They don’t teach this in school
This message is for my physical therapists, chiropractors, physician’s assistants, or really any human being who has gone to school for an extended period of time to achieve some higher education.
All you readers understand the sacrifice necessary to get that next level of degree. From the unpaid internships, to the student loans, to relinquishing half of your twenties to dedicate your time studying to be of benefit to the greater good of the people. It’s a commitment not many fully can comprehend until they’ve been there themselves. But throughout the years, the mantra that keeps most of us going is the understanding that it will all be “worth it” in the end.
And in the end, it is. In many ways.
However, as I’ve touched on in the past, working for someone else for the unforeseeable future can often be daunting and less rewarding than previously assumed. And therein lies the one way in which I think many grad programs fail their students. They teach you how to be a public servant and provider, but they don’t really teach you how to provide for yourself.
In the seven years it took me to obtain my doctorate (4 years undergrad, 3 grad), I took a grand total of ONE business class. It was my third year of physical therapy school, and the main objective of the class was to develop a physical therapy business plan. I recall feeling blindsided by that notion entirely. Create a business plan? But why? I’m just going to graduate and go work for so and so.
It was the fact that I blatantly did not know what to do in class that made me the most uncomfortable. Why had I never thought of this before? Why did it seem so out of reach and virtually unattainable?
The class ended up being fine and my project mates and I had fun with the presentation. But the unshakeable feeling that something was missing in the curriculum was the most impressionable learning from that class. I graduated the program feeling fully equipped to exercise my knowledge of physical therapy, and wholly unprepared to start my own endeavors.
I am writing this not to fuel a sense of discontent at our faculty and curriculum, but rather to encourage those in a similar boat as me to take matters into their own hands. These graduate programs don’t exist to mold you into business owners. They function to instill in you the knowledge of how to care for other human beings. The business part is totally up to you.
So, if you’re noticing that the job you landed after school isn’t something you can really envision yourself doing for more than a few years, I reckon you start learning. There is a vast abyss of free information at the tips of your fingers. The internet! The resources are legitimately endless. I started my PT company by literally just jumping headfirst and learning as I went along. And guess what? Thanks to the podcasts, the books, the blogs, and the how-to videos, I am doing the dang thing.
If you’re willing to put forth the extra effort, so can you.
Happy Wednesday!
Love,
Roni
P.S. the holidays are already amongst us, and this work-from-home walking pad is a great gift for you or someone you love!! Plus, it’s super on sale.
Get an additional $20 off with my code REHABWITHRONI
