Discouraged due to internet research and forums

[Bad0 Fish0]

I have to say, the more searching, googling, researching, and forum posting I've done, the less and less I feel about myself and my career decision. Even comments made by clinical instructors. If the DPT is unnecessary, too expensive for what it's worth, and PTs are never going to see a significant increase in salaries, then why am I doing this again?? I keep hearing about how it's not going to pay off and comments from older PTs who basically "feel sorry" for the students chasing this misguided degree and getting themselves eyeball deep in debt for it. The more I hear and read, the more I'm getting out of it to "look into PA school, look into nursing, consider MD". I keep hearing about all of the better options, all of the reasons not to pursue a DPT, all of the figures on PTs who end up pursuing other fields, all of the reasons that PT isn't the great career choice I once thought it was before I started researching. Now that I'm in it and flip-flopping is ultimately "too late", I have to say, I'm pretty discouraged. I can only hope and pray that this is worth it in the end, because that's all I can really do at this point.

Anyway, just venting. That's all.

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[_FNG_]

I can only hope and pray that this is worth it in the end, because that's all I can really do at this point.

That is the case for anything, but I definately know where you're coming from. What helped me not drop out was thinking back to my times doing clinical observations and remembering how much fun I had. I'd suggest find something you enjoy regardless of what others say.

 

[bigdan]

Fish-

I, unfortunately, have to agree that your concerns are (in my opinion) valid reality. I am a bachelors degree OT, and I considered a doctorate in OT for a brief second before applying to medical school. One of two changes need to happen for the DPT to be financially worth it: first, as you have learned in PT school, your billing is done by procedural codes. Until those codes isee a reimbursement increase (ie: until medicare and private insurances decide they want to spend more money on healthcare), it will be hard for employers to raise salaries without also having to raise productivity demand. Second, one would hope that APTA/CAPTE/whoever decided the DPT was a good idea would have made some distinction in what a DPT can do (in terms of legal scope of practice or billable procedure) that a good ol' PT cannot do.

That being said, if you love PT, you have to get the DPT now to do it; I think you need to do what you love. If you just love making money, then yes, you chose wrong. My healthcare "bang for the buck" rank goes like this:
#1: CRNA - 4 yr RN degree + 1 yr CC nursing + 2 yr masters degree = 140K for 40 hrs/wk + overtime, and strong nursing union (in Long Island). Some hard to staff areas or private GI docs will pay these guys 200K.
#2: Ultrasound tech - two year degree ONLY - that's like a 4K investment. In upstate NY, starting salary of 47K for 56 hours/wk + overtime...working 7 on/7 off. An ex-gf did this, then got a 2 -3 day part-time gig during her off week, getting $40/hr, then does call for like $100 a night just to carry call pager. Clocked like 70K first year.
#3. PA. Bachelors + 2 yr degree - do it all at a state school, and you're good to go. Start at 75K.

Good luck in whatever path you choose.

Best,

dc

 

[blast7]

P.T. is a satisfying profession but with a 6 year doctorate required and no increase in salary it can be a turn off. I recommend attending a public school that will leave you with less student loan debt.

 

[PMC85]

I think PTs should go on strike until medicare and insurances wake up and decide to adequately reimburse PTs for the valuable work they do. There's no reason that OD's and PharmD's should make more money than PTs

 

[PTapp]

I think PTs should go on strike until medicare and insurances wake up and decide to adequately reimburse PTs for the valuable work they do. There's no reason that OD's and PharmD's should make more money than PTs

Exactly. I mean, ok, you want us to get a doctorate in PT, but no salary increase? Such a BS that is. YEs, It is not all about the money, but when you have over a 100k student loans to pay off, then it is. I really want to be a PT, but paying off my student loans will be a huge problem for me after I graduate. Hopefully, I'll get into a state school and pay less.

