Any physical therapists or occupational therapists here?

[Grande]

This place looks overrepresented with with people working engineer, finance, and IT jobs. Wondering if there's any PTs or OTs here? I ask because I am an OT and a certified hand therapist. I just turned 40 and approaching FI (numbers wise) but don't necessarily think quitting all together would be a good thing for me. One of the good things about PT/OT and healthcare in general is the ability to work nearly anywhere (so long as you have the proper license) and ability to work fewer hours. Maybe a taper out over 10 years? Maybe work in the tropics? Curious to thoughts of others. Introduce yourself.

[Clean Shaven]

My wife is an OT and former CHT (let it lapse since wasn't using it - left clinic work and didn't want to go back). She's been doing home health for over 10 years, and per diem for the last several as a way to scale back on hours. The # of patient visits vary week to week but she's roughly 1/2-2/3 time currently.

[Murse]

I am a 26 year old registered nurse. While I am not an OT or PT what you describe is our plan. We plan to save 70k per year until we are 30, after 30 will likely downshift to part time work and start having children. We will probably be about 60-70% FI by 30. I personally am considering summer camps, maybe I’ll give cruise ship nursing a go, or I’ll just stay at my current job just at 2 days per week to keep healthcare benefits. Lots of options.

My wife has a Bachelors in marketing, her passion however is dance and fitness. She will likely get a job at a gym and teach Zumba or other dance related fitness groups. 

[Grande]

I am a 26 year old registered nurse. While I am not an OT or PT what you describe is our plan. We plan to save 70k per year until we are 30, after 30 will likely downshift to part time work and start having children. We will probably be about 60-70% FI by 30. I personally am considering summer camps, maybe I’ll give cruise ship nursing a go, or I’ll just stay at my current job just at 2 days per week to keep healthcare benefits. Lots of options.

My wife has a Bachelors in marketing, her passion however is dance and fitness. She will likely get a job at a gym and teach Zumba or other dance related fitness groups.

Thanks for the reply

Having both parents work part time when kids are young is super smart. I work full time and my wife stays home with the kids and it's not good for either of us. I work too much and don't see kids often enough and she's at home with two toddlers and on the brink of insanity. Hopefully this changes soon. I do love the flexibility a healthcare job offers and you are helping people so there should be meaning in it.

[haflander]

PTF, although I have nothing of value to add, sorry. My gf is currently going through the applications process to go to grad school for OT next year. She's studying to take the GRE and is considering the U of Texas Medical Branch, St. Edwards in Austin, Texas Women's, and Texas Tech. She wants to stay in Texas for in-state tuition. She is currently working FT as a tech and admin asst for the outpatient therapy division of a big senior living facility and occasionally does observation hours with OTs at other places that serve the mentally challenged, children, etc. I'm a medical editor for a pharmaceutical consulting firm.

Does anyone have tips for someone about to go to grad school for OT? How did you do it and how did you pay for it? Did you only go to school and take loans or did you work PT and cash flow it? Any recommendations for OT schools in or out of Texas? Generally speaking she's smart and on top of things in terms of requirements, prerequisites, etc., but I figure it can't hurt to solicit some advice here.

I'm also curious about CHT, I'll ask her about this. Is it lucrative to get this certification or not worth it? Does it require extra schooling?

Thanks in advance and sorry to the OP, I'm not trying to hijack/derail her thread.

[Grande]

PTF, although I have nothing of value to add, sorry. My gf is currently going through the applications process to go to grad school for OT next year. She's studying to take the GRE and is considering the U of Texas Medical Branch, St. Edwards in Austin, Texas Women's, and Texas Tech. She wants to stay in Texas for in-state tuition. She is currently working FT as a tech and admin asst for the outpatient therapy division of a big senior living facility and occasionally does observation hours with OTs at other places that serve the mentally challenged, children, etc. I'm a medical editor for a pharmaceutical consulting firm.

Does anyone have tips for someone about to go to grad school for OT? How did you do it and how did you pay for it? Did you only go to school and take loans or did you work PT and cash flow it? Any recommendations for OT schools in or out of Texas? Generally speaking she's smart and on top of things in terms of requirements, prerequisites, etc., but I figure it can't hurt to solicit some advice here.

