matter where your physical therapy jobs take you—and diversity and potential abound as staffing agencies work with individuals in all stages of their physical therapy career—it’s a good idea to commit yourself to lifetime learning. With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting a 27% climb in the PT field through 2016, PTs are expected—now more than ever—to keep their competitive edge via continued competency and learning.

Career Resources a Terrible Thing to Waste
Travel Force offers a wealth of information on the DPT degree, as well as how to specialize in one of 8 physical therapy certifications that open up a world of possibility for your physical therapist salary, hiring potential, and, most importantly, the ability to provide your patients with the superior level of care they deserve. Don’t forget to look toward the APTA for career resources. Their Vision 2020 plan—one that would like to see the majority of PTs earn their DPT degrees by 2020 has been acknowledged as a leading reason some may look to opening a PT private practice.

Physical Therapy Career Advancement Tips

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 06.10.2010 | Category Allied Healthcare, Career Tips, How to Tips, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapist Jobs, Respiratory Therapy, Speech Language Pathologist, Therapist Jobs, Therapist Jobs Postings, Therapy Jobs, Travel Therapist, Travel physical therapy jobs, physical therapist licensing, physical therapy, physical therapy job questions, rehabilitation therapy

How to activate your job search

Physical therapy careers come in all shapes and sizes; some PTs travel from one assignment to the next, while others hold permanent positions. There are seasoned therapists earning close to—or topping—six figure salaries, and others just beginning a physical therapy career with nowhere to go but up.

No matter where you are in your physical therapy career, the job search is everything—particularly if you’re looking to make a positive change. Travel Force offers therapy career resources that help you launch the ideal job search, matching your career skills and education to the very best physical therapy jobs.

Our physical therapy network can supply the perfect job match. Search from the best allied healthcare careers America has to offer by clicking on the Activate your Job Search Agent for the fastest results.

By activating a job search, you can choose from existing positions and get your first pick of well-paid, highly compensated physical therapy jobs, virtually anywhere and everywhere in North America. You specify the city, whether your interest is in a permanent and/or travel physical therapist job and take your pick among a wide variety of possibilities. If a job is not available in the exact location you wish, we will seek out a plum position on your behalf to meet your job requests in the next best location.

The Job Search Agent is for  physical therapy careers and allied healthcare jobs in all professions:

• Physical Therapy
• Physical Therapy Assistant
• Occupational Therapy
• COTA
• Pulmonary
• Respiratory Therapy
• Polysomnographer
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Medical Laboratory
• Radiation Oncology

Get started today and we will have you on the road to professional and financial success! The great thing about letting a #1 therapist staffing agency help you advance in your physical therapy career is that you’ll be working in an expert allied healthcare staffing organization. We comply with Joint Commission policies that ensure the education, licensing, training and work experience of our team has been verified inside and out.

Our expertise is  anticipating  every possible question regarding physical therapy careers; check out this link and physical therapy job questions about what to expect straight out of school with a DPT.

We cover these topics regarding successful physical therapy careers as well:

• Top Physical Therapy Certifications by Specialty
• Physical Therapy Job FAQs every working and/or aspiring PT should know
• Therapy career resources -get links to licensing boards, blogs, social media sites and more

As a physical therapist, you’ve worked hard to stay current on the latest technologies, marked your calendar with events that help you network (i.e. the APTA Conference), and absorbed Top 40 PT career tips that let you connect with your patients in ways that benefit them beyond recovering independence and mobility.

The great thing about a physical therapy career—deemed not just a job, but a lifestyle—is that career advancement doesn’t stop once you’re hired. Our therapy career resources place no limits on how high your star might rise professionally—look to Travel Force for all your physical therapy career advancement and career planning needs.

We’ve got you covered from the time you first sit down to interview, from the time you sit down to enjoy your retirement!

Physical Therapy Jokes: Join the Humor-in-Hospitals Movement!

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 05.25.2010 | Category Career Tips, How To's, How to Tips, Physical Therapist Jobs, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, humor-in-hospitals movement, physical therapy, physical therapy humor, rehabilitation therapy

Physical therapists are devoted to improving their patients’ quality of life, which means that professionals trained to succeed in their physical therapy jobs must possess the ability to empathize and sympathize; basically, to connect with patients on an emotional level. Since physical therapist jobs are fun and hands on, the sheer nature of the job—how it lends itself to social discussions as you work one-on-one with patients—puts you more than half way there when it comes to establishing rapport.

The good news is you don’t have to perfect your stand-up routine to utilize humor with patients. We have tips for jumping on the Humor-in Hospitals band wagon (cart) even if you’re missing the actual humor cart some medical facilities are using.  Click here for advice on how to create a hospital humor cart of your own.