 

[Bad0 Fish0]

Exactly. I mean, ok, you want us to get a doctorate in PT, but no salary increase? Such a BS that is. YEs, It is not all about the money, but when you have over a 100k student loans to pay off, then it is. I really want to be a PT, but paying off my student loans will be a huge problem for me after I graduate. Hopefully, I'll get into a state school and pay less.

Hey, I'm in the same boat as you. I've already started researching the job openings that are out there right now, just to get a feel for it, and I've seen some that offer some help with tuition reimbursement. I always thought the only jobs that offered that were ones that required moving to B.F.E. or ones offered by travel companies and the like. But looking into it, I found one for example in Atlanta at Emory Hospital (one of the biggest and best hospitals in the nation, Ivy League school) with $10,000 tuition reimbursement per year OR if you decline that, an extra $2/hr. So that encouraged me to know there ARE some employers out there who still do this, you just have to find them. Luckily, I go to a state school and will only have $30,000 in debt when I graduate. Still a lot, but not nearly what many people I've heard are facing.

 

[PT2MD]

First year PT's are making about $15-18K per year more than when I graduated in my part of the country (Houston, TX). I started at $43,000 for my first job. I just hired a PT making $55K and some are negotiating for more. I have to say the market is pretty dang strong.

 

[blast7]

First year PT's are making about $15-18K per year more than when I graduated in my part of the country (Houston, TX). I started at $43,000 for my first job. I just hired a PT making $55K and some are negotiating for more. I have to say the market is pretty dang strong.

But of course for those in NY we are left behind with very strict insurance reimbursement payments so salaries suffer here.

 

[PT2MD]

But of course for those in NY we are left behind with very strict insurance reimbursement payments so salaries suffer here.

They're pretty tight down here as well. Do you know how much you net per visit up there? Down here it's between $80-$100 for outpatient ortho. We have some payers as low as $55.

 

[sam0090]

Wow, it feels like I’m reading my own thoughts. I remember wanting to be a PT from the second I got exposed to it my senior year up until this most recent summer. The career seemed perfect with a firm background in science, high demand for PTs, and plenty of patient interaction. I did roughly 20 + hours of shadowing in three clincs and jumped right into Biology freshman year. I was completely gung ho to get involved in the profession! I lived and breathed the material and stayed in this state until I started talking to my cousin, a recent PT graduate.

He proceeded to explain to me the high work volume, low financial ceiling, and other stresses the job entailed. This naturally caused me to better research the less glamorous side of the profession. The truths I uncovered (not only from individuals, but from certain postings on rehabedge.com forums, the SDN forums) have tarnished the career for me. I cannot fathom 6 + years of rigorous education to peak out at $75,000, have limited autonomy, face the prospect of loosing whatever business I may open to a POP, and having a Doctoral degree that no more prepares me to rehabilitate people than a Masters.

Ultimately, I’ve come to realize that though the road to other science profession (PA, MD, O.D) are more intensive in study and prep time, they hold far more potential for upward mobility as a career. If someone could show a future in Physical Therapy that doesn’t involve ever dwindling reimbursement rates and an upward trend in true autonomy, I might consider. However, I am always drawn back to one shadowing in particular. There was a private Sports/Ortho PT clinic near my house that I’d shadowed at, and I’d been speaking to the highly educated manager of the place. He’d received his Masters in Physical Therapy, had his CSCS certification, and held a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology. When I asked him if it was all worth it, he gave me a half smile and paused for a moment, saying “I wish I could tell you I love this job, but that’d be a lie; if I could do it again I wouldn’t be here”; that was the straw that broke this camel’s back. I still love the nature of the work and applaud those who are entering the field, but they should take a long hard look at the road they’re embarking on instead of ignoring the trends the career is taking and putting their all-too optimistic heads in the sand.

Hopefully I didn’t depress anyone with this thread, just wanted to get my opinion out there! This country will still need plenty of talented PTs with the baby-boomers reaching their peak, so don’t throw in the towel, I just personally didn’t want with a degree in my hand saying “what if…”.