I'm also curious about CHT, I'll ask her about this. Is it lucrative to get this certification or not worth it? Does it require extra schooling?

Thanks in advance and sorry to the OP, I'm not trying to hijack/derail her thread.

Haflander,

Instate tuition at a public college is smart. We are not talking a Harvard MBA here. No one really cares where you went to school. Great idea working as a tech/ admin assistant while in school. That will give her an "in" when it comes to her fieldwork and potential jobs when she is ready. Good way to make contacts and a place of support. She's ahead of the game. No need for extra schooling for CHT. You have to work 5 years and pass a test that has a ~50% passing rate. But there's no significant  direct expenses. Check out HTCC.org. I am a CHT. Pay is generally a bit better. You are committing to treating hand injuries.
 
PM me with any questions. I have been in it a long time and I would be happy to help with anything I can.

[Murse]

I am a 26 year old registered nurse. While I am not an OT or PT what you describe is our plan. We plan to save 70k per year until we are 30, after 30 will likely downshift to part time work and start having children. We will probably be about 60-70% FI by 30. I personally am considering summer camps, maybe I’ll give cruise ship nursing a go, or I’ll just stay at my current job just at 2 days per week to keep healthcare benefits. Lots of options.

My wife has a Bachelors in marketing, her passion however is dance and fitness. She will likely get a job at a gym and teach Zumba or other dance related fitness groups.

Thanks for the reply

Having both parents work part time when kids are young is super smart. I work full time and my wife stays home with the kids and it's not good for either of us. I work too much and don't see kids often enough and she's at home with two toddlers and on the brink of insanity. Hopefully this changes soon. I do love the flexibility a healthcare job offers and you are helping people so there should be meaning in it.

This is why I love this forum, we start talking about numbers then it boils down to solving really quality of life issues.

Frankly if you are approaching FI at 40 and your having a hard time being away from the kids my advice would be to pull the trigger now. Why wait? Go to part time and start enjoying your life. You are already tossing around the idea of going part time, why wait until full FI to cut your income in half? You don’t need 100% FI and 50% job income. You only need 100% of expenses.

Then dependent on what your wife wants to do, she should pick up some part time work or go socialize more.

You have won the game, go enjoy the fruits of your labor. If I were you, I would start planning my exit strategy this weekend. It depends on what % FI you are but I would probably pull the trigger within 6 months.

[haflander]

PTF, although I have nothing of value to add, sorry. My gf is currently going through the applications process to go to grad school for OT next year. She's studying to take the GRE and is considering the U of Texas Medical Branch, St. Edwards in Austin, Texas Women's, and Texas Tech. She wants to stay in Texas for in-state tuition. She is currently working FT as a tech and admin asst for the outpatient therapy division of a big senior living facility and occasionally does observation hours with OTs at other places that serve the mentally challenged, children, etc. I'm a medical editor for a pharmaceutical consulting firm.

Does anyone have tips for someone about to go to grad school for OT? How did you do it and how did you pay for it? Did you only go to school and take loans or did you work PT and cash flow it? Any recommendations for OT schools in or out of Texas? Generally speaking she's smart and on top of things in terms of requirements, prerequisites, etc., but I figure it can't hurt to solicit some advice here.

I'm also curious about CHT, I'll ask her about this. Is it lucrative to get this certification or not worth it? Does it require extra schooling?

Thanks in advance and sorry to the OP, I'm not trying to hijack/derail her thread.

Haflander,

Instate tuition at a public college is smart. We are not talking a Harvard MBA here. No one really cares where you went to school. Great idea working as a tech/ admin assistant while in school. That will give her an "in" when it comes to her fieldwork and potential jobs when she is ready. Good way to make contacts and a place of support. She's ahead of the game. No need for extra schooling for CHT. You have to work 5 years and pass a test that has a ~50% passing rate. But there's no significant  direct expenses. Check out HTCC.org. I am a CHT. Pay is generally a bit better. You are committing to treating hand injuries.
 
PM me with any questions. I have been in it a long time and I would be happy to help with anything I can.

