77: Travel Physical Therapy: Training, Taxes, Licensure & Life in Alaska (with Dr. Rachel Auer)

APTA Michigan’s Waves host Andy Wicks interviews Dr. Rachel Auer, a traveling physical therapist from Michigan and a Grand Valley State DPT graduate, about her nearly three years of travel PT across Michigan, Montana, Washington, Colorado, and currently Anchorage, Alaska. Auer explains she chose travel PT to explore the country and sample multiple practice settings, moving between acute care, inpatient/SNF, and outpatient to keep skills sharp. She addresses common misconceptions that travel jobs have poor training or are undesirable, noting her orientation experiences have generally been reasonable. She advises students to start by learning from travel therapy communities, talk with many travelers, and understand tax compliance around tax-free stipends, including consulting a travel-focused tax expert. She also discusses state licensure challenges without the PT Compact and shares outdoor adventures enabled by short-term contracts, while acknowledging frequent moves and housing shifts can be tiring and she may eventually return to Michigan.Use the LARA PT or PTA General Response Form to document listening to Waves episodes for your PDR license renewal credits!www.aptami.orgYouTube