 

[blast7]

Bad Fish,
Tell us what you want in a job and then the PT's can tell you if PT may be a good choice. I honestly feel that the autonomy I have is quite high. I work with many PA's and NP's who have little to no autonomy. They get paid more and also work more.

 

[Bad0 Fish0]

Bad Fish,
Tell us what you want in a job and then the PT's can tell you if PT may be a good choice.

Okay, these are things I want in a job:

Respect (from other professionals and the public as well)
Job security
Ability to make a good earning
Ability to get a nice place to live and a nice car within a few years of graduation
Patients who feel like I'm making a difference
Options in terms of workplace, setting, population, etc.

 

[PTapp]

Okay, these are things I want in a job:

Respect (from other professionals and the public as well)
Job security
Ability to make a good earning
Ability to get a nice place to live and a nice car within a few years of graduation
Patients who feel like I'm making a difference
Options in terms of workplace, setting, population, etc.

That's exactly what I am looking for in a job. I'd like to ask current PTs working out there. How much respect do PTs get from patients and most importantly from physicians, PAs, NPs etc...?

 

[Taylor355]

That's exactly what I am looking for in a job. I'd like to ask current PTs working out there. How much respect do PTs get from patients and most importantly from physicians, PAs, NPs etc...?
I keep hearing about how it's not going to pay off and comments from older PTs who basically "feel sorry" for the students chasing this misguided degree and getting themselves eyeball deep in debt for it.

As a practicing DPT, I think you get as much respect as you earn from patients and professional peers.

Frankly, even if I am paid less than other professions, having a career where I don't have to count the remaining hours, or days until the weekend, to me is living. Aside from that, as a PT, I am able to provide fiscally responsible, very effective healthcare, which is not threatened in terms of our future. I have learned useful diagnostic and treatments which will only become more valuable when considering what we face as a nation for healthcare.

As for the "older PT's" described above, the ones I have known with this attitude are folks who have fallen behind in their practice, and feel it is too late to catch up to these days of 'evidence based practice'. The profession has changed from what these folks originally signed-up to do. Conversely, I know veteran PTs who have completely embraced this change, and enjoy the new challenge and opportunity. It goes either way. Clinical practice is a very dynamic; change is inherent. I have heard the same arguments come from psychology, audiology, pharmacy, etc. when a new level of degree entered the profession. (Any other professionals care to comment?)

While in some ways it disappoints me to read about how concerned people are with remuneration, it is my hope that if it's the dollar sign, cutting corners, or ego-basting you are seeking in a career, you will better serve humanity working outside of healthcare.

 

[Bad0 Fish0]

While in some ways it disappoints me to read about how concerned people are with remuneration, it is my hope that if it's the dollar sign, cutting corners, or ego-basting you are seeking in a career, you will better serve humanity working outside of healthcare.

My concerns are many - not just the money issue. However, one would be ridiculously naive (and stupid) to shell out $30,000 for a degree and not even consider what their financial situation is going to be like after graduation. People have to live, pay bills, etc. Making a decent living is important, it IS the reason why people go to school, and when people constantly throw around "it's not all about the money" and "if all you want is money, consider something else", I somewhat question what planet they live on. Money isn't important if you've married well, have a spouse with a good job, inherit a bunch of money, or have extremely low standards for living... but for the average person who is in school, about to make a huge decision and and go into major debt over it, we DO need to be assured that the finances are going to be there to make it worth it in the end. If not, we may have to consider a career we didn't want as much for the ability to pay our bills.

 

[fbplayr75]

I agree with what you are saying, however i think it is important to state the fact pretty much every PT that i know, including the one I work for are doing rather well financially. Any where from $65-$120 thousand a year. I guess it just depends one what kind of life you want, if you want the bling bling lexus with the huge house then the business side of PT (i.e. buying and selling)clinics, is for you. I personally think that $65K a year with high job satisfaction is enough for me

 

[Taylor355]

Bad0 Fish0 et al.,
Sorry to sound so sour in that last post.

