While in school completing your Speech Language Pathology certifications, you likely heard of your ability to travel the country, make memories, and see sights you've dreamed of through travel therapy. Did you know that you can travel while completing your Clinical Fellowship Year? There are many benefits to working in travel therapy as an SLP-CF! Make memories on the road while growing your career in a way you can't with a permanent staff position. Read on to learn why you should consider traveling at this stage in your career:
Taking your SLP-CF on the road has a lot of benefits you won't receive as a traditional fellow. One of the biggest benefits of traveling during your fellowship year is gaining clinical experience in various locations and settings you wouldn't otherwise experience during your first year out of school. The case load you treat in a large city outpatient setting will be different than your case load at a rural school. Taking your CFY on the road gives you the opportunity to experience different cases and settings, which will not only help build your professional skills, but it helps you know what setting you want to work in once you've finished your Clinical Fellowship. You also get the benefit of working with multiple mentors and professionals in the field, helping to expand your professional network much faster when you're fresh out of school.
Travel Healthcare contracts typically last 13 weeks, and that often goes for CFY assignments as well. This means you'll likely have to find multiple assignments in order to complete all your fellowship requirements. While this can be a benefit, you also run a higher risk of working with a team that you may not like. You also may need to take longer than average to complete your full Fellowship, depending on the length of time in between your 13-week contracts. Travel therapy contracts also have the risk of being canceled, though you will likely have a required notice in your contract so you'll be able to work the next 14 or 30 days depending on your terms.
At the end of the day, whether you're fresh out of school or have years of experience, taking the leap into travel therapy is a big step. The most important thing to consider when you're thinking of hitting the road is what would be the best decision for you. Being honest with yourself about the locations and settings you're open to working in, what salary do you need to make travel worth it, or whether you're ready for the commitment of accepting a travel contract. When you're considering taking your SLP-CFY on the road, the most important aspect to consider is what would be a good fit for you!