School Prestige and Location on Job Prospects?

[WeChoseThis]

Hi all,

I'm a medical student asking on behalf of my SO in her DPT. She should be finishing up her DPT when I start residency. I'm not well-versed in the PT world and she's just starting so any advice is appreciated!

I was wondering how much her school prestige matters when applying for jobs? It seems that prestige matters less in the PT world than it is in medicine.

How important is location in regards to job prospects; are there more or less job opportunities in larger cities?

I'd be willing to rank my residency programs to a larger city if that helps her with job prospects.

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[wiseOldPT]

School prestige in general does not matter. PTs get jobs, never heard of an unemployed one. Many people get a job from a clinical rotation, and that can be great since it cuts down on the learning curve, but you can certainly find a job without having a rotation there. If she is looking for a specific population, that might be more challenging, and actually, larger cities can be harder in some cases. For instance, large children's hospitals in big cities often won't hire new grads, because they can easily find enough experienced therapists. If she isn't too picky on a specific setting she wants to work with, she won't have an issue.

 

[WeChoseThis]

School prestige in general does not matter. PTs get jobs, never heard of an unemployed one. Many people get a job from a clinical rotation, and that can be great since it cuts down on the learning curve, but you can certainly find a job without having a rotation there. If she is looking for a specific population, that might be more challenging, and actually, larger cities can be harder in some cases. For instance, large children's hospitals in big cities often won't hire new grads, because they can easily find enough experienced therapists. If she isn't too picky on a specific setting she wants to work with, she won't have an issue.

Thank you!

 

[jesspt]

Hi all,

I'm a medical student asking on behalf of my SO in her DPT. She should be finishing up her DPT when I start residency. I'm not well-versed in the PT world and she's just starting so any advice is appreciated!

I was wondering how much her school prestige matters when applying for jobs? It seems that prestige matters less in the PT world than it is in medicine.

How important is location in regards to job prospects; are there more or less job opportunities in larger cities?

I'd be willing to rank my residency programs to a larger city if that helps her with job prospects.

Has she already decided on a school?

In my opinion, the most important aspect to consider when choosing a school is the cost of acquiring the degree. If you live in an area with a high cost of living, and attend a private school with high tuition, the debt-to-income ratio for a new grad PT is terrible.

 

[WeChoseThis]

Has she already decided on a school?

In my opinion, the most important aspect to consider when choosing a school is the cost of acquiring the degree. If you live in an area with a high cost of living, and attend a private school with high tuition, the debt-to-income ratio for a new grad PT is terrible.

Thank you for your advice, we’ve definitely kept the cost in mind, but her options are all north of $100k when it’s all said and done :/

 

[jesspt]

Thank you for your advice, we’ve definitely kept the cost in mind, but her options are all north of $100k when it’s all said and done :/

Well, if the costs of all of her options are similar (within $5000-10000 of each other) then you should likely look at her going to a program that makes more sense for your residency. Good news is that the demand for PT remains high, so if you end up doing a fellowship, she will likely be able to find employment near there as well.

 

[truthseeker]

agree with JessPT. it does not matter with PT where you went to school. It comes down more to personality fit and having a license. I would use your residency to decide where you go all other things being equal.