As for acting with personal fiscal responsiblity, I do agree one should look ahead to see if their financial goals are consistent with career choice. I look at it from a personal perspective, and I am quite comfortable financially. No, it's not 5-stars for everything, but for me it was the right career fit, and I feel very secure about the future. I encorage you Bad Fish to be socially & politically active for the profession if you are not satified with what you see, it helps to combat some of the frustration. I guess I just find it much more pleasurable to work with people who are patient focused, rather than financially focused. (Writing in general, not directed towards any individual.)

 

[Bad0 Fish0]

I agree with what you are saying, however i think it is important to state the fact pretty much every PT that i know, including the one I work for are doing rather well financially. Any where from $65-$120 thousand a year. I guess it just depends one what kind of life you want, if you want the bling bling lexus with the huge house then the business side of PT (i.e. buying and selling)clinics, is for you. I personally think that $65K a year with high job satisfaction is enough for me

I agree. What do you think is the possibility that PT salaries could decline in the future?

 

[busupshot83]

I agree. What do you think is the possibility that PT salaries could decline in the future?

If the Democrats win the next election, the healthcare system may move towards more socialized medicine, which should lower salaries for health providers (including PTs). Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

bus

 

[Bad0 Fish0]

If the Democrats win the next election, the healthcare system may move towards more socialized medicine, which should lower salaries for health providers (including PTs). Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

bus

And if this happens and we move to a socialized healthcare system, we will have a lot more problems to worry about then our salary!

 

[ATS2DPT]

My concerns are many - not just the money issue. However, one would be ridiculously naive (and stupid) to shell out $30,000 for a degree and not even consider what their financial situation is going to be like after graduation. People have to live, pay bills, etc. Making a decent living is important, it IS the reason why people go to school, and when people constantly throw around "it's not all about the money" and "if all you want is money, consider something else", I somewhat question what planet they live on. Money isn't important if you've married well, have a spouse with a good job, inherit a bunch of money, or have extremely low standards for living... but for the average person who is in school, about to make a huge decision and and go into major debt over it, we DO need to be assured that the finances are going to be there to make it worth it in the end. If not, we may have to consider a career we didn't want as much for the ability to pay our bills.

I know this sounds asinine, but $30,000 is not a lot of money. When you realize that you will be making somewhere around $60,000 a year starting (about $5,000 a month), your loan payments for $30,000 will be around $300 a month, which when you are making that kind of money $300 is not too much of a strain. Also, many employers are assisting with loan payments if you agree to a certain number of year contract with them.

 

[Taurus]

I know this sounds asinine, but $30,000 is not a lot of money. When you realize that you will be making somewhere around $60,000 a year starting (about $5,000 a month), your loan payments for $30,000 will be around $300 a month, which when you are making that kind of money $300 is not too much of a strain. Also, many employers are assisting with loan payments if you agree to a certain number of year contract with them.

I had to respond to this incredibly naive statement. As anyone who has worked knows, $60k is nothing after taxes, deductions for medical insurance, 401k, etc., rent/mortgage, and food. It will take you a while to pay off $30k if you earn just $60k.

 

[PT2MD]

I had to respond to this incredibly naive statement. As anyone who has worked knows, $60k is nothing after taxes, deductions for medical insurance, 401k, etc., rent/mortgage, and food. It will take you a while to pay off $30k if you earn just $60k.

10 years is the standard time frame. $30K over ten years isn't horrible, but most PT's I know here in the Houston are make well over $60K. I also disagree that $60K is nothing. There are quite a few folks that would be very happy with that kind of money. It's about living within your means more than your take home pay.

 

[Music333]

How much do OT's make? And would getting a doctorate increase the salary?

 

[Grue1some]

http://physicaltherapy.rehabedge.com/Is_the_Future_Bright_enough?/m_16952/tm.htm

Bad Fish~you could try reading this forum.

 

[vicksx44]

10 years is the standard time frame. $30K over ten years isn't horrible, but most PT's I know here in the Houston are make well over $60K. I also disagree that $60K is nothing. There are quite a few folks that would be very happy with that kind of money. It's about living within your means more than your take home pay.

