The Voyager: Selecting a Therapy Setting

Kyle Barnett, PT, DPT, Cert MDT, SFMA, Area Leader

Selecting a Therapy Setting

It always amazes me how many upcoming graduates approach my career table and say, “I’m not sure what setting I want to work in.” The purpose of doing job shadowing, integrated clinical experiences, and having clinical opportunities is to help you experience a multitude of settings, learn about the continuum of care, and help you decide about where you’d potentially like to begin your career. Whether you are just starting your job search as a ‘newly graduated’ therapist, or maybe you’re a clinician looking to make a change, let’s talk about why it’s important for you to know what YOU want before you start applying for jobs.

Why is The Voyager, post number 1 starting here? Because picking a setting is the beginning. Like so many of the self-reflection, leadership, and self-help speakers, books, and podcasts speak about: Lead Yourself First. You might be wrestling with this very tough decision but if you can at least narrow yourself to a setting, the job search, comparing offers, locations, etc will get that much easier.

So whether you’re about to search for your first job as a therapist, or you’re a clinician looking for a change, here are 3 BIG THINGS to think about and help you make your choice:

Your personal goals and interests:

- - Are you interested in specific diagnosis and conditions?

- - What types of diagnosis do you enjoy working with the most?

- - What types of future credentials or certifications are you interested in pursuing?

- - What setting will best support the answers to those questions?

Your target population:

- - What demographic of patient do you want to work with?

Are you looking to treat:

- - - Medically complex patients for example in an acute care hospital where you are working closely with a multidisciplinary team?

- - - More individualized, therapy diagnostic complex settings where you have more autonomy as a clinician such as an outpatient setting with direct access from the community?

Practical everyday thoughts to consider:

- - Does the location of the job make geographical sense to where you are choosing to live? If it doesn’t are you willing to move because you love your job?

- - Can you work the hours the job will require and demand of you?

- - Does the company you’re choosing have competitive pay and benefits for the setting you are choosing?

- - - YES! Different settings will offer different compensation packages!

- - Do you believe in the company’s mission?

Did you get your compass pointed in the right direction answering some of those questions? It’s good to paint with a broad brush when you’re just shopping, but when it’s time to make the final decision you’re going to have to pause, reflect, and start somewhere! If you get it wrong, you can always make a change, right? No matter what your current situation, The Voyager will be here to act as a resource guide to help you stay on course.

Enjoy the Journey!