I joined Peterson Physical Therapy a year ago, here’s my story on how I got to where I am today. After college, my first PT job was with what they call a “mill” clinic about an hour north of La Plata. Although I was only there for 5 months, in that short period of time, I began to worry that I had made a terrible mistake by getting into the physical therapy profession.
For those of you who don’t know, a “PT mill clinic” is very common in this industry. It’s where one therapist sees 2-3 patients simultaneously per hour, ultimately increasing revenue. Despite having an aide, I was unable to truly provide the level of care I wanted to and most importantly what I was trained to provide.
My education was almost too idealistic for the real world and we were taught to go above and beyond for patients and treat the person, not the condition. However, working in this type of environment was challenging. After a few months of juggling seeing 2-3 patients per hour, per day and coming home, and spending a couple of hours on documentation every night, I was starting to get worried. I’d heard of therapists getting burned out but I didn’t expect it to be happening to me so soon after graduating. There were a few other red flags and points of disturbance about the way my company handled many matters and it felt as though the newer employees were often taken for granted.
So, all things considered, and the hope for a better work-life balance, I decided to look for other opportunities.
During my search, I came across a job posting for Peterson Physical Therapy and I was ecstatic when I read the job description. It didn’t take long for me to realize this was the type of environment I was dreaming of, treating one patient per hour, working with access to a full gym, mentoring, and being a part of a smaller company that valued not just their patients but their entire staff. It all seemed a little too good to be true. And even if it was true, surely they would have many applicants, and what were the odds of me getting in?!
Well, I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now, I’ve been with Peterson PT almost a year now and I can attest, it’s everything I ever dreamed it would be.
As early as my second week with PPT, I mentioned to Susan & Chris how thankful I was to be here and felt I had received a second chance at a career in physical therapy.
The setup we have here at Peterson PT has given me the opportunity to provide clients with better, individualized care which everyone deserves and is crucial in their recovery. The Petersons themselves lead by example with stellar attentiveness to clients and often go above and beyond to ensure people are well taken care of.
It feels great to be part of a team that truly cares about its clients. Additionally, the team here works well together and we all have a chance to give our input towards different aspects of the clinic. To have my voice heard and feel like my employers genuinely care about what I have to think is definitely something I am very grateful for. I hope to continue growing as a therapist and helping Peterson PT grow to serve our community.