If you set up a biweekly payment (pay half every two weeks) instead of paying full each month, you can pay that off in 9 years, so you save a year of payments.

 

[Oculomotor]

I hate to tell you this, PMC85, doctors of optometry OD's have much more responsibility than Physical therapists (DPT's) here is the definition of an OD:

"American Optometric Association:

Doctors on the Frontline of Eye and Vision Care



Optometrists provide a wide range of care, including:

• Detect and diagnose eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, retinal disorders, lid disorders, and infections such as conjunctivitis.
• Prescribe medication to treat eye diseases.
• Evaluate and treat vision conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia.
• Perform minor surgical procedures such as removing foreign objects from the eye.
• Provide pre- and post-operative care, especially for glaucoma, laser, refractive, and cataract patients.
• In some instances, perform laser, refractive or glaucoma surgeries."

The OD degree is more involved and more difficult to complete than the DPT (4 year clinical doctorate versus 3 and has 1 yr of pharmacology, 2 years of ocular disease and pathology courses, and of course optics) I know exactly what you guys (DPT's) go through and you work very hard but let's be real here. An optometrist is an eye doctor---period, with more responsibility (prescribing medications, doing minor surgical procedures), has been a doctorate degree for 103 years, and is and always has been an independent practitioner. These are the reasons why we make $130K on average after 5 yrs of practice.

Keep in mind that Chiropractors (who do a lot of what PT's do) make 6 FIGURES! lol PMC85 if PT's go on strike then DC's will make even more cash!!!! I go to a DC for spinal manipulation and physiotherapy----he is my Doctor of Chiropractic and he rocks!

Have a nice day

 

[jesspt]

I would agree with Occulomotor that ODs have a bit more responsibility than your average PT, and also have more risk associated with their responsibilities than your typical PT.

I'd disagree with almost everything that was said about chiropractic and the PT vs. Chiro section of the post.

Depending on where you read, DCs are anywhere from 1st to 5th most likely to default on their school loans. Some may make 6 figures, but the vast majority do not - much like the PT realm.

And Occulomotor, you don't go to a DC for physiotherapy. Only a Physiotherapist (an overseas PT) can provide physiotherapy and only a PT can provide Physical Therapy. Your DC advertising what they do as physiotherapy is an attempt to use clever wording to imply that they perfom Physical Therapy in their office. Stating this is illegal, thus the choice of the term physiotherapy. My guess is that he or she knows as much about PT as you do, but I could be wrong. There are a few Chiros I've met who are evidence-based practitioners.

 

[myr11]

It's all relative to the situation...An optometrist performing a laser surgery has more responsibility of the patients health then does a physical therapist who is giving exercises to a minor no fault rear end accident victim. But how about the physical therapist who was given the responsibility of getting a professional athlete or even collegiate athlete back on the field in a given time period. A lot of money and value goes into these athletes and it sure is a big responsibility, and there is no question that a more skilled therapist will get that athlete rehabilitated properly. You have to define what the responsibility is exactly you can't always compare apples to oranges just because a physical therapist and an optometrist, or even chiro are health care practitioners. How about an injured soldier who is trying to learn how to walk again? Can you compare that too a child being prescribed cold medication by a pediatrician. Appreciate everything for what it serves...In my opinion, the problem with the image of physical therapy and therapists is that a lot of the business is made up of cases of individuals looking for a pay day by going to PT for an accident of some sort.

 

[myr11]

Insurance companies should back off all of these no fault settlements, have some integrity and don't just hand out money to these people, and start reimbursing a fair amount to therapists.