Cart or no cart, physical therapy jokes don’t have to be jokes at all; they can be funny stories or even observations about what’s on TV—so long as you show your patients you share a mutual interest, hobby, or have something small in common, the potential for laughter is there—as well as the invaluable assurance that patients look forward to seeing you when you’re on call.

And why would physical therapy jokes or attempts at physical therapist/patient warmth qualify as a valuable career resource?

Because it’s the responsibility of physical therapists to provide pain management that lessons the patient’s discomfort. Laughter won’t alleviate pain, but it will provide the temporary benefit of distraction while physical therapists get pain management under control.

It’s true that the clinical skills and knowledge you learned in physical therapy schools are the biggest piece of the puzzle in improving patient mobility and independent function, but the ability to create warmth in doctor/patient rapport is important too; having realized this, more and more hospitals are filling humor and “ha-ha carts” with magazines, funny props—even water pistols.

The medical community has yet to produce definitive research that laughter is literally the best medicine, but studies—like one conducted by the University of Maryland—did discover laughter has some positive physiological benefits.  A good long laugh is equivalent to a couple minutes of cardiovascular exercise. Our pulse and blood pressure go up, we stretch muscles throughout our bodies and we breathe faster—sending more oxygen to our tissues. So bring on the funny jokes and funny stories in your physical therapy jobs!

The bottom line? Laughter is harmless. Physical therapists should hone their sense of humor, beef up their funny stories and funny jokes repertoire and make brightening a patient’s day part of their everyday work detail. When a patient smiles, it’s proof that their quality of life—what physical therapists help give back—is returning!

Footnote:

Interested in learning more from experts on how to use humor for your personal and/or career development? Click on the Humor Project to find pubic speaking events, featuring topics like humor in chronic illness, team building with humor, and the mirthful approach to excellence on the job. There’s no reason why the effort couldn’t translate into excellence in your physical therapy jobs too!

Travel Physical Therapist Jobs FAQs

Author Healthcare Jobs Blogger | 05.18.2010 | Category Allied Healthcare, Career Tips, Occupational Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Top Rehab Careers, Travel Therapist, Travel physical therapy jobs, Traveling Therapist, physical therapist licensing, physical therapy, physical therapy job questions, rehabilitation therapy

Travel physical therapy jobs offer many advantages to physical therapist professionals. Some of the great benefits of travel physical therapy jobs are:

• Physical Therapists get to visit different exciting locations
• Career Advancement by gaining valuable experience in a variety of clinical settings
• Meet new and interesting people along the way and possibly make lasting friendships and career networking contacts

Travel Physical Therapy Job Career Fact: travel physical therapy jobs currently offer one of the fastest growing career opportunities for physical therapists. If you’re a PT who looks for adventure and professional challenges, a career as a traveling physical therapist might just be what you are looking for.

Q: Is there minimum experience required to start a career in travel physical therapy jobs?

Agencies like Travel Force cater to individuals in all stages of their physical therapy career from new grads to experienced working physical therapists alike. At Travel Force, we employ physical therapists including new grads, mid-career professionals, advanced professionals with DPT, to older PTs working through retirement.

Q: How long are travel physical therapist jobs?

Travel physical therapy jobs are typically 13-26 weeks in length. Physical therapists often renew their travel jobs to further explore favorite locations.

Q: Can I work full-time, year round as a travel physical therapist?

Yes, physical therapists can choose to be employed year round in travel physical therapist jobs or take time off between assignments if they wish. Travel Force presents you with PT jobs choices early in your assignment, so you have plenty of time to decide where you want to travel next. Many physical therapists have switched to a career in travel physical therapist jobs because it pays more, advances skills, and encourages travel to fabulous locations for free.

Q: What kind of work will I do in Physical Therapist Jobs with Travel Force?

Physical therapists working with Travel Force find PT jobs in facilities offering the latest technology and advancements as well as small to medium size outpatient clinics offering standard physical therapy services to patients. Travel Force is proud to have staffed therapists in several of America’s best hospitals ranked “Best Rehabilitation Hospitals” by the U.S. News & World Report.

Q: Does Travel Force offer Physical Therapy Jobs close to home?

Yes, Travel Force specializes in finding physical therapy jobs for physical therapists who wish to work close to home rather than relocate. In this case, your free private housing benefit would come in the form of a mortgage or rent subsidy added to your earnings.

Q: What is the pay range that I can expect to earn at Travel Force?

Physical therapist salary starts between $71,520 and $80,000 with a total compensation of $100,000 or more with benefits. Hourly wages for physical therapists average $35 per hour, and spike dramatically after five years on the job. The Travel Force tax advantage plan, coupled with the referral program and sign-on bonuses, plus reimbursement for meals and other travel incidentals means earning upwards of $100,000 a year or more in travel physical therapist jobs.

