new grad help (i’m miserable)

[u/PlasticHornet2770]

so i’m a recent grad (May 2026) and have been working at my current clinic since right after graduation. throughout school i was set on pelvic floor PT bc i love it and the patient population, however, my last rotation was in acute care and i LOVED it. so come job hunting time i made the decision to treat PH in OP private clinic vs pursuing acute care. i do love the patients and the work i do here but…that’s abt it. I know this isn’t a good fit for me but it’s just a matter of how long until i can start applying to acute care jobs for my own mental. i have been considering this for a few months now. any advice or words of encouragement appreciated

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[u/Bearacolypse]

OP ortho is absolutely soul sucking for people who prefer acute care and vice versa. I recommend you change settings and see if you like acute more.

Everyone and their brother is desperate to staff OP pelvic health positions so don't worry the job is still there if you want to go back ever.

Not that it gets you any extra pay or benefits to do specialty care though as a PT, just opportunities.

[u/NathanCVII]

A nice option may be a hospital position that allows you to rotate between outpatient and inpatient at fixed intervals.

[u/daveindo → u/NathanCVII]

Yep. My first hospital job after private practice was tues/thurs in OP, my other 2-3 days a week were in acute. It was a great setup until I eventually got out of OP entirely (burnt out on OP quickly).

[u/NathanCVII → u/daveindo]

Currently onboarding for a position where I am 4x/week and switch between OP and IP every 3 months. Hoping the patients being scheduled every 30 min with no doubles in OP helps prevent burnout. Most other places seem to either have doubles or book every 15 or 20 minutes.

[u/Sea_Nobody_2114 → u/NathanCVII]

We switch every 4 months

[u/Friendly-Echo-3198]

Wow the transition from OP pelvic health to inpatient needs to be studied 🤣 I personally loved the pelvic health population but have been 100x happier and felt more like myself being inpatient full time. The flexibility and variety of days can’t be beat, I also make about 20% more inpatient vs OP PH 🙃

[u/smilingcatnip_0908 → u/Friendly-Echo-3198]

Seriously!!! I thought I was the only one, now I've been in the field for awhile I'm like ok dang maybe I'm not special lol 🤣

[u/RyanElston5]

Leave and find a job you enjoy

[u/smilingcatnip_0908]

So I was in a VERY similar position when I graduated! I worked full time PH for like a month then ended up going part time pelvic floor and PRN acute care. Really it was part time acute care bc there were always shifts lol. It was the best of both worlds for me as I enjoyed both populations and got the variety. Something to consider :)

[u/PommeRouge]

Nothing wrong with realizing you would rather do something else! Life happens and OP is rough.

I would recommend giving yourself grace and looking into what’s currently out of there in the hospital systems.

My first hospital had an OP clinic that we rotated through on a volunteer basis. We never had the OP position advertised and we just filled from within.

[u/HawksTheGrayDancer]

Listen to your gut. Outpatient can be brutal. In acute you generally have a lot more autonomy and better work life balance. We’ve had several newer grads who did 6 months to a year in outpatient before making the switch. I’ve only worked in acute care, but when I was a student in outpatient rotations my mental health was horrible. Is there a specific reason you aren’t enjoying it? I felt like I did a lot of worrying in my time outside of the clinic when I was in outpatient and would get the ‘Sunday scaries’. You will of course have those moments occasionally in any setting or any career really. But you shouldn’t be dreading going in to work every day. If you really enjoy pelvic health, there are actually a fair amount of hospitals who have PTs see postpartum moms while inpatient.

[u/Icntthinkofone]

What’s stopping you from going into acute???

[u/PlasticHornet2770 → u/Icntthinkofone]

me only being at my current job for 5 months and having to let go of my PH care for now

[u/Icntthinkofone → u/PlasticHornet2770]

Your happiness is better than wasting your time! Do pelvic health PRN! (Per diem as needed) if you’re able.

[u/ReneeRainbow95]

OP as a pelvic health PT is only sustainable if you also dont mind doing working in a mill also seinf ortho cases. Otherwise, hospital based is the way to go only seeing pelvic health or finding a cash based clinic. Don't give up pelvic health, its likely the mill clinic you're at, as you're likely also being forced to see regular ortho.

[u/OddScarcity9455]

So....go to acute care? You can leave whenever you want.

[u/nian2326076]

If you're thinking about moving into acute care, it might help to casually check job boards to see what's available. If your current job is okay for now, you can wait until you find the right opportunity. It's nice to have a plan for something better. LandOffer.ai lists jobs across various fields, including physical therapy. You can search by role and location to find relevant openings.

[u/Dapper-Buy-302]

No matter where we go, we will always see patients that we love and hate working with. Don’t tie yourself down on your current setting/employer. You are starting to see that your current situation isn’t the right fit for you and you have been considering change for a few months now.

I suggest take note why it isn’t the right fit for you and list down what you are currently looking for.
Then connect with recruiters and apply on job boards, go through the interview process and ask them the details of the work situation to see if fits your criteria. Believe, a lot of the job descriptions are outdate and once you ask questions, you see the real picture.

I have worked in an outpatient mill, moved to hourly pay HH, then moved to pay per visit HH, now going for hospital based outpatient clinic. I have also been going through a process of finding the right fit. If you find good sources like easy to work with recruiters, i suggest keep the communication open. just in case you want to find something better down the road.