 

[PMC85]

Well Oculomotor that's cool that you have the potential to perform minor surgeries, it's been my experience that most OD's only Evaluate and treat vision conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia" I wonder how many times you'll have to say "One or two" during your career. How that is more involved and difficult then Physical Therapy I'm not really sure
Now let's be real there are some physical therapists out there that run hotpack and e-stem clinics but most of those are operated by some 60 year old BSPT who has no idea what evidence based practice is. The fact is I looked at Optometry during my junior year of college. I even went and observed one for a day and I was board out of my mind. Also your admission standards are a bit weaker than most physical therapy programs. For example here in the pacific northwest we only have one OD school that's pacific and their average GPA is a 3.45, while EWU's average GPA for physical therapy was well above a 3.7
Also your comparison of DPT's to DC's is laughable at best. We tend to shy away from esoteric explanations about how adjustments to T4 and T5 will somehow cure a patient's cancer. Anyway best of luck in your career

 

[Oculomotor]

Actually OD's frequently prescribe medications (most states they have and prescribe oral medications, narcotics for eye pain, and topical ophthalmic drugs--I will PM with all of this info OK?), PMC85, I know I am IN optometry school. Overall the admissions process for optometry and osteopathic medicine are similar so I guess you are saying that all of the PT's who (cannot prescribe, most are dependent on referrals, and cannot diagnose disease) are better students than OD's and DO's......That is a laughable joke!!!!!!! (some DO's schools have a matriculant GPA of 3.2----LECOM in PA is one of them0---the average student there would be more capable than the average PT student at your 3.7 school----your argument is ridiculous)


Optometry school is MORE difficult than physical therapy school...I know this first hand because I attend a school that has OD, DO, DPT, DDS, all under

the same roof. Conceptually the visual system is the most complex in the body (3 professors in medical science in physiology, neuroanatomy, and pharmacology that I know all agreed!) The 3 yr DPT degree is a good one but does not compare to the 4 yr OD program (2 years of ocular disease and pathology, 1.5 years of pharmacology, 2 years of basic medical science) or the 4 yr DO program and 4 yr DMD (Dental medicine) program. The DPT program has a lot of seminars, research papers, and much less conceptual difficulty and less medical science courses. Please refrain from making comments that make no sense.

 

[Bad0 Fish0]

Come on, let's stick to the topic, please... or else move this over to the OD forum. This is the DPT forum; let's not battle which profession is better, harder, or offers a wider scope of practice. If you're on the DPT forum and have chosen it as your career, you obviously decided you'd rather do PT than OD. There's a reason these forums are separated. Plus, this is EXACTLY what my original post was about.. it doesn't help the discouragement and whatever else by hearing people from other profession's join in to say that PTs can't do anything and the programs are simple-minded. The only thing from these points I *will* touch on is everything that was said about "doctors of chiropractic"... now THAT is a "laughable joke" my friend.

 

[Oculomotor]

Look, PMC85 made a comment how PT's should be payed the SAME as OD's and PharmD's and I was trying to explain to him/her why they don't. There is more training involved in these fields which are VERY DIFFERENT from physical therapy in concept and longer to complete. Relative worth, which is a perception by society's consumers, also plays a role in this disparity of pay between PT's and (OD, MD, PharmD, DDS, and yes DC). Disparaging Doctors of Chiropractic is unprofessional. There are plenty of evidence based chiropractors and there are some that are not. That profession makes the money that it makes because LVHA/ HVLA (legal procedure for only DC or MD/DO's in most states) is a valuble therapeutic modality regarding LBP (Rand Report 1997) and that procedure is associated by 99% of Americans with Doctors of Chiropractors. 9% of the US population visit a chiropractor every year and although it is very heavily dependent upon business acumen (they have the highest default rate on student loans--just as you indicated) there are many who do well. As a matter of fact I have 3 friends who are DC's making between $110K to $250K each. They all stick to musculoskeletal medicine, imaging, nutrional counceling, training athletes, two of them have PT's working for them (well payed), and the other works in a VA hospital. Business sense is everything and PT can learn something from chiropractic----->business acumen, advertisement, and marketing the profession. These are the keys to making the big bucks. Not all chiropractors are "bad" which is a ridiculous knee-jerk reaction by many PT's in this regard. Most of the DPT's in the program at my university that I know are very positive about chiropractic and have worked with them before! Anyway, good luck with physical therapy-----a noble field

I optometry

 

[jesspt]

Bad 0 Fish 0:
Agreed. We should stick to the topic at hand, although I would be happy to continue the conversation with occulomotor on another thread. The circular logic used in those posts is quite evident.