Q: Does travel physical therapist jobs include free healthcare insurance?

Travel Force is proud to offer a benefits package that includes free group health, dental and life insurance; our plan provides prescription drug benefits, along with a flexible health plan to healthcare needs, and is available to cover your dependents. For therapists who prefer to obtain their own insurance, Travel Force Staffing will assist in subsidizing the expense.

Q: Will  I get Professional Liability Insurance and Worker’s Compensation Insurance with a travel therapy job?

Yes. Travel Force Staffing provides professional liability malpractice insurance to all of our physical therapists, occupational therapists and other allied healthcare professionals on all travel therapy jobs.

Q: Are physical therapists provided a round trip travel allowance?

Yes, Travel Force provides a maximum round trip travel allowance on PT jobs – regardless of whether you travel by car, plane, train or bus.

Q: Do Travel Physical Therapist Jobs offer fully furnished housing?

Yes, physical therapists get fully-furnished free private housing; with upgrades such as fitness centers, pool and more at select properties.

Q: Do Travel Force jobs come with a 401(k) plan and retirement benefits?

Yes. The Travel Force’s company-matched 401(k) plan is generous. You can easily access your account online and individuals with vested retirement benefits may transfer them as they wish.

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Now that you know more  about travel physical therapist jobs; it’s time contact Travel Force Staffing to get your traveling physical therapist started right now. Call us at 800-617-0608 or Apply Online

The Travel Force mission is to provide you with the best career growth opportunities in assignments at facilities with the highest standards of clinical and professional excellence, while offering the most comprehensive support and compensation programs.

2010 Physical Therapy Association Calendar Packed with PT Events

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 05.10.2010 | Category Allied Healthcare, Career Tips, Certifications, Continuing Education Units (CEU), Fun Events, Monthly Events, Ongoing Education, Physical Therapist Jobs, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Travel Therapist, Traveling Therapist, physical therapy, rehabilitation therapy

Continuing to grow and improve your skills as a PT takes time and dedication. Of course, you’ll learn a lot from your physical therapy jobs; but you’ll also want to attend as many physical therapy seminars as possible, to stay up on the latest trends in healthcare.

Luckily, The American Physical Therapy Association is a great resource for physical therapists. The association’s events calendar is jam-packed with interesting and informative activities, including the annual conference, as well as physical therapy seminars in everything from pediatrics, to geriatrics, to specific parts of the body (e.g., shoulders and feet).

Here’s a sampling of the physical therapy events on the 2010 events calendar, listed chronologically:

Pharmacology for Physical Therapists

• May 22-23
• Chapel Hill, NC
• Description: Study the effect of drug actions on the major body systems, problems of drug interaction, and variables that modify their effects.

Annual Conference

• June 16-19
• Boston, MA
• Description: This annual gathering for the Physical Therapy Association has everything the practicing physical therapist could wish: seminars, networking, discussions, and, of course, socializing with your fellow PTs.

Screening for Medical Referral: The Pediatric Client Birth to Six Years

• July 10-11
• Valhalla, NY
• Description: Course emphasizes taking a history for the pediatric patient and using evidence to screen and review the cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, urogenital, and integumentary systems for infants, toddlers through the use of case studies.

Biomechanics, Examination, and Selected Interventions for Foot Disorders

• July 17-18
• Portland, OR
• Description: The biomechanics of the foot and ankle with normal and abnormal motion during walking will be evaluated especially in relation to lower extremity dysfunction and the physical examination of the foot.

Women’s Health-Men’s Health: What All PTs Need to Know

• Sept. 11-12
• Burlington, NC
• Description: Gender and sex differences are presented using an evidence-based, body systems approach that illustrates how the unique characteristics associated with sex/gender matter across physical therapy practice settings.

Evidence-Based Assessment, Examination & Rehabilitation Interventions in the Medically Complex Older Adult

• Sept. 25-26
• Somerville, NJ

Examination and Selected Interventions: Lower Extremity: Hip, Knee, and Ankle

• Nov. 6-7
• Jacksonville, FL
• Description: Course is designed to integrate a comprehensive clinical examination with selected manual therapy interventions for the hip, knee, and ankle.

In addition, there are several physical therapy seminars and conferences for specific disciplines scheduled around the country, such as:

The American Society of Hand Therapists Annual Meeting

• June 23
• Orlando, Florida
• Description: Meeting theme “Best Practice in Hand Therapy.”

Aquatic Section Summit

• Oct. 6-8
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Description: Conference of the APTA’s Aquatic Physical Therapy Section will coincide with World Aquatic Health Conference. Note: e-seminars will be available at this event.

Gait Analysis Seminars

• June 5-6, Tempe, AZ
• Nov. 6-7, New York, NY
• Description: For gait and foot-function specialists: Learn how in-shoe pressure mapping technology is used to analyze foot function and gait by revealing what the eye cannot see.

