Written by: Abbey Pratt M.S., CCC-SLP

Hello again,

Thanks for coming back to read another random blog I write. Today, I thought I would dive into my thought process when deciding to become a traveling speech-language pathologist. Let’s begin…

Travel therapy was first introduced to me at a job fair my university’s program put on my junior year of undergrad. The representative from Med Travelers (now apart of AMN Healthcare) and I talked for hours discussing the life of a travel therapist. From then on, I was hooked. This was my ticket to see the world while making money. What could be better than this?!

Fast forward to grad school. Half way through my second semester we get the nation wide notice of the pandemic. Classes go online, internships on hold, and clinical hours are through teletherapy. It was an experience to say the least. Upon graduation, it was still difficult to find a clinical fellowship position that would heighten by clinical skills. I was in contact with a recruiter from Med Travelers and discussing possible clinical fellowship options. I was all in and ready to start; however, there was one thing holding me back… placement options. See, within the traveling world of a speech pathologist as a new graduate, you are limited to either a school or skilled nursing facility setting. Not that these won’t get the job done, but I was looking for something more. I wanted a job that could expedite my clinical skills to make me more marketable for future jobs.

Long story short, I ended up accepting a SLP position at a pediatric, non-profit organization in Sioux Falls, SD. Don’t worry, I will write another post about this adventure. Although this was an amazing experience and rewarding job, traveling therapy was always in the back of my mind. So, what did I do? Created a trusty-ole pos and cons list of course!

Pros + Cons List:

Pros	Cons
Experience new places	Getting license approved in each state
Try out new settings/populations (pediatrics vs. adults, hospitals vs. schools, etc.)	Finding housing/car rentals + coordinating travel
Flexible time off	Always on the move; never know where your next assignment will be
Pay isn’t too bad either	Missing family and friends while away on assignment

In my opinion, the pros outweighed the cons. I am a 25-year-old, single female ready to adventure! Within my search for the right, first travel placement, I came across an opening at a pediatric outpatient medical facility. Sent it to my recruiter and interviewed within a week. I was offered the position starting early September and made the world-wind decision to accept it! No turning back now… I was doing what I had wanted to do ever since the day I met the recruiter at my university’s job fair.

Of course, there were some road bumps along the way, but we will save that for another day. Right now, I am enjoying my first adventure in Fremont, California and am excited to see what the future hold for your new travel speech-language pathologist!