Anyway, Bad 0 Fish 0, you started this thread because you were discouraged, and perhaps it's time that a practicing PT gave you some encouragement. You've certainly started your education at a time when there is a bit of upheaval within our profession, politically in our battle with chiropractors over our right to practice manipulation, clinially in our movement to embrace EBP, academically in our shift to the DPT, etc. During any period of transition, there are bound to be a few rough patches, but I still think that PT is ideally postitioned to be the provider of choice for musculoskeletal conditions within the next 10-15 years.
The care that an evidenced-based PT can provide is a low cost alternative to other other, less efficacious treatments. This will become a more important factor both in a socialized medicine setting, or in our current setting, as our healthcare dollars get stretched ever more thinly.
Our interventions continue to be researched ever more carefully, and continue to be found effective. We have many relatively young clinician-scientists who perform research that has great utility in the orthopedic clinical setting.
Our professional organization is changing its culture. We will see more aggresive marketing of our services and physical therapy will be more fully and accurately described to the general public in the next few years.
Although the current payor environment is a bit dicey, a motivated and committed PT can still command a decent salary, and enjoy a relatively stress-free workplace.

Hope some of this helps.

 

[nyfizz]

If the DPT is ... too expensive for what it's worth...

Jesspt: I appreciate your post -- very helpful. How long have you been out of school and practicing as a PT? How did you handle paying for the tuition? Student loans? I am looking at a school that will cost approx. $90,000 of which I will fund with student loans. If you paid off (or are paying off) student loans, how is that going? Is it a daunting task? Does it have a major effect on your goals in life?

 

[Bad0 Fish0]

Jesspt: I appreciate your post -- very helpful. How long have you been out of school and practicing as a PT? How did you handle paying for the tuition? Student loans? I am looking at a school that will cost approx. $90,000 of which I will fund with student loans. If you paid off (or are paying off) student loans, how is that going? Is it a daunting task? Does it have a major effect on your goals in life?

I know this isn't directed at me, but after graduating, I'm looking at making 10 years worth of $300/mo payments. My loan total will only come to ~35k though, so I'm sure it's going to be a lot more of a burden for you.. I'd really consider a cheaper school if possible. $300/mo really isn't TOO bad, but obviously it's $300 I could be spending on something else. I plan on looking into a job opportunity after graduating that will offer tuition reimbursement.. I've already started looking, actually. Those jobs are out there.

I also plan on trying to bribe my parents into splitting the monthly payments with me. I have no shame, though.

 

[jesspt]

I graduated from a private college with a Master's degree in 1998. My debt, although substantial, was not nearly as significant as yours will be, should you attendthe school with the $90000 cost. It was approximately $50,000.
I am still paying off the loans, but they are almost paid off. Certainly paying off that debt was a daunting adn difficult task, and I had to defer many of the more material things in the early years of my career. But, you need to keep in mind that I graduated the year that the balanced budget act took effect and altered the way that Medicare reimbursed for PT in the sub-acute setting, causing a significant number of lay-offs and the first (and only) period of unemployemnt in the PT marketplace. This significantly effected salary. My first job paid $17/hour. Now, the market quickly normalized and my salary has increased significantly since that time.

Having said that, one of the most common areas of job disatisfaction and stress that I have seen among new graduates involves the amount of debt they incur. I would encourage you to pursue a less expensive school if it is at all possible, and strongly consider a Master's degree if there are any programs near you that still offer it.

In hindsight, finanacially it would have been far better for me to attend a public university than the private school I attended. But, I did meet my wife in PT school, so I guess there was some benefit to the private school education.