Thanks Grande. To clarify, she graduated with her BS last spring, so she's already been working for a year to save up for moving out and/or grad school. She is more frugal than me! She is 23 and lives with her parents but is itching to move out...I'm trying to gently dissuade that and offer that she can stay with me whenever she wants.

I don't have any further specific ?s for you right now but will definitely keep you in mind for PMs in the future. Oh, and sorry I referred to you as "her." Shame on me, I should be more politically correct.

[Grande]

I am a 26 year old registered nurse. While I am not an OT or PT what you describe is our plan. We plan to save 70k per year until we are 30, after 30 will likely downshift to part time work and start having children. We will probably be about 60-70% FI by 30. I personally am considering summer camps, maybe I’ll give cruise ship nursing a go, or I’ll just stay at my current job just at 2 days per week to keep healthcare benefits. Lots of options.

My wife has a Bachelors in marketing, her passion however is dance and fitness. She will likely get a job at a gym and teach Zumba or other dance related fitness groups.

Thanks for the reply

Having both parents work part time when kids are young is super smart. I work full time and my wife stays home with the kids and it's not good for either of us. I work too much and don't see kids often enough and she's at home with two toddlers and on the brink of insanity. Hopefully this changes soon. I do love the flexibility a healthcare job offers and you are helping people so there should be meaning in it.

This is why I love this forum, we start talking about numbers then it boils down to solving really quality of life issues.

Frankly if you are approaching FI at 40 and your having a hard time being away from the kids my advice would be to pull the trigger now. Why wait? Go to part time and start enjoying your life. You are already tossing around the idea of going part time, why wait until full FI to cut your income in half? You don’t need 100% FI and 50% job income. You only need 100% of expenses.

Then dependent on what your wife wants to do, she should pick up some part time work or go socialize more.

You have won the game, go enjoy the fruits of your labor. If I were you, I would start planning my exit strategy this weekend. It depends on what % FI you are but I would probably pull the trigger within 6 months.

There are few reasons. Being close to FI feels like you are at the end of a diving board. Second having kids completely changes the way you think about things. My brain was rewired 10 minutes after my first kid was born and it continues to be rewired. Third I get satisfaction from work. Working 24 hours/week will be better than working 40 and also better than 0 hours. Also it takes out the health insurance issue and I get other benefits from working there.

I think we may try a taper. Maybe each of us work 24 hours a week. We plan on move 34 miles from my work to 3-4 miles. More house expense, more property expense but less auto expense, less dead time in a car, more exercise by commuting by cycle, improved social sense with pals from work.

The last thing is that this market feels like it has only a 1-3 years left in. Not saying it will drop 60% tomorrow but I don't want to draw down in the 8th inning of a bull market.

[Murse]

I am not suggesting you quit working entirely. I am suggesting that you want to continue your job into the future and you have a large nest egg. Honestly if you guys can live on 24 hours work/week without touching the nest egg, I don’t see any reason to wait to switch to Part time.

Honestly I don’t know your numbers but judging by the way your talking let’s say you have 21-23x your expenses. Let’s say you can live off 24 hours/week of work without touching your nest egg, And let’s also assume you plan on working 24 hours per week for 5-10 years. If your working 24 hours per week I am sure you could switch back to full time fairly easily?

If you were to post the above scenario (again I don’t know your specific numbers) I would imagine 90% of MMM’ers would suggest you pull the trigger now. You have won the game.

[MontaniTrout]

Physical Therapist Assistant here. When I first stated my career, at 22 years old, I was a contract therapist. I traveled all over the country working 3 month assignments, paid for housing, per-diem allowance, and was able to have a high savings rate because of the perks. I did this for 3 years and moved back to my "home" with a huge financial advantage.
Now, 35 years old, I've settled in to a job close to home that I enjoy. I need to be grounded now with a wife and 2 kids.
With that said, once my kids start college and my wife and I retire I may consider contract work again. There are some really terrific locations looking for contract therapist. The best part about contract work is that you have some control over the terms (how many weeks you're willing to work, location, pay/benefits). If anything I'll keep my license up to date a work PRN whenever I feel like it.
Having a degree in healthcare is one of the best decisions I've ever made.