These are just a few of the numerous choices for physical therapy seminars and PT events around. With physical therapy jobs from Travel Force, you may very well find yourself on assignment in an area that is featuring one or more of these physical therapy seminars and conferences. In which case, you’ll certainly be in the right place at the right time!

May is Speech and Hearing Month—a celebration of miracle workers

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 05.03.2010 | Category Allied Healthcare, Career Tips, Monthly Events, Speech Language Pathologist, Speech and Hearing Month - May, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs

No two ways about it, Speech and Language Pathologists (SLPs) are miracle workers. Their professional expertise restores the human connection for those with aphasia—a language disorder affecting approximately 1 million American stroke victims—stuttering, hearing loss, and other communication disorders.

This Spring, like any other and many to come, we add our voices to an appreciative public by recognizing allied health professionals in speech therapy jobs; it’s the 75th Better Hearing and Speech Month (BHSM) in the United States.

We’d like to take a moment, review more current statistics on communication disorders and define some of the challenges the modern speech therapist faces—and how their skills benefit patients during BHSM and all year round.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders, the number of Americans suffering from speech, voice, language or hearing impairment hovers around 43 million—in that sobering statistic, there are at least 28 million confirmed cases of hearing loss—and the figure that resonates? 10% of these communication disorders are owned by our children; reason enough for SLPs to get up each day and excel at doing what they do—teaching strategies that help patients cope and overcome.

Because a child with a communication disorder is 4 or 5 times more likely than his peers to suffer from significant reading problems, speech and language pathologists are relied upon by the general public to anticipate those hurdles, and, if possible, lift them out of the way; of course, SLPs are there for anyone in need, at any age, unwilling to let communication disorders hamper social lives, careers or G.P.A.

That being said, have you taken stock of your own health lately? How’s your hearing? It may surprise you to know that of those 28 million people we mentioned earlier—the ones with hearing deficits—only a quarter of them seek diagnosis and hearing aids; since this is a “silent treatment” we can’t afford to perpetuate, here’s a shortlist of symptoms we’d like you to consider.

Is Speech and Hearing Month when you decide you need a hearing aid? The answer may be yes, if you identify with any of the following:

• Have pain or ringing in your ears
• Frequently ask people to repeat themselves
• Keep the volume up on audio equipment, others say is too loud
• Understand people better looking directly at their faces, or by wearing your glasses
• Lose your place in group conversations
• Often turn your ear toward a sound to hear it better

If you don’t get around to thinking about these issues this month, but nonetheless like a historical excuse to take charge of your hearing and communicative health, let June inspire you too.

On June 27, 2010, Helen Keller celebrates her 130th birthday. While not a board certified, and rigorously trained speech therapist, her teacher and mentor, Anne Sullivan, who employed SLP skills helping Hellen, made a huge difference in the quality of Helen’s life; to come so far a century ago, is so telling of what speech therapists are capable of now. This May we ask you to celebrate Better Hearing and Speech Month and to keep working your miracles all year long.

About Travel Force Speech Therapy Jobs

Speech Pathologist Jobs at Travel Force Staffing take your career to the next level. We staff more university teaching hospitals and top-ranked rehabilitation hospitals than other therapist job agency. We have high-paying speech therapy jobs in Washington D.C., Boston, Baltimore, Atlanta, San Francisco and other fast-growing healthcare markets.

Get started now on the path to financial freedom. Not only can you earn up to 20 percent more with therapy jobs at Travel Force our free benefits, bonuses, company-matched 401(k), reimbursement for approved travel and utilities, licensure reimbursement and Tax Advantage Plan mean thousands more in your paycheck every month. Call to speak to an expert today at 800-617-0608 or Apply Online.

Physical Therapist Jobs for PTs with DPT

Author Healthcare Jobs Blogger | 04.28.2010 | Category Allied Healthcare, Career Tips, Physical Therapist Jobs, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Travel Therapist, physical therapist licensing, physical therapy, rehabilitation therapy

Recently, we had a PT career question regarding a job after earning a Doctor of Physical  Therapy (DPT)  and I thought it would be good share with everyone.

Question:
I was wondering how many years of experience most of the travel PT jobs usually require? For example, would it be realistic that a student coming straight out of school with a DPT could land a travel PT job, or would at least a few years of experience be necessary to be hired?

Answer:
A physical therapist who has recently earned their Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has received extensive training in their educational program. Rehab facilities that have experienced physical therapists on staff to mentor the new physical therapist will be the most comfortable working environments. These facilities are likely to offer physical therapy graduates a travel physical therapy position upon graduation from an accredited program. Other factors taken into consideration when hiring new graduates are past internships